GREEK CARTOONISTS

THE ORIGIN

The cartoon spirit in Greece during the 19th century was represented by magazines like

• “Asmodeos”(Ασμοδαίος) and • ‘Asti’ (Αστυ).

Themos Aninos (1843-1916) is seen as the key cartoonist figure of the 19th century

Panagiotis Pigadiotis was the editor of the magazines‘Aristofan’’ and ‘New Aristofan’’

Pigadiotis was acquainted and cooperated with the Italian lithographer Augusto Grossi in order to draw colourful cartoons.

NOTEWORTHY CARTOONISTS BEFORE WORLDWAR II

Dimitris Galanis: he was awarded in France and made public the women’s suffragette movement with his elegant cartoons

Stam-Stam: he has created traditional Greek figures.

Koumetakis: he was the creator of the famous monk Akakios, a very popular cartoon figure that was used by advertisement of pasta.

Theodoridis (Togo): he is well know for his work made comments on the World War II

Fokion Dimitriades (1894-1977): he is seen as the most influential cartoonist of the early part of the 20th century. Dimitriades by his work criticizes the Greek’s foreign policy and the United Kingdom’s policy for the Cyprus dispute.

POSTWAR CARTOONISTS

Gallias: he is the creator of the “Fat Lady and (her husband) Zacharias” ,a funny couple edited in a magazine named “Thesauros” (=treasure) which had many fans.

During the dictatorship period Kyriakopoulos: ο and…

Mitropulos via their cartoons resist to the Greek dictatorship.

Bost: in his comic strips makes spelling mistakes on purpose and creates three legendary anti-heroes: Mother Greece(ΕΛΛΑΣ) , The hungry man(ΠΕΙΝΑΛΕΩΝ) and Miss. Unemployment. These figures reveal the cultural warp of his era

Archelaos/Adona-ros: (1921-1981) is famous for his social comic strip “Varelofrones” ,a hypothetical political party consisted by alcoholics.

CONTEMPORARY CARTOONISTS

Stathis: he published his first work with his acute panels after the dictatorship’s overthrow

Ioannou criticizes the socialistic government of our country and the consumerism.

Arkas

And Kalaitzis are the only ones who manage to make a leaving by their art.

The contemporary Greek cartoonists as Maroulakis come from the city and as a result the City is their protagonist

The city and its terraces oppress their habitants…

Kalamaras

The loneliness and the machines prevail…

Scoulas

-Old lady: Thank God! I cancross the road tosee my daughter inlaw.The newspaper:Taxidrivers are on strike.

Kalamaras

They also refer to the habits of the‘citizens’ Pavlidis

and they draw inspiration from the European society and the world stage

Ornerakis…

Their cartoons are published in limited circulation magazines such as “Babel’’and “Para Pente”

And of course in the internet http://www.cartoonists.gr/

Petroulakis