The culture and influence of illustrated humour in Bengal would not be as powerful or persistent had there not been intellectual custodians of this art in form of periodicals. The earliest of them was born precisely at the hour when the form found feet in Bengal. Since then, there have been several – some had made caricature their mainstay, some were iconoclastic in general with a thrust on gags and funnies. But all of them had their tongue firmly ensconced in their cheek, and took no prisoners when it came to the moneyed and mighty. Some had long lives, some were of a short burst. Most of them are here.
