Romania.
Romania
1924
Romanian comics began in the press of the 1890s: a magazine reprinted German and Austrian comics from 1891, and the caricaturist Constantin Jiquidi became the first Romanian author of comics in 1893.
Haplea, created in 1924 by Nicolae Batzaria and Marin Iorda, became the country's best-known comic character. Under communism, children's magazines such as Arici Pogonici and Cutezătorii (1967 to 1989) kept artists like Puiu Manu, Livia Rusz and Sandu Florea busy, and after 1989 many artists worked for French and American publishers while festivals and new magazines rebuilt the home scene.
39
25
1924
1990s
Artists from Romania in the archive.
Comics from Romania in the archive.
Haplea, the earliest comic from Romania in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Romania began.
bandă desenată
Romania in 4 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Romania.
4 chapters
Chapter 1
1891
to 1923
Beginnings in the press
1891
to 1923
Chapter 01
Beginnings in the press
According to the critic Dodo Niță, the first Romanian magazine to carry comics, borrowed from German and Austrian periodicals, appeared in 1891, and Constantin Jiquidi published the first comics by a Romanian author in 1893. Comics also appeared in satirical papers such as I. L. Caragiale's Moftul român.
1924
to 1948
Chapter 02
Haplea and the interwar magazines
Haplea, written by Nicolae Batzaria and drawn by Marin Iorda, first appeared in Dimineața copiilor in 1924, and Iorda turned it into a 1927 animated feature, the first Romanian cartoon film of that length. Pascal Rădulescu drew new Haplea stories for Universul copiilor from 1938 to 1944, and Marga Ștefănescu's Poznele lui Rică ran in Ziarul Copiilor from 1941 until nationalisation closed her outlets in 1948.
1949
to 1989
Chapter 03
Communist children's magazines
Comics lived on in state children's magazines such as Cravata roșie, Luminița, Arici Pogonici (1957 to 1980) and Cutezătorii, published from September 1967 to 21 December 1989. Puiu Manu, Livia Rusz, Burschi, Radu Duldurescu, Pompiliu Dumitrescu and Nicu Russu drew adventure, history and science fiction serials, and Sandu Florea's Galbar (1973) was the first Romanian science fiction comic album.
1990
to today
Chapter 04
After 1989
After 1990 Sandu Florea and Niculae Frînculescu published the comics magazines Carusel and Proteus, and from 1991 Florea lived in the United States, inking for Marvel and DC; later artists such as Cristian Păcurariu, Dan Popescu and Victor Drujiniu worked for French and American publishers. At home, the International Comics Salon in Constanța reached its 23rd edition in 2013, the Hardcomics anthologies appeared from 2004 to 2007, and the magazine Harap Alb continuă retold Ion Creangă's fairy tale as heroic fantasy.
The comics to know
- Haplea1924 · comic stripNicolae Batzaria and Marin Iorda. Romania's best-known comic character; filmed as an animated feature in 1927.
- Arici Pogonici1957 · comics magazineVarious. Picture-album magazine for young children with colour comics, published until 1980.
- Cutezătorii1967 · comics magazineVarious. Weekly children's magazine with comics, published until December 1989.
- Dim Dunăreanu1967 · comic stripPuiu Manu and Marius Leștaru. Socialist detective serial in Cutezătorii that ran until 1976.
- Galbar1973 · graphic novelSandu Florea and Ovidiu Șurianu. First Romanian science fiction comic album.
The people to know
- Constantin Jiquidi1865 to 1899Caricaturist who published the first comics by a Romanian author, in 1893.
- Marin IordaMarin Iordache1901 to 1972Drew Haplea from 1924 and made the 1927 Haplea animated film.
- Puiu ManuBorn 1928One of the most prolific and long-lived Romanian comics artists, creator of Dim Dunăreanu.
- Livia RuszDrew comics for Romanian and Hungarian-language magazines, including Mac and Cocofifi.
- Sandu FloreaBorn 1946Drew Galbar and many history comics, then inked for Marvel and DC in the United States.
- Pompiliu Dumitrescu1941 to 1998Main representative of Romanian comics from the 1960s to the 1990s.
- Valentin TănaseBorn 1954Produced around 1,000 pages of history and science fiction comics.
More artists from Romania
All 39 artists- Ioan CozacuBorn 1953 · cartoonist
- Viorel PîrligrasBorn 1959 · cartoonist
- Alexandru CiubotariuBorn 1979 · comics artist
- Șerban AndreescuBorn 1957 · cartoonist
- Mircea Possacartoonist
- Vali IvanBorn 1961 · cartoonist
- Radu Duldurescu1926 to 1987 · cartoonist
- JupLucian AmariiBorn 1969 · cartoonist
- Pascal Rădulescucartoonist
- Matei BraneaBorn 1977 · cartoonist
- Marga ȘtefănescuBorn 1913 · cartoonist
- Octav UngureanuBorn 1983 · cartoonist
More comics from Romania
All 25 comics- Hanji1990 to 1993 · comic book series
- Harap Alb continuăcomics magazine
- În lumea lui Harap-Alb1979 · graphic novel
- Oscar1995 · comic strip
- Burebista1980 · comic strip
- Megalozooncomic strip
- Soldatul Neațăcomic strip
- Super Costel1997 · comic strip
- Cuțu și Miaucomic strip
- Mac și Cocofifi1967 to 1976 · comic strip
- Șoimii Moldovei1969 · graphic novel
- Titilică, băiat fără frică1974 · graphic novel