Regélö századok by Pal Korcsmaros
Regélö századok

Pal Korcsmáros was a Hungarian journalist, comic book illustrator, and one of the most important creators of the socialist era. He was a self-taught artist. After finishing his studies in commerce, he became a draughtsman. Later he worked as a scene painter for films and then became a courtroom illustrator/correspondent.

During World War II, he fasified documents for persecuted people. After 1945, he worked as a journalist for a while, yet his caricatures and erotic drawings were much in demand among countless newspapers (e.g. Pesti Izé). When these papers would be banned in the 1950s, he illustrated slides mostly.

The Count of Monte Christo, by Pal Korcsmaros
The Count of Monte Christo

His first comic book story, 'Hazádnak rendületlenül...' was published in 1955, after the slackening of the autocracy of Rákosi. After the revolution, in 1957, he joined a group of artists and founded Füles, a popular crossword magazine. He worked here as contributing editor until his death.

Indul a bakterház by Pal Korcsmaros
Indul a bakterház

It was the beginning of a 15-year long triumphant march and thus such emblematic comic book adaptations as 'A nyomorultak' ('Les Misérables'), 'A három testör' ('The Three Musketeers'), 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and 'Egri csillagok' ('Stars of Eger') were born.

The Count of Monte Christo, by Pal Korcsmaros
The Count of Monte Christo

Topping off his realistic style, he could provide his characters with such grotesque gestures, that he soon became the most authentic graphic interpreter of Hungarian author P. Howard's (Rejtö Jenö's) novels. On the top of his career, there were times when he produced 180 panels a month.

Piszkos Fred, a kapitány by Pal Korcsmaros
Piszkos Fred, a kapitány

His main works are Dumas' 'A három testör' ('The Three Musketeers', 1959), Géza Gárdonyi's 'Egri csillagok' ('Stars of Eger', 1959), János Arany's 'Toldi' (1963), Jenö Rejtö's 'Piszkos Fred, a kapitány' (1964), Sándor Rideg's 'Indul a bakterház' (1967) and Jenö Heltai's 'Az ezerkettedik éjszaka' (1973).

Pal Korcsmaros self-portraitPal Korcsmaros

site by Korcsmaros' grandson

(in Hungarian)

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