Greek comics… you’d think that the country that has the most recognizable mythology would be full of them. Instead we’ve got artists dodging dictators most of the time, usually by hiding among imports. These days, it’s harder for most creative publishers to stay afloat unless it adapts existing material.
Allow me to explain.
Greek Comics: The Platinum Age
Greek comics got their foundations from the caricature collections of artists like Athanasios Iatridis for political satire. Then they found their way to newspapers for political cartooning. All the better to oppose the dictator Ioannis Metaxas. Between WWI and II, the Greek comics take their cocoon form (strips) as full single-page stories in 1927.
Pretty soon magazines followed with the child-oriented To Periodiko Mas being the first. Let me tell you, the artist behind it Nikos Kastanakis went all out to make it last. He mimicked several different art styles to give the impression that he had more artists than he had. All the while giving a little variety for 25 whole issues. That’s dedication there, 2 years of non-stop entertainment… until World War The Sequel broke out. Also Nazis, it’s usually Nazis.
The Copycats
So by the time the Nazis got kicked out, Greece had to try and resuscitate interest in comics. First with some pamphlets that felt like comics but not quite before building up to the real thing. Some magazine called To Ellinopoulo is what it was. Even if they did have to cheat by ripping off some kid’s Italian fumetti with Greek rhyming. But soon the character Bibikos became a household name thanks to having a distinctly Greek identity from local painters. Even if it does look like a swipe of The Yellow Kid. But hey, you gotta start somewhere.
1950 would be the year where Greek Comics would get dedicated magazines. Tam-Tam was the first using a cinematic-like style… while using rip-offs of popular American characters like Superman, Tarzan, Captain Marvel (Shazam!), and Plastic Man. Okay it did pretty well for its time, despite the swiping. Partly because the pulpy paper used was less expensive. And it’s not like they didn’t try to create something original but Ikonografimenos Iperanthropos didn’t last two issues.
The Classic Greek Comics
Fortunately the pulp Mikros Iros succeeded where that failed. It featured Greek teens fighting the Nazis in World War II. Until a real life military power made it stop publications… in written form. We’ll come back to this.
In 1951, Atlantis Publications got the rights to Greek translations of Classics Illustrated. This allowed for speech and thought bubbles that most people take for granted these days. I think you can thank the Les Miserables adaptation for that. But rather than just use other peoples work… like their competitors… Atlantis decided to create Greek themed comics. From mythology to historical events like the Byzantine era. I wonder if schools put these in classes, because these have educational value. Since that mindset might’ve allowed Mikros Iros to restart as the comic Ikonografimenos Mikros Iros in 1968.
You see, after the Greek junta’s coup, a number of comic companies had to prove their worth. Despite the low inflation and unemployment, that doesn’t mean everyone gets a fair shot. Because unlike most dictatorships, foreign content was still allowed. Why would publishers make risks when they could just license content like Spider-Man, Judge Dredd, and Zagor? The 70s barely had any local comics to their name despite frequently popping up. Otherwise popular titles like the above “Little Heroes” hid among those licenses.
Greece-y Sweet
Fortunately after the junta got hit with another coup, and that one in turn fell to democracy, new ideas started to pop up. With lower restrictions came more comics. While a few adult-oriented magazines like Anti and Coloubra came and went, they helped set the charges for an explosion of Greek original content.
The 80s were practically a golden age for Greek comics. Sure there was still licensed stuff in new magazines like Mamouth Comix and Vavel, but there were also originals like Tsiganiki Orxistra. This slice-of-life comic has a date in modern Athens as a framing device to reflect the diverse and wild developments of Greece. So notable, it was one of the first Greek comics to get collected into an album.
Can Greek Comics Put On A Show?
Wait what? Yeah, while there were plenty of other comics like The Aristophanes comedies adapting the plays; most of them didn’t last long. Partly because there was another thing getting people’s attention: TV. The rest were mostly economical adjustments to some Masstricht Tready. With Frutopia getting a TV puppet show like The Muppets or Fraggle Rock, it managed to survive the 90s comics depression.
As such only a few publishers like Vavel and Arkas could stick around. Vavel had to go the extra mile to organize comic festivals to keep its fandom alive. And it seems to have worked by the turn of the century.
Greek Comics In The 21st Century
The 2000s were a time of Greek comic resurgence with 9 being its emblem. This anthology comic published through a Greek newspaper brought comics back to the masses. Most of them were comedy strips like Mana Raver. But some that get collected like Manifesto go into the real life struggles of artists looking for meaning. Kind of symbolic with Vavel closing its doors around the same time. Hence why self-publishing and fanzines became so popular. As well as going outside of Greece such as with Logicomix because the foundational quest in mathematics and people’s inner turmoil is something universal.
This was all the more impressive with Greece’s government-debt crisis looming overhead. With most magazines like 9 closing their doors, creatives had a right to worry. Some had to work abroad to make a living, using their small successes as portfolios. Otherwise webcomics with the blog SoComic took up the spotlight, especially biographies like Rebel focusing on David Bowie.
Otherwise most physical comics were adaptation of Greek literature like Erotokritos. So yeah most comics coming out of Greece will probably be digital and the occasional graphic novel.
Thanks for coming to the end, and as always remember to look between the panels.