Comic Jam és Képregényfesztivál

Hullo again Folks. Here's my entry for the special issue of Pesti Est - our local free weekly programme magazine - for the upcoming 7th Hungarian Comics Festival.
In March the Hungarian Comics Association issued a call for its members to participate in some "comic jamming", ie. to draw and write a story on a page with predesigned empty panels and speech bubbles ASAP. The only instruction was that it has to take place in a career advice office and has to feature a balding secretary who wears glasses.
My entry didn't make it to Pesti Est but I had fun drawing it and like it nonetheless.



Panel 1
Director: Good morning Aranka! You look upset. What's the matter?
Panel 2
Secretary: Boss, it's a disaster! I made the same appointment with Gábor Vona (the leader of the right-extremist Jobbik party) and the Dalai Lama by mistake! They are already in the waiting room!
Panel 3
Director: No worries, we have dealt with tougher situations too! We'll come up with an idea in a minute. Till then could you have a look to see how are they getting on?
Panel 7
Secretary: Gentlemen, please come in! I hope you don't mind if we are having a competitive interview. Act as natural as possible!
Panel 8
Vona: We must be worthy of the glory of our ancestors once again! If we cannot plunder Western Europe anymore while shooting arrows backwards, at least let our ultra-hungarian blood reign in our own counties!
Dalai Lama: My dear young friend, all this fuming may make your heart chakra congested pretty soon! I suggest that you often drink ginseng tea and take up volunteering in a disadvantaged rural area!
(A little footnote on Vona: he and his parliamentary party are highly responsible for the topic of the previous post - "Gyöngyöspata: a visit for a reason" - as some of the paramilitary groups are closely linked with them. Merrily making fun of him is not enough in the light of what has happened recently in different parts of Hungary.)

To end on a higher note, the Comics Festival is coming up indeed, as it's gonna take place next Saturday in Dürer Kert.

The programme looks really promising with special guests from the Netherlands, Finnland and Estonia, as well as exhibitions in several venues to complement the festival. Drop in if you're free!
More info for Hungarian speakers at http://kepregenyfesztival.blog.hu/

Gyöngyöspata: a visit for a reason

Ismét Szüfrazset City jelentkezik. Alább látható március 15-e estéjének szubjektív krónikája.


The translation for English speakers follows below, but first a bit of explanation on the recent events that took place in Gyöngyöspata (hopefully it is proper to use the past tense) http://errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=3816. Also, some background to the opening panel: http://www.budapesttimes.hu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17132&Itemid=220
Panel 1
On 15th March I went to the demonstration for free press.
"This is so dam good! It's not only about the media law though anymore. Such a big protest could even generate some sensible thinking among the government, couldn't it?"
Panel 2
After the demo I met Kati and Tamer by chance on the spot.
Kati: The locals asked us to go back in the evening. Are you joining us?
Panel 3
I joined them. About twenty of us left for the village riding in five cars.
Panel 4
For those who have missed out on the news, in early March some "civic guard" organizations - curiously resembling the legally banned Hungarian Guard militia - took the maintenance of "public security" to their own hands in Gyöngyöspata. In reality it meant that they kept harassing the Roma residents of the village night and day. The police merely stood by and nobody intervened to protect the Roma - i.e. Hungarian citizens - on behalf of the government.
The civic demonstration held in the village on 15th March was the first time when active solidarity was shown towards these people.
Panel 5
The locals greeted our arrival also because otherwise the Guard would not have left them in peace during the night either.
Woman: They shout at night and bang on the doors. Our children are afraid.
Man: How can this be tolerated? Where is the prime minister when we need him?
Panel 6
The guards and the "outlaws" seemed to appreciate our presence too in their own way.
Guards: Queerjewfaggot green liberal scums!!! Now what?!
Me (thinking): A better today for you, fuckers!