'Ntentes, the Football Supporter' (Athlitiki Echo, 1980-1981). Ntentes says: "Hey kids, go play somewhere else! This is not a football ground! And you remind me of yesterday's match, when my favorite club lost the game with a 6-0 score!"
Archelaos Antonaros was a prominent Greek newspaper cartoonist, well-known under only his first name or the pen name "TOT". Publishing his cartoons and comic strips in a great many newspapers and magazines, notably the newspaper Athinaiki (1950-1967), he stood out for his biting political satire. In 1953, he even became the first Greek cartoonist to be prosecuted for a drawing. Among his popular cartoon features were 'From the Life of the Barrel-Minded' and 'The Traffic Policemen', and he was additionally co-creator of the 1950s children's magazines Western Library, Rubber Man and Digenes.
Early life and career
Born in 1921 in Thessaloniki, Archelaos Antonaros (Αρχέλαος Αντώναρος) was the last child in the large family of railway employee Evangelos Antonaros (who passed away prematurely) and his wife Anthi. In 1941, he enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Athens, but due to the Axis Occupation, he only studied for three years. As a student, he was also involved in the National Liberation Front (EAM) as a liaison, making drawings and posters. From a very early age, Antonaros showcased a talent for drawing, both with his left and right hand. He also spoke Italian fluently. Combined with the political acumen that characterized him, this pushed him into the field of cartooning.
Cartoon from the feature 'Jim, a Compassionate Thief'. Jim says to his partner: "Let's knock, so they can open. It's a pity to destroy their door."
Cartooning career
Already during his adolescence, in 1936, Antonaros joined the staff of the newspaper Macedonia. He later moved to Athens, where, over the next couple of decades, he professionally contributed his imaginative creations to a great many newspapers (Ebros, Phileleftheros, Eleftheros Logos, Athlitismos, Fos, Athlitiki Echo), as well as magazines (Proto, Maska, Ellinopoulo, Radioteleorasi, Bouquet, Romantso, Vendetta, Pantheon, Fantazio, Thesavros, Theatis, Satire, Skitso, Karkharias). His cartoon features 'From the Life of the Barrel-Minded' ('Από τη Ζωή των Βαρελοφρόνων') and 'The Traffic Policemen' ('Οι Τροχονόμοι') in, respectively, Romantso and The Treasure were very popular among readers. In the early 1980s, his comic strip 'Ntentes, the Football Supporter' ('Λελεσ Ο Φιλαθλοσ') ran in the sports newspaper Athlitiki Echo.
In October 1944, Archelaos' first political sketches saw the light in the newspaper Rizospastis (October 1944). In 1948 and 1949, he joined several other artists and cartoonists in the launch of the daringly satirical magazine "Trust of Laughter" (Τραστ του Γέλιου). Launched at the height of the Greek Civil War, its aim was to offer a moment of relaxation to its readers. From the founding in 1950 until its imposition by the newly established dictatorship of the Greek junta in 1967, Archelaos was a staff cartoonist with the newspaper Athinaiki. There, he stood out for the apt and completely satirical way in which he visually commented on the political reality of his time.
During the 1950s, Archelaos was also the publisher of at least three popular children's papers: the cowboy title Western Library (Βιβλιοθήκη Γουέστερν), Rubber Man ('Λαστιχάνθρωπου', 4 issues) and Digenes (Διγενή, 40 issues). At Theofanidis Publications, he served as art director and designer of covers and vignettes for the group's magazines. On the back cover of the children's magazine The Little Explorer (Ο Μικρός Εξερευνητής), Archelaos also drew a series of jungle adventures with the comic duo 'Chondros - Lignos' ('Χονδρός - Λιγνός', 1955), graphically inspired by Laurel & Hardy. In Maska magazine, he appeared with the regular single-panel cartoon features 'Bombos, the Suspicious Detective' and 'Jim, a Compassionate Thief'.
'Chondros - Lignos' ('Χονδρός - Λιγνός', 1955), a Laurel & Hardy-esque duo.
Style and controversy
Drawing non-stop, Antonaros was a cartoonist with a sharp wit, who dared to take chances in his political cartoons. "They have to feel it," he used to say. Living in a country where criticism, as well as satire, caused intense discomfort to those in power, his satirical drawings provoked strong reactions from Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis and President of the Republic Konstantinos Tsatsos. When the cartoonist responded that he would "not draw Mr. Tsatsos again," he knew the politician would quickly beg him to do otherwise. At the time, not many photographs were published and television wasn't a mass phenomenon yet, so any politician not drawn in papers was essentially a nobody in Greece.
Antonaros was also honest in his depiction of people more close to him. One time a famous actress complained about the way he had drawn her, with a particularly large nose and a pronounced upper lip, asking him: "But Archelaus, do I look like this?". "Even better," he replied, "if you didn't have these two, you would lose half your charm and 90% of your success". Their friendship remained strong afterwards.
In 1953, however, Antonaros was prosecuted after a lawsuit was filed against him by a minister in the Papagou government, Spyros Markezinis. He was the first cartoonist in Greek history to be prosecuted for his work. He and the managers of the Athinaiki newspaper were convicted in the first instance, but later acquitted in the Court of Appeal.
Cartoons with 'Bombos, the Suspicious Detective' and 'Jim, a Compassionate Thief' from Maska magazine #137, 18 June 1949.
Recognition
From the 1960s through the 1990s, Antonaros' cartoons were collected in several books. Retrospective exhibitions of his work were held at the Municipal Theater of Kallithea (1988) and the Allatini Mills in Thessaloniki (1994). Starting in the 1950s, he also took part in several group cartoon exhibitions, being present at international exhibitions in Canada, Belgium and Moscow, among other places. Also active in photography, he was awarded by the Hellenic Photographic Society.
He additionally presented his work at cartoon exhibitions in Greece and abroad, and served as the president of the Greek Cartoonists' Union. Archelaos Antonaros was a member of the Association of Editors of Daily Newspapers of Athens (ESHEA) and the Artistic Chamber of Greece, and served as President of the Greek Cartoonists' Union.
Death
During his lifetime, Archelaos Antonaros produced an estimated 60,000 cartoons. Living for most of his life in the Athens suburb of Kallithea, he worked until the very end, until he was admitted to the hospital. He died on 29 April 1998 at the age of 77 and was buried the next day in the Kallithea Cemetery. In honor of Antonaros, the Municipality of Kallithea named its Cultural Center, located at 195 Grypari, after him.
Archelaos Antonaros.