Puiu Manu is one of the most prominent Romanian comic authors of his generation. He studied Plastic Arts and began publishing in 1955, starting with the story 'Vanea şi Mihaş' in the children's magazine Luminiţa. A steady stream of over 200 comic stories followed, and Manu has published his work in nearly all magazines from pre and post revolutionary Romania, including Cravata Roşie, Luminiţa, Cutezătorii, Universul Copiilor, Luceafărul Copiilor and Curierul cu poveşti, as well as the Hungarian magazines Pionir and Jobarat.
Vacantele unui tanar linistit
Among his early work was 'Comoara lui Montezuma', based on a script by Mircea Sântimbreanu, that was published in Cravata Rosie in 1957. He was a regular in Arici Pogonici during the 1950s and 1960s, starting with the comic strip 'O întâmplare cu o minge'. For tax reasons, he assumed the pen name Vasile Baciu in the late 1960s to draw comics like 'Victor Babes' (script by Dr. Leonid Petrescu) and 'Vacantele unui tanar linistit' (scripts Alexandru Bogdan) in the children's weekly Cutezatorii.
Victor Babes
Puiu Manu is the artist of five comic albums. Together with scriptwriter Radu Theodoru, he made the historical books 'Şoimii Moldovei' in 1969 and 'Ion Vodă Cumplitul' in 1974. His detective stories starring the characters Dim Dunăreanu, 'Tînărul şi marea' and ' Busola nu arată nordul', were published in 1972 and 1973. Also in 1973 he made comics adaptation of the Radu Tudoran novel 'Toate pînzele sus!'.
Manu is also a great athlete. During his youth he was a champion in yachting, and he continued to ski in the Tyrolean Alps until late in life.
