WASHINGTON, DC: Judge Parker, one of the longest-running and popular cartoon strips in American history (it currently runs in 175 newspapers and has been syndicated since 1952), has a new character — a 19-year-old Indian genius named Raju Mishra, who does research work for American college students and corporate executives for fees as low as $300 a month.
“Mishra is a genius,” says its creator Woody Wilson, who personally is bitter about the Indian outsourcing story “because it takes jobs away from young Americans and makes the whole customer service experience uncomfortable because Indians just don’t understand American nuances.”
Nevertheless, in the strip, the 19-year-old Mishra is an extremely positive character. “He is the brightest of the bright,” says Wilson, who took over as strip’s writer from his mentor Nicholas Dallis in 1990. “We (he and his drawing partner, the Uruguayan artist Eduardo Baretto) did not have a nerd in mind, but he does come across as someone like that. He knows several languages, he is an expert in reasoning, mathematics, physics, and can hold discussions on even the breeding of horses.”
In Judge Parker, Mishra has been hired by Sophie, the adopted daughter of Abbey Spencer, who is a client and the lover of Sam Driver, the protagonist. “Sophie poses an interesting question to Abbey and Sam,” says Wilson. “If companies can outsource their work, why can’t students, she asks her mother. She hires Raju over the Internet to do her research papers so that she could concentrate on things other than just academics.”
Sophie, a middle school student, is herself a child prodigy, and often takes up research subjects that are at the advanced college level. However, her teachers are concerned that she is paying to no attention to extra-curricular activities. “Mishra would help her do that,” says Wilson. “For a fee that is considered cheap in the US, but a fairly decent sum for an Indian.”
Wilson says he created Raju Mishra’s name out of thin air. “I don’t have any Indian friends who suggested the name. Instead, I researched Indian websites, and came up with the name.”
Fortunately for him, it sounded just right. Although Raju has made only one brief appearance in the soap-opera-like strip so far, he is the central part of the discussion between Sophie, Abbey and Sam. “The story will pan out during the summer months,” says Wilson.
Mishra’s next task could possibly be to accompany Sophie’s sister and Abbey’s other adopted daughter Neddy to Paris where she will be studying art. “Mishra is knowledgeable about art too,” says Wilson.
“I have to work out his visa status, and other legal and logistical requirements for Mishra. Once that is done, he will be on a flight to Paris.”
