About Romanian Comics of Past and Present, and Being a Cartoonist in Contemporary Romania
A conversation with Alexandru Ciubotariu moderated by Corina Şuteu.
Special Guest: Sandu Florea


Did you miss I AM NOT LEGEND, the special installation highlighting Romanian comics and cartoons from 1890 until today, presented on May 7 in the framework for The Festival of Ideas for a New City? Do you want to learn more the Romanian comics of past and present, about the explosion of the genre after 1989, and what it means to be a cartoonist in contemporary Romania?

Join us at RCINY for a conversation with Alexandru Ciubotariu, one of the leading agents of the current resurgence and expansion of the genre in Romania. Ciubotariu is also the co-author of The History of Romanian Comics 1981-2010, recently published by Vellant Publishing Bucharest, the sole publication of its kind in the country, and curator of the installation, who will remain on view at RCINY - Auditorium until July 30.

Romanian born artist based in Bucharest Alexandru Ciubotariu published his works in newspapers and magazines in various countries, and participated in numerous international exhibitions and shows. He was awarded over 30 national and international prizes, most of them for comics. Alexandru Ciubotariu is also the author of the first street-art album in Romania (Pisica patrata published by Vellant Publishing Bucharest, 2009), and he signed six comic books. He co-edited The History of the Romanian Comics 1891-2010, recently published by Vellant Publishing Bucharest. Ciubotariu drew different series of stamps for Romfilatelia – the Romanian Philately Society - which were published in hundreds of thousands of copies. Alexandru Ciubotariu’s name is linked also to the first urban-toys and the first website dedicated to comics in Romania (salonbd.ro). Alexandru Ciubotariu is involved in organizing the International Comics Festival in Romania.

Sandu Florea is an American - Romanian artist living in New York, who has developed for the past 20 years diverse collaborations with comics magazines and publishers such as Marvel, DC Comics or Dark Horse, created storyboards and other graphics for the motion picture producers Full Moon, as well as book illustrations for The Princeton Review. Sandu Florea’s creations for Marvel include The Amazing Spider-Man and the various spin-offs of Avengers, Blackwulf, Elektra, Mighty Thor, Captain America, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Four and X-Men. He also worked with DC Comics (on Superman Second Series, Batman, Justice Society of America, Nightwing) and Dark Horse. Among the significant miniseries to which he contributed as an inker are X-Men: The End (2004–2006), Batman R.I.P. (2008), and Batman: Battle for the Cowl (2009).