Kája Saudek: the man who painted Czech comics in colour

In communist Czechoslovakia comics were a suspect pleasure: an imported, American art form. Readers wanted stories with pictures all the same, and a few artists found ways to draw them. The most influential was Kája Saudek, a painter and illustrator who turned the comic strip into something Czechs could be proud of.

Who he was

Kája Saudek was born in Prague in 1935 and died in 2015. His twin brother Jan became one of the country's best-known photographers, so the family name appears twice in any account of Czech art. If you meet "Saudek" in a gallery, check which brother you are looking at.

Kája trained as a painter and worked as an illustrator, graphic designer and cartoonist, but comics were his signature. Strong colours, big panels, dramatic poses and a visible debt to American comic books and pop art. Czech readers had not seen much like it.

The comics

Two titles come up most. Muriel a andělé (Muriel and the Angels) dates from the late 1960s, a fantasy drawn in a bold, lush style at the moment when the country was loosening up, shortly before the Soviet-led invasion of 1968. Lucie, postrach velkoměsta (Lucie, Terror of the Big City) is the other classic. I'm keeping the account to this broad shape, because publication dates and details are easy to get wrong in the retelling. For a specific year or edition, check a catalogue or an exhibition label.

Why he mattered

He made comics look serious. Many Czech readers had seen the form only in children's magazines. Saudek showed a comic could be as ambitious as a painting.

He worked under political weather. Artists in communist Czechoslovakia could not publish what they pleased, and Saudek's career followed the climate. Our explainer on communist Czechoslovakia for visitors sets the scene.

He influenced those who followed. Czech comics artists after 1989 often cite him, and his style travelled into advertising and popular culture.

Looking at a page

Notice three things. The colours are flat and saturated, closer to a poster than a newspaper strip. The figures are big, with heroic anatomy, and tilted panels make the page feel like a stage. Lettering and sound effects are part of the design. In a country where public imagery was largely grey and official, colour and fantasy felt like freedom. Read the Prague Spring of 1968 explained for the world those pages came out of.

Where to see his work

I can't promise a permanent Saudek display on the day you visit. His work has been shown in exhibitions at Prague galleries and appears in collections. So be practical.

1. Check the Prague City Gallery and National Gallery websites for current and upcoming shows.
2. Try museums covering twentieth-century Czech art; our guide to museums in Prague helps you choose.
3. Look at the city's walls. Street art and murals in Prague shows how public image-making carries on.

More Czech visual culture

Saudek's comics sit in the same tradition of image-making as Czech animation and film. If this appeals, try Karel Zeman and his museum and Czech cinema history. On the architecture side, the Dancing House is a bold piece of modern Prague.

Frequently asked questions

Who was Kája Saudek?

A Czech comics artist and illustrator (1935 to 2015), widely seen as a founding figure of modern Czech comics.

Was he related to the photographer Jan Saudek?

Yes. Jan Saudek was his twin brother.

What is his most famous comic?

Muriel a andělé (Muriel and the Angels), from the late 1960s, is the one most often named. Lucie, postrach velkoměsta is the other classic.

Where can I see his work in Prague?

Check the Prague City Gallery and the National Gallery for exhibitions. No permanent display can be promised, so look at current listings.