Cartoon by István Pesthy for Esti Újság (1940).
István Pesthy - AKA Falus - was a Hungarian dentist and surgeon, who worked as a cartoonist in his spare time. He contributed to several newspapers and magazines of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, and was founder and driving force behind the doctor's magazine Harusplex (1927-1929) and the satirical anti-Nazi journal Pesti Posta (1944).
Early life and medical career
István Pesthy was born in 1906 in Déva, a city in the historical region of Transylvania, nowadays situated in Eastern Romania. He studied Medicine in Budapest and Debrecen (1935) - the two largest cities of Hungary - and from 1936 until his death he worked at the Budapest Science University in the Departments of Dentistry, Surgery and then Oral Surgery. Between 1927 and 1929, while still a student, Pesthy was editor and cartoonist for Hanusplex, a humor magazine for doctors. He continued to work as a cartoonist on the side for the next 17 years, at times signing with "Falus".
Cartoonist
In 1928, Pesthy branched out and also contributed to the illustrated family magazine Tolnai Világlapja and the political satirical newspaper Bosszem Jankó. Several, mostly cultural, magazines followed, such as Színházi Élet ("Theater Life", 1929), Képes Krónika ("Illustrated Chronicle", 1931), Esti Újság ("Evening Newspaper", 1940), Fim Színház Irodalom ("Movie Theater Literature'', 1943-1944), Vicinális Dugóhúzó ("Vicinal Corkscrew", 1944). Signing with Fallus, he had the longest association with the Budapest evening newspaper 8 Órai Újság (the "8 O'Clock Newspaper", 1939-1944). The main themes in Pesthy's cartoons were health care jokes and theater life, but by the time the Nazis gained power in Germany, he turned to politics.
Pesti Posta
Throughout most of World War II, Pesthy satirized the Nazis and the fascist regime of his own country, which was part of the Axis powers. From March 1944 on, Hungary was under Nazi occupation, and further publication of the 8 Órai Újság newspaper was forbidden. However, the Hungarian fascists were unable to get full control over the government until the Nazis learned of the plans of the Hungarian government to sign a separate peace with the advancing Soviets. The oppressors kidnapped the son of the Hungarian Regent Miklós Horthy, and threatened to kill him unless Horthy abdicated. The leader of the minority fascist party, Ferenc Szálasi, was appointed Prime Minister on 16 October. During these eventful times Dr. István Pesthy released his own satirical newspaper, Pesti Posta. Between 20 August and 10 November 1944, nine issues were published. Regular contributors to Pesti Posta were Béla Szepes, Tibor Toncz, István Szigethy, Magda Hauswirth, Róbert Byssz, Sándor Gugl and Viktor Kálmán. The 1 September issue featured a caricature by Viktor Kálmán of the Hungarian fascist politician Ferenc Szálasi, who subjected his country to a reign of terror after becoming Prime Minister in October 1944. Shortly afterwards, Pesthy was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo in the Kis Majestic hotel. The cartoonist Kálmán was also arrested and sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment.
Later career and death
By the time István Pesthy regained his freedom, he returned to his medical practice and didn't draw for years. In 1966, he briefly took up the pencil again, making new work for the satirical weekly Lúdas Matyi ("Matyi the Goose-boy") and the literary/political magazine Élet és Irodalom ("Life and Literature"). István Pesthy died in 1972 in Budapest, and is buried at the Farkasréti cemetery.