Graphic Content – Iznogoud: The Caliph’s Vacation

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Progress: 13/501Title: Iznogoud: the Caliph’s Vacation
Author: René Goscinny 
Illustrator: Jean Tabary
Year: 1968
Country: France

Now this is a comic we would not see released nowadays. At least not for children. It is not that this comic is racist in particular, but the idea of setting a comic that has a satirical look at western values in Baghdad just feels a bit daring.

Truth is, Iznogoud: the Caliph’s Vacation exists in a world that probably never existed. The setting is basically a send up of the Arabian Nights world of magic carpets and absent minded sultans.

Iznogoud takes the role of a conniving grand vizier who wants the caliph’s crown for himself. What unfolds is four 10 page stories depicting his misguided attempts to seize power for himself – and so lives up to his name.

Speaking names, you can tell this was written by the man behind Asterix. Some of the names in this comic are just so puntastic. For example, a seller of magical elixirs is called Lihkwid and the palace meteorologist is called Fo’orkahst.

The stories are simple and the humour is very relevant to a lot of modern day life. There is an entire story that sends up package holidays and another that derives humour from rather clichéd, but still funny, tropes related to skiing.

What makes this a fun read is the mixture of ridiculous puns and sight gags. Full credit is due to the illustrator who makes this world feel very much alive. I think I need to read my first Asterix comic now.