Comic art by Puiu Manu.
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 Manu's early work was 'Comoara lui Montezuma' (1957), based on a script by Mircea Sântimbreanu, published in Cravata Rosie. 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 by 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 a comics adaptation of the Radu Tudoran novel 'Toate pînzele sus!'.
'Vacantele Unuit Tnar Linistit'.
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.
Comic art by Puiu Manu.