Moldova.
Moldova
1958
Comics in Moldova grew out of Soviet-era satire and children's publishing.
The Chișinău satirical magazine Chipăruș ran from 1958 to 1996 with cartoons by artists such as Siegfried Polinger, Lică Sainciuc and Valeriu Kurtu. After independence local comics grew slowly, and the Chișinău-born Roman Tolici built his comics career in Romania. A small local scene has since formed around the illustrator Octavian Curoșu, who coordinated a 2021 Moldova special issue of COMICS magazine with work by nine Moldovan artists.
7
6
1958
1990s
Artists from Moldova in the archive.
Comics from Moldova in the archive.
Chipăruș, the earliest comic from Moldova in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Moldova began.
bandă desenată
Moldova in 3 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Moldova.
3 chapters
Chapter 1
1958
to 1996
Chipăruș and Soviet-era satire
1958
to 1996
Chapter 01
Chipăruș and Soviet-era satire
The satirical magazine Chipăruș came out twice a month in Chișinău from 1958 to 1996, mixing cartoons, pamphlets and humorous sketches, with regular sections named after the folk heroes Păcală and Tândală. Cartoonists such as Siegfried Polinger, Lică Sainciuc and Valeriu Kurtu drew for it, while children's magazines such as Alunelul carried the first picture stories made in the republic.
1997
to 2003
Chapter 02
A Moldovan artist in Romanian comics
After independence, comics in Moldova were kept alive mostly by fans, imported superhero comics and manga, and library exhibitions. Roman Tolici, born in Chișinău in 1974, drew the series Alex for the comics magazine 2000 PLUS from 1997 to 1999, and its book edition Alex la Paris won the Sandu Florea Trophy at the Craiova Comics Festival in 2003.
2021
to today
Chapter 03
A local scene takes shape
In May 2021 issue 40 of COMICS magazine was given over entirely to authors from Moldova, coordinated by Octavian Curoșu. The same year the bilingual educational comic MIL COMICS appeared, and in 2022 the National Library in Chișinău opened a comics exhibition drawn from its collections.
The comics to know
- ChipărușКипэруш1958 · comics magazineEditors Petru Zadnipru and Ioan Josu. Satirical magazine published in Chișinău until 1996.
- Alex1997 · comic book seriesRoman Tolici and Sonny Perseil. Series in the magazine 2000 PLUS until 1999, later collected as Alex la Paris.
- Aaargh!!graphic novelRoman Tolici. Solo alternative comic book released by Hardcomix.
- COMICS No. 40: Special Edition Republic of Moldova2021 · comics magazineCoordinated by Octavian Curoșu. Issue devoted entirely to comics authors from Moldova.
- MIL COMICS2021 · graphic novelDiversitate Non-formal Education Centre. Bilingual Romanian and Russian comic on media literacy for teenagers.
The people to know
- Siegfried PolingerЗигфрид Полингер1920 to 1985Chișinău cartoonist who drew for Chipăruș and Krokodil.
- Lică SainciucBorn 1947Illustrator who published humorous and satirical drawings in Chipăruș from 1962.
- Valeriu KurtuBorn 1956Cartoonist for Chipăruș, later based in Berlin.
- Roman ToliciBorn 1974Chișinău-born artist of the series Alex and the comic book Aaargh!!.
- Octavian CuroșuIllustrator and promoter of local comics; coordinated COMICS No. 40.