AzerbaijanAzerbaijan.

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World Comics Heritage

Azerbaijan.

4 chapters

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Chapter 1

1906

to 1920

Molla Nasraddin and its imitators

Zanbur

Molla Nasraddin first appeared on 7 April 1906 in Tiflis, with drawings by Azim Azimzade and by Tiflis-based artists such as Josef Rotter. Its success set off a wave of illustrated satirical magazines in Baku, among them Bahlul (1907), Zanbur (1909 to 1910), Kalniyyat (1912 to 1913) and Tuti (1914 to 1917), alongside many Russian-language satirical titles.

1906 to 1920

Chapter 2

1921

to 1951

Soviet Molla Nasraddin

After eight issues in Tabriz in 1921, Molla Nasraddin was published in Baku from 1922, with Azimzade as chief artist, was renamed Allahsyz in 1931 and closed in 1933. Azimzade gathered younger caricaturists around him, among them Ghazanfar Khaligov, who drew for the magazine in 1929 and 1930.

1921 to 1951

Chapter 3

1952

to 2005

Kirpi

The satirical magazine Kirpi, started in 1952 to continue the Molla Nasraddin tradition, became the main outlet for Azerbaijani caricature, with Najafgulu Ismayilov as chief artist from 1952 to 1979. Its artists included Adil Guliyev, art editor from 1980, Vafa Allahyarova, one of the first women caricaturists in Azerbaijan, and Hafis Nasiroglu, chief artist from 1992.

1952 to 2005

Chapter 4

2006

to today

Cartoonists' union and the first comic books

For the centenary of Molla Nasraddin, about 60 caricaturists formed a union that joined FECO, and its magazine Biz ve karikatura began in 2006; Kirpi stopped in early 2017 after the death of its editor Polad Gasimov. The first Azerbaijani comic books followed: the unfinished Kulek adam (2015), Indiqo (2016), the one-shot Superion and Fuad Isayev's superhero comic Leke (both 2017), and the IRS cizgi team's Koroglu (2017) and Diriler (2018).

2006 to today

Keep reading

The comics to know Comics from Azerbaijan

World Comics Heritage

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1. 1906

   to 1920

   Chapter 01

   Molla Nasraddin and its imitators

   Molla Nasraddin first appeared on 7 April 1906 in Tiflis, with drawings by Azim Azimzade and by Tiflis-based artists such as Josef Rotter. Its success set off a wave of illustrated satirical magazines in Baku, among them Bahlul (1907), Zanbur (1909 to 1910), Kalniyyat (1912 to 1913) and Tuti (1914 to 1917), alongside many Russian-language satirical titles.

   

2. 1921

   to 1951

   Chapter 02

   Soviet Molla Nasraddin

   After eight issues in Tabriz in 1921, Molla Nasraddin was published in Baku from 1922, with Azimzade as chief artist, was renamed Allahsyz in 1931 and closed in 1933. Azimzade gathered younger caricaturists around him, among them Ghazanfar Khaligov, who drew for the magazine in 1929 and 1930.

3. 1952

   to 2005

   Chapter 03

   Kirpi

   The satirical magazine Kirpi, started in 1952 to continue the Molla Nasraddin tradition, became the main outlet for Azerbaijani caricature, with Najafgulu Ismayilov as chief artist from 1952 to 1979. Its artists included Adil Guliyev, art editor from 1980, Vafa Allahyarova, one of the first women caricaturists in Azerbaijan, and Hafis Nasiroglu, chief artist from 1992.

4. 2006

   to today

   Chapter 04

   Cartoonists' union and the first comic books

   For the centenary of Molla Nasraddin, about 60 caricaturists formed a union that joined FECO, and its magazine Biz ve karikatura began in 2006; Kirpi stopped in early 2017 after the death of its editor Polad Gasimov. The first Azerbaijani comic books followed: the unfinished Kulek adam (2015), Indiqo (2016), the one-shot Superion and Fuad Isayev's superhero comic Leke (both 2017), and the IRS cizgi team's Koroglu (2017) and Diriler (2018).

• Molla NasraddinMolla Nəsrəddin1906 · comics magazineJalil Mammadguluzadeh and Omar Faig Nemanzadeh (founders); Azim Azimzade (artist). Satirical weekly published in Tiflis, Tabriz and Baku, renamed Allahsyz in 1931 and closed in 1933.
• ZanburZənbur1909 · comics magazineMirza Abdulkhalig Akhundov (publisher); Azim Azimzade (artist and manager). Baku satirical weekly, 1909 to 1910.
• Kirpi1952 · comics magazineNajafgulu Ismayilov (chief artist) and others. Satirical caricature magazine published until 2017.
• LekeLəkə2017 · comic book seriesFuad Isayev (writer and artist), Rasul Hasanov (designer). Superhero comic set in Baku, the first comic registered with Azerbaijan's copyright agency.
• Koroglu2017 · comic book seriesIRS cizgi. National comic inspired by the Koroglu epic.

• Azim AzimzadeАзимзаде, Азим Аслан оглы1880 to 1943Chief artist of Molla Nasraddin; seen as the founder of Azerbaijani satirical graphic art.
• Jalil MammadguluzadehWriter who founded and edited Molla Nasraddin.
• Najafgulu IsmayilovNəcəfqulu İsmayılov1923 to 1990Co-founder and chief artist of Kirpi from 1952 to 1979.
• Ghazanfar KhaligovГазанфар Алекпер оглы Халыков1898 to 1981Caricaturist for Molla Nasraddin (1929 to 1930) and Kirpi (1953 to 1958).
• Seyran JafarliSeyran CəfərliBorn 1966Kirpi caricaturist from 1982 and founder of the magazine Yumor (2008).
• Fuad IsayevCreator of the superhero comic Leke (2017).

• Adil GuliyevAdil QuliyevBorn 1935 · caricaturist
• Aynura MikayilovaAynurə Mikayılovacomics creator
• Gulshan HajizadeGülşən Hacızadəcomics creator
• Hafis NasirogluHafis NəsiroğluBorn 1950 · caricaturist
• Anar AkbarliAnar Əkbərlicomics producer
• Bulud GasimovBulud QasımovBorn 1947 · caricaturist
• Elman MirzayevElman MirzəyevBorn 1959 · caricaturist
• Vafa AllahyarovaVəfa AllahyarovaBorn 1965 · caricaturist
• Bahram BagirzadehBorn 1972 · caricaturist

• BahlulBəhlul1907 · comics magazine
• KalniyyatKəlniyyət1912 to 1913 · comics magazine
• Tuti1914 to 1917 · comics magazine
• Kulek adamKülək adam2015 · comic book series
• Biz ve karikaturaBiz və karikatura2006 · comics magazine
• Yumor2008 · comics magazine
• Superion2017 · comic book series
• Indiqo2016 · comic book series
• DirilerDirilər2018 · webcomic
• SheytanŞeytan2001 · comics magazine