Apostolos Doxiadis

I’ve been very concerned about the racial tensions in the US. I’m not concerned for myself personally as my relationships are fine with all walks of life. As I’ve said before, I don’t see races not do I treat people as races. I’m not sure if my song got that from me or not but he’s friends with everyone.

As everywhere I look I see these almost indoctrination like attempts by media and politics to force on all of us the idea we ARE different I become incredibly angry.

Why do people allow others, others who make money through ratings on fear, dictate how we think and live?

Smart is smart, funny is funny, talented is talented, and beautiful is beautiful. Those are things we have in common across the board of humanity. Oh, and yes, ugly is ugly and dumb is dumb. I know, not nice things to say, but I know I’m not good looking, and I’m not the smartest new kid on the block. I’m okay with it. I know there is another person in another country with the exact same ugly and lack of smarticles that I have but with a different skin tone or regional facial features.

Having completed the A to Z Blogging Challenge using a comic book creators around the world as a theme, I discovered even more how much alike we all are. People from different countries inspired to do something for the same reasons, and some giving almost identical answers to questions that are very personal.

My positive message today is through everything always remember we are all the same, just in different situations. Don’t listen to and allow constant bombardment of negativity make it a reality.

Much Respect

Ronovan

Greece. Not a place I would have thought to go for comic book creators. A place becomes fixed in your mind to represent something. Greece is mythology, philosophy, play writes, and epic poets. Why would I think of Greece as a source for material to create great comics? Just a touch of sarcasm there. We can be blinded by how many boxes we have stacked in our minds.

Looking at a list of countries for comic book creators, Greece is not even included. However, I have a list of countries instead, and with Greenland not having something to offer me, perhaps due to a language barrier in searching, Greece, such an easy language for we Americans, became my choice. Do you get I am in a sarcastic mood as I begin this article? I’ve been translating articles for days now in attempts to create good articles. Love learning, hate I don’t know languages.

Normally in the series I have been saving the tip of the iceberg for last, but not today. Or maybe I am, we don’t know yet. I am starting with the one that I have found the most awe about across the internet. And there is reason for that awe. No, not aw, although the sparrows are cute.

Arkas

Arkas¹ is a mystery. First publishing Rooster in 1981, Arkas has stayed out of the public eye. Byt this I mean, Arkas is not the artist’s real name, as far as we know. I imagine an agent or lawyer knows, the person handling the contracts for publishing for pay. Other than that, great speculation has been the norm for decades.

“His characteristic style of speech and image was so mature and well-designed right from his first publication that the general public had the impression that this was not a new young artist but an acclaimed master who was publishing under a pseudonym!” ²

One reason Arkas is so popular is, the author stays away from being overtly political. There is normally a moral to the stories written. I am using “he” as that is the considered gender by the internet articles I’ve read. I would not be surprised if Arkas is a woman. In a way I believe signs would point to it. The secrecy being part of my reasoning.

Characters in Arkas’ work are people and animals, both of whom talk. I greatly enjoyed the one called Flying Starts about a father sparrow and his son. Sarcastic and self deprecating a times but very telling of society. And. It. Is. Funny. I don’t believe anything is lost in the translation to English, which I noticed someone commented that only a little was lost. I can’t see how any could be lost. Arkas is popular because the work can be in any country or society and be relevant.

Byron Aptosoglou

Byron Aptosoglou³ a comic book artist who in 1953 created a comic book, or album as they are known in Europe, titled Little Hero⁴. The co-creator was Stelios Anemodouras⁵. The book revolved around three Greek children who fought against the occupation of their country by Bulgarians, Germans, and Italians. The book ended in 1968 with Anemodouras returing to full time artist. The book continued in reprints and theatrical productions.

Alecos Papadatos

Alecos Papadatos⁶ is a writer and illustrator with training in animation at the University of Sorbonne I⁷, in Paris. What propelled Papadatos to fame in the comic book community is a book called Logicomix⁸ he created along with Apostolos Doxiadis⁹, Christos Papadimitriou¹⁰ and Annie Di Donna¹¹. The insanity of the success of this graphic novel is the fact Bertrand Russell¹² is used as the narrator as you are told his story. I find that amazing and give a credit deal of credit to the minds who came up with the idea and the people who supported the effort and made it such a success. Truly amazing. Oddly you also have the story of how the creators of the book debate over the meaning of the story itself. A brilliant idea.
The book made it to #1 on the New York Times Best Seller Graphic Novels List.