'Ítél a Nép' ("Judgement of the People!", 1948).
István Köpeczi Bócz was a Hungarian poster artist and set and costume designer for stage shows. In 1948-1949, he collaborated with scriptwriter Péter Kuczka on a couple of propaganda comics for two youth newspapers. Even though they promoted the communist ideals, the government disapproved of the comic medium and publication was canceled.
Early life and career
Köpeczi Bócz was born in 1919 in Budapest. After attending the Hungarian capital's School of Applied Arts, he began his career as a graphic designer. He additionally studied art history at the university. Between 1945 and 1951, he was a teacher with the School of Applied Arts himself. Active in several artistic disciplines, Bócz did stamp design, worked as a goldsmith, caricaturist and commercial artist.
Comic stories
In the late 1940s, Bócz also had a short excursion into comics. Working with the writer and poet Péter Kuczka, Bócz illustrated two 1948-1949 picture story serials that promoted the ideals of the new communist regime. 'Ítél a Nép' ("Judgement of the People!") was a kulak-themed story appearing in Magvető ("The Seeder"), a weekly magazine for the Hungarian peasant youth. The newspaper Szabad Ifjúság ("Free Youth") ran 'Az Ember a Világban', a picture story presenting the history of mankind from cavemen until the rise of the Communist leaders. Despite being propaganda, the comic format in general was not supported by the Communist government. Fearing these "képregény" - as comics were called in Hungary - could corrupt the youth, Kuczka's serials were not allowed to continue. Forced by their publisher, Kuczka and Bócz had to cancel 'Az Ember a Világban' mid-story, but they were able to conclude 'Ítél a Nép' within two more installments.
'Az Ember a Világban' ("History of Mankind", 1948).
Set designer and poster artist
In the following decades, Köpeczi Bócz moved on to become a prominent graphic designer for Hungarian cinema and theater. As stage and costume designer, he was affiliated with the Budapest Pioneer Theater (Úttörő Színház), the Youth Theater and, from 1956 until his death, the Madách Theater. He was also a prominent poster artist for theaters, cinemas and music halls - working in the 1950s in the obligatory socialist realist style, before switching to his trademark modern design filled with humor and playfulness. Bócz's posters played an important role in forming Hungary's visual culture of the 1950s and the 1960s. He also wrote articles about the theater, and was a co-author of a 1969 book on student acting.
Recognition
Between 1931 and his 1978 death, István Köpeczi Bócz took part in several group exhibitions; mostly in Budapest but also in Moscow and Prague. Solo exhibitions were held in the Bright Adolf Hall in Budapest (1955) and the foyer of the Madách Theater (1964, 1969). For his work in theater, he was awarded a 1969 Jászai Mari Prize, followed in 1972 by the First Prize of the International Performing Arts Exhibition in Novi Sad, Serbia. István Köpeczi Bócz passed away in 1978 in Budapest, at the age of 58.
Posters for 'The Morality of Mrs. Dulska' (1955) and 'Merry-Go-Round' (1956).
More about Bócz's work in comics on Sándor Kertész's blog (in Hungarian)