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Iznogoud (pronounced "is no good" with a French accent
Accent (linguistics)

In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation of a language. Accents can be confused with dialects which are varieties of language differing in vocabulary, syntax, and morphology , as well as pronunciation....
) is a French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 comics
Comics

Comics is a graphic Mass media in which are utilized in order to convey a sequential narrative; the term, derived from massive early use to convey comic themes, came to be applied to all uses of this medium including those which are far from comic....
 series featuring an eponymous character, created by the comics writer
Comic book creator

File:Internet superheroes.jpgA comic book creator is any one of a number of people working to create a comic book or graphic novel. The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S....
 René Goscinny
René Goscinny

Ren? Goscinny was a Polish-French author, editor and humorist, who is best known for the comic book Ast?rix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the early issues of the comic book series Lucky Luke with Morris ....
 and comics artist
Comics artist

A comics artist is an artist working within the comics medium, on comic strips, comic books or graphic novels. The term may refer to any number of artists who contribute to produce a work in the comics form, from those who oversee all aspects of the work to those who contribute only a part....
 Jean Tabary
Jean Tabary

Jean Tabary is a France comics artist....
. The stories have been translated into several languages, including English, and the title has been adapted to animated and live-action film.

series made its debut in the comics magazine
Franco-Belgian comics magazines

Belgium and France have a long tradition in comics. They have a common history for comics and magazines.In the early years of its history, magazines had a large place on the comics market and were often the only place where comics were published....
 Record on January 15, 1962, under the title Les aventures du Calife Haroun el Poussah. It was eventually recognised that the wicked supporting character ought to be the focus of the strip.






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Iznogoud (pronounced "is no good" with a French accent
Accent (linguistics)

In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation of a language. Accents can be confused with dialects which are varieties of language differing in vocabulary, syntax, and morphology , as well as pronunciation....
) is a French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 comics
Comics

Comics is a graphic Mass media in which are utilized in order to convey a sequential narrative; the term, derived from massive early use to convey comic themes, came to be applied to all uses of this medium including those which are far from comic....
 series featuring an eponymous character, created by the comics writer
Comic book creator

File:Internet superheroes.jpgA comic book creator is any one of a number of people working to create a comic book or graphic novel. The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S....
 René Goscinny
René Goscinny

Ren? Goscinny was a Polish-French author, editor and humorist, who is best known for the comic book Ast?rix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the early issues of the comic book series Lucky Luke with Morris ....
 and comics artist
Comics artist

A comics artist is an artist working within the comics medium, on comic strips, comic books or graphic novels. The term may refer to any number of artists who contribute to produce a work in the comics form, from those who oversee all aspects of the work to those who contribute only a part....
 Jean Tabary
Jean Tabary

Jean Tabary is a France comics artist....
. The stories have been translated into several languages, including English, and the title has been adapted to animated and live-action film.

Publication history

The series made its debut in the comics magazine
Franco-Belgian comics magazines

Belgium and France have a long tradition in comics. They have a common history for comics and magazines.In the early years of its history, magazines had a large place on the comics market and were often the only place where comics were published....
 Record on January 15, 1962, under the title Les aventures du Calife Haroun el Poussah. It was eventually recognised that the wicked supporting character ought to be the focus of the strip. and it was renamed Iznogoud. In 1968, it resumed serial publication in Goscinny's magazine Pilote
Pilote

Pilote was a Franco-Belgian comics magazines published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major Franco-Belgian comics talents of its day the magazine introduced major series such as Ast?rix, Blueberry , Achille Talon, and Val?rian and Laureline....
.

Goscinny's taste for sharp satirical writing keeps the repetitive format of the stories constantly fresh, making Iznogoud one of the most popular anti-heroes in the French comic strip world. Goscinny's skills with puns, made famous in Astérix
Asterix

The Adventures of Asterix is a List of Asterix volumes of France comic strips written by Ren? Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on 29 October 1959....
, is also evident in Iznogoud. Most of the puns in the original French make little sense if translated directly into English, requiring of translators (Anthea Bell
Anthea Bell

Anthea Bell is a United Kingdom translation who has translated numerous literary works, especially children's literature, from French language, German language, Danish language and Polish language to English language....
 and Derek Hockridge
Derek Hockridge

Derek Hockridge was born in 1934 in Wales and brought up in Birmingham. His degree at the University of Wales, Cardiff, was followed by teacher training at St Edmund Hall, Oxford....
 in the case of the English translations) to find creative solutions for equivalent puns while still keeping within the spirit of the original text.

When Goscinny died in 1977, Tabary eventually decided to carry on the work himself, just as Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo

Albert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and Script . He is best known for his work on the Asterix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with Ren? Goscinny....
 did with Asterix. While the Goscinny period was characterized by "albums" comprised of several short-length tales each, Tabary turned the series in a new direction, by dedicating every new album entirely to a single story, larger and much more detailed, usually revolving around a new unique concept.

The series was adapted to animated film in 1995 with a cartoon
Cartoon

The word cartoon has various meanings, based on several very different forms of visual art and illustration. The term has evolved over time.The original meaning was in fine art, and there cartoon meant a preparatory drawing for a piece of art such as a painting or tapestry....
 TV series. A live-action Iznogoud film starring Michaël Youn
Michaël Youn

Micha?l Youn is a France actor, singer, comedian, and TV and radio personality....
 and Jacques Villeret
Jacques Villeret

Jacques Villeret was a France actor. Born Jacky Boufroura in Loches, Indre-et-Loire, France, of Algerian origin, he is most famous for his role as Fran?ois Pignon in Le D?ner de cons, both on the stage and in the later film....
, Iznogoud: Calife A La Place Du Calife, was released in France in February 2005.

The publisher Cinebook Ltd
Cinebook Ltd

Cinebook Ltd is a British publishing company that publishes comic books and graphic novels. It describes itself as "the 9th art publisher," the 9th art being comics in continental Europe, especially France, Italy and Greece....
 is currently publishing English language translations of the books in the Iznogoud series. The first book in the series, "The Wicked Wiles of Iznogoud", was published in March 2008 with the second, "The Caliph's Vacation", following in August 2008. A third volume, "Iznogoud and the Day of Misrule" is scheduled for March 2009.

Synopsis

Iznogoud is the second in command (Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier

Grand Vizier, in Turkish language Sadr-i Azam or Serdar-i Ekrem , deriving from the Arabic language word wazir 'vizier' , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself....
) to the Caliph
Caliph

The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah....
 of Baghdad
Baghdad

Baghdad is the Capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate, with which it is also coterminous. With a municipal population estimated at 6.5 million, it is the largest city in Iraq, and the second largest city in the Arab World....
 Haroun El Poussah
Haroun El Poussah

Haroun El Poussah is the caliph in the Iznogoud Franco-Belgian comics, created by Ren? Goscinny and Jean Tabary....
 (Haroun El Plassid in English, a pun on the historical Caliph, Harun al-Rashid
Harun al-Rashid

Harun al-Rashid ; also spelled Harun ar-Rashid; , Aaron the Just, or Aaron the Rightly-Guided; March 17, 763 – March 24, 809) was the fifth and most famous Abbasid Caliphate Caliph....
) but his sole aim in life is to overthrow the Caliph and take his place. This is frequently expressed in his famous catchphrase, "I want to be Caliph instead of the Caliph" ("je veux devenir calife à la place du calife"), which has passed into everyday French for qualifying over-ambitious people who want to become chief. Iznogoud is always assisted in his plans by his faithful henchman, Dilat Larath (Wa'at Alahf in English).

A typical example is when the Grand Vizier discovers the "Road to Nowhere", a road that only leads back to itself, and devises a plot to lure the Caliph there so he will become eternally trapped. In his excitement over the prospect to accomplish his life's mission, Iznogoud forgets that he needs an exit for himself. Another plan involves freezing the Caliph, which has to be shelved because there always seems to be some source of heat nearby. Iznogoud also attempts to enlist the services of a primitive computer (described as a very clever djinni
Genie

In Islam and Arabian mythology, a genie is a supernatural fiery creature which possesses free will. Genies are mentioned in the Qur'an, wherein a whole Sura is named after them ....
) in order to find out the answer to his perennial ambition. The temperamental computer ends up sulking when Wa'at Alahf answers a complex mathematical equation before it can. In the end, the only answer Iznogoud gets is the solution to the equation. As in every Iznogoud story, Iznogoud is ultimately unsuccessful, and the Caliph continues his reign.

Supporting characters

Goscinny and Tabary occasionally make cameo appearances themselves. In one episode, Tabary uses a magical time-travelling closet to help Iznogoud seize the Caliph title. In another episode, Iznogoud gets a magical calendar that lets him travel in time when he rips off its pages. He rips too many and he is transported to the 20th century, inside the studio of Tabary. In another episode, Iznogoud gets a magical drawing paper set that makes anybody or anything drawn on it disappear once the paper is torn apart. Unfortunately, the drawing needs to be realistic, and Iznogoud is a poor artist. In search of an art teacher, he meets Tabary, renamed "Tabary El-Retard".

There are occasionally "behind-the-scenes" moments, as when Iznogoud travels in a country in a mirror, and all is reversed, including text in balloons. Tabary is shown complaining to Goscinny about going through this frustrating "reversal" work, and even threatens him with a gun, to convince him into making a non-reversed "translated" version. They also appear debating after a contemporary crowd demands them to make Iznogoud caliph.

Other recurring characters include Sultan Pullmankar, the Caliph's neighbour who is described as a touchy man with a powerful army. Iznogoud often tries to provoke Pullmankar to become angry at the Caliph, in order to instigate a war. However, Pullmankar never gets angry with the caliph, only with Iznogoud.

The memorable pirates
Recurring characters in Asterix

This is a list of recurring characters in the Asterix comics....
 of Asterix (led by a redbearded captain) make a cameo appearance in Iznogoud.

Bibliography

  1. Le Grand Vizir Iznogoud (1966, Dargaud)
  2. Les complots du grand vizir Iznogoud (1967, Dargaud)
  3. Les vacances du calife (1968, Dargaud)
  4. Iznogoud l'infâme (1969, Dargaud)
  5. Des astres pour Iznogoud (1969, Dargaud)
  6. L'ordinateur magique (1970, Dargaud)
  7. Une carotte pour Iznogoud (1971, Dargaud)
  8. Le jour des fous (1972, Dargaud)
  9. Le tapis magique (1973, Dargaud)
  10. Iznogoud l'acharné (1974, Dargaud)
  11. La tête de Turc d'Iznogoud (1975, Dargaud)
  12. Le conte de fées d'Iznogoud (1976, Dargaud)
  13. Je veux être Calife à la place du Calife (1978, BD Star)
  14. Les cauchemars d'Iznogoud (1979, Editions de la Séguinière)
  15. L'enfance d'Iznogoud (1981, Glénat)
  16. Iznogoud et les femmes /1983, Editions de la Séguinière)
  17. Les cauchemars d'Iznogoud (1984, Editions de la Séguinière)
  18. Le complice d'Iznogoud (1985, Editions de la Séguinière)
  19. L'anniversaire d'Iznogoud (1987, Editions de la Séguinière)
  20. Enfin calife! (1989, Éditions Tabary)
  21. Le piège de la sirène (1992, Éditions Tabary)
  22. Les cauchemars d'Iznogoud, Tome 2 (1994, Éditions Tabary)
  23. Les cauchemars d'Iznogoud, Tome 3 (1994, Éditions Tabary)
  24. Les retours d'Iznogoud (1994, Éditions Tabary)
  25. Qui a tué le calife? (1998, Éditions Tabary)
  26. Un monstre sympathique (2000, Éditions Tabary)
  27. La faute de l'ancêtre (2004, Éditions Tabary)

English translations

  • Iznogoud on Holiday / The Caliph's Vacation
    • Original French publication date: 1967
    • English publication dates: 1977 (Egmont/Methuen), 1982 (Dargaud International) (US version)


  • Iznogoud the Infamous
    • Original French publication date: 1969
    • English publication dates: 1977 (Egmont/Methuen)


  • The Wicked Wiles of Iznogoud
    • Original French publication date: 1967
    • English publication dates: 1978 (Egmont/Methuen); Mar 1996 (Iznogoud Monthly Comic 1, Phoenix Press Ltd. Includes Kismet, Mesmer-eyesed, The Occidental Philtre, and The Time Machine. Excludes The Picnic and Chop and Change); May 1996 (Iznogoud Monthly Comic 3, Phoenix Press Ltd. Includes The Picnic and Chop and Change); March 2008 (Cinebook)


  • Iznogoud and the Magic Computer
    • Original French publication date: 1970
    • English publication dates: 1978 (Egmont/Methuen)


  • Iznogoud and the Day of Misrule
    • Original French publication date: 1972
    • English publication dates: 1979 (Egmont)


  • A Carrot for Iznogoud
    • Original French publication date: 1971
    • English publication dates: 1979 (Egmont)


  • Iznogoud Rockets to Stardom
    • Original French publication date: 1969
    • English publication dates: 1980 (Egmont)


  • Iznogoud and the Magic Carpet
    • Original French publication date: 1973
    • English publication dates: 1980 (Egmont); Apr 1996 (Iznogoud Monthly Comic 2, Phoenix Press Ltd. Includes The Magic Carpet, The Tiger Hunt, and The Box of Souvenirs. Excludes Incogneto); May 1996 (Iznogoud Monthly Comic 3, Phoenix Press Ltd. Includes Incogneto)


Animated Series


Episodes

  1. Le lit escamoteur
  2. Chapeau !
  3. Le catalogue magique
  4. Des astres pour Iznogoud
  5. Voyage officiel
  6. La marelle maléfique
  7. L'élève d'Iznogoud
  8. Les yeux gros
  9. La machine à remonter le temps
  10. Ça grenouille dans le Califat
  11. La bonbonne de Gazbutahn
  12. Le mystérieux colleur d'affiches
  13. Le pique-nique
  14. Le sosie
  15. Le philtre occidental
  16. Le génie
  17. La croisière du Calife
  18. Le diamant de malheur
  19. Les vacances d'été
  20. Le terrible doreur
  21. Le labyrinthe
  22. Magie-fiction
  23. Incognito
  24. Le dodo fatal
  25. Le sceptre du Calife
  26. Le défi
  27. La flûte à toutous
  28. L'île des géants
  29. La machine géniale
  30. Noirs dessins
  31. Scandale au Califat
  32. Élections au Califat
  33. L'onguent mystérieux
  34. Le dissolvant malfaisant
  35. Le musée de cire
  36. L'invisible menace
  37. La miroir au zalouett
  38. Le marchand d'oubli
  39. La potion du Cheik
  40. Sports dans le Califat
  41. La chasse au tigre
  42. Le talisman du Tartare
  43. Conte de fée
  44. Les œufs d'Ur
  45. Le tapis magique
  46. Le chassé-croisé
  47. Le jour des fous
  48. La boîte à souvenirs
  49. La route qui ne va nulle part
  50. La tête de turc
  51. L'île des souvenirs
  52. La figurine magique


Sources

  • and BDoubliées
  • Bedetheque
Footnotes

External links