'From the Earth to the Moon' (1967).
Kostas Mitropoulos is a Greek artist, cartoonist and comic creator, with a career spanning more than 75 years. Appearing in both national and international publications, his cartoons are often a commentary on modern Greek culture and its relation to Europe and the ancient Greek past. He is also known for the comic strips 'From the Earth to the Moon' (1967), 'Strange Kalyviotis' and 'Wild Babies' (1990).
Early life
Kostas Mitropoulos (Κώστας Μητρόπουλος) was born in Athens in 1925. Not much is known about the man behind the cartoons. In an interview he once stated that "he only says what he has to say through his work." Initially wanting to become a painter, he went to the School of Fine Arts of the Polytechnic University, but failed the entrance exams. He eventually turned to cartooning.
Cartooning career
Although the artist himself has mentioned that he began his career shortly after World War II in the magazine O Rizos Tis Defteras ("The Root of Monday"), no artwork by him can be found there. However, in another interview, Mitropoulos stated that his first cartoon was published in the newspaper Athlitikí Ichó ("Athletic Echo"), where he was hired in 1955. Whatever the precise starting date of his cartooning career, the artist continued to comment on Greek society and sports for over 60 years. In 1957, he also began a longtime collaboration with Tachydrómos ("Postman") magazine. By 1960, Mitropoulos was publishing political cartoons in the newspapers Ta Nea ("The News") and Vima ("Step"). During his career, Mitropoulos has often collaborated with his fellow cartoonists, including Archelaos, Kyr, Bost and Fokion Dimitriadis.
From: Something's Up (1971).
Comic strips
In 1967, Tachydrómos magazine ran his comic strip 'From the Earth to the Moon' ('Από την γη στην σελήνη'), its title a parody on the Jules Verne novel. Three years later, it was printed in book format by the publishing house Keimena, which also released the 1971 Mitropoulos cartoon collection 'Something's Up'. Another comic strip created by Mitropoulos for Tachydrómos magazine was 'Strange Kalyviotis' ('Παράξενος Καλυβιώτης'), a parody of the crime fiction TV series 'Paraxenos Taxidiotis' (1972-1973), meaning "Strange Traveler". Around 1990, the Ta Nea newspaper ran his comic strip 'Wild Babies' ('Άγρια Μωρά'), a feature about babies in prams who constantly annoy passers-by with their wits and jokes, pretend to read Proust, are football fans, tired of milk and adopt the bad habits of adults, like drinking and smoking.
Cartoon by Kostas Mitropoulos.
International success
Internationally, his cartoons have been reprinted in the UK (Punch magazine), the USA (Time magazine, The New York Times), Germany (Die Zeit, Stern) and France (Le Figaro Littéraire, Paris Match). In 1959, a first collection with Mitropoulos cartoons was published under the title 'Caricatures'. In 1961, a second collection followed collecting both published and previously unpublished material ('Why Not', 1961). Several more book collections followed, besides in Greece, also in Germany and Italy.
Comic strip for a leaflet about the European elections (2004).
Recognition
Kostas Mitropoulos has been distinguished in various international exhibitions, for instance during cartoon events in Belgium (1964), Canada (1968) and Yugoslavia (1970, 1973). In 2000, he was awarded by the Academy of Athens. His sketches are in the collections of the municipalities of Athens, Basel and Montreal as well as the University of Priston. He is a member of the Greek Cartoonists Club.
Self-portrait.