Iznogoud Rockets to Stardom

By Goscinny and Tabary (Cinebook)
ISBN: 978-1-84918-092-4

For the greater part of his too-short lifetime (1926-1977), RenÃ© Goscinny was one of the most prolific and most-read writers of comic strips the world has ever seen. He still is.

Among his most popular comic collaborations are Lucky Luke, Le Petit Nicolas and, of course, Asterix the Gaul, but there were so many others, such as the dazzling, dark deeds of a dastardly usurper whose dreams of diabolical skulduggery perpetually proved to be ultimately no more than castles in the sandâ€¦

In the wake of the Suez crisis, the French returned to the hotly contested deserts when Goscinny teamed with sublimely gifted Swedish Ã©migrÃ© Jean Tabary (1930-2011) – who numbered Richard et Charlie, Grabadu et Gabaliouchtou, Totoche, Corinne et Jeannot and Valentin le Vagabond amongst his other hit strips – to detail the innocuous history of imbecilic Arabian (im)potentate Haroun el-Poussah.

However it was the strip’s villainous foil, power-hungry vizier Iznogoud who stole the show – possibly the conniving little blackguard’s only successful heist.

Les Aventures du Calife Haroun el Poussah was created for Record; the first episode appearing in the January 15^th issue. 1962. A minor hit, it subsequently jumped ship to Pilote – a comics magazine created and edited by Goscinny – where it was artfully refashioned into a starring vehicle for the devious little ratbag who had increasingly been hogging all the laughs and limelight.

Like all great storytelling, Iznogoud works on two levels: for the youngsters it’s a comedic romp with adorably wicked baddies invariably hoisted on their own petards and coming a-cropper, whilst older, wiser heads can revel in pun-filled, witty satires and marvellously surreal episodic comic capers.

This same magic formula made its more famous cousin Asterix a monolithic global success and, just like the saga of the indomitable Gaul, the irresistibly addictive Arabian Nit was originally adapted into English by master translators Anthea Bell & Derek Hockridge who made those Roman Follies so very palatable to British tastes.

As always the deliciously malicious whimsy is heavily dosed with manic absurdity, cleverly contemporary cultural critiques and brilliantly delivered creative anachronisms which serve to keep the assorted escapades bizarrely fresh and hilariously inventive.

Insidious anti-hero Iznogoud is Grand Vizier to affable, easy-going Caliph of Ancient Baghdad Haroun Al Plassid, but the sneaky little toad has loftier ambitions, or as he is always declaiming â€œI want to be Caliph instead of the Caliph!â€â€¦

The retooled debuted in 1968, and quickly became a massive European hit, with 29 albums to date (carried on by Tabary’s children StÃ©phane, Muriel and Nicolas), his own solo comic, a computer game, animated film, TV cartoon show and even a live-action movie.

In 1977 after Goscinny’s death, Tabary began scripting his own sublimely stylish tales, switching to book-length complete adventures, rather than the compilations of short, punchy vignettes which typified the collaborations.

The fifth Dargaud collection (and the seventh volume published by Methuen in 1980), Des Astres pour Iznogoud, was originally released in 1969, and here it’s the eighth explosively outrageous Cinebook album, offering an astoundingly absurd quintet of short tales with the Vile Vizier on top form as he schemes to seize power from his sublimely oblivious Lord and Master.

The eternal struggle resumes with eponymously anachronistic ‘Iznogoud Rockets to Stardom’, wherein the Vizier’s bumbling, strong-arm crony Wa’at Alahf is in the bazaar listening to a storyteller extolling the virtues of brilliant inventor Ahstroh Nautikhal. That clever old tinkerer has apparently built a machine which can travel to the starsâ€¦

After sharing the tale with his mean master, the big oaf is soon following the Vizier into the city as Iznogoud tracks down the rather insubordinate innovator. The little monster is delighted to hear that the machine works and even happier to find that Nautikhal has no way of bringing his towering rocket back to Earthâ€¦

Moreover the normally grudging Caliph is delighted at a thought of a trip to the edge of creation, but since he’s too lazy to walk to the rocket Iznogoud has to bring the five-storey high ship to the palace… by camel trainâ€¦

And even after that mammoth feat of determined optimism the impatient villain still has to wrestle with the tricky and unpredictable black-powder propellant which never seems to ignite when it’s supposed toâ€¦

The pun-punctuated comedy of errors is followed by a sneaky dose of inspired iniquity entitled ‘Iznogoud’s Pupil’ as the Vizier conspires to become personal tutor to Prince B’oufaykhar, son of the incredible short-tempered and violent Sultan Pullmankarâ€¦

The scheme is wickedly simple: if he makes the prince miserable, the Sultan will destroy the Caliph and he can take over. Unfortunately the Vizier has never met a brat as spoiled as B’oufaykhar nor anybody who possessed a genie like the formidable and terrifying Djinn Rummihâ€¦

The broad slapstick gives way to mystic mayhem when far-travelled Klot Ed Krim of Tartary sells the infamous schemer an amulet that makes dreams come true. Sadly, the operating instructions for ‘The Tartar’s Talisman’ are rather specific and one can’t always dream about what one wants to, even if you eat the strangest things before bedtimeâ€¦

On discovering an old law which states no Caliph may rule if he’s crazy, Iznogoud finds an assuredly infallible method to secure his ambitions in ‘My Hat!’. Getting hold of a magic hat which makes the wearer instantly insane is not a problem, but getting the Caliph to put it on is. In fact, as the dire deed is attempted at a birthday party it’s inevitable that the only one not to act like a mad hatter is happy-go-lucky Haroun Al Plassidâ€¦

The frantic antics conclude with a reality-warping riot as the Vile Vizier accidentally saves an ensorcelled wizard and is rewarded with a magic pencil. Whatever is rendered with the arcane implement will be forever banished to a desert island when the drawing is ripped up, and instantly Iznogoud begins capturing the Caliph’s likenessâ€¦

Sadly the upset usurper is no artist and his own ineptitude is Haroun’s greatest defence against ‘Dark Designs’ so there’s nothing for it but to get drawing lessons from the Caliphate’s greatest artist Tahbari al Tardi, a man far too eager and helpful for his own goodâ€¦

Just such witty, fast-paced hi-jinks and craftily crafted comedy set pieces have made this addictive series a household name in France where â€œIznogoudâ€ is common term for a certain type of politician: over-ambitious, unscrupulous – and frequently insufficient in inches (or should that be centimetres?).

Desiring to become â€œCaliph in the Caliph’s placeâ€ is a popular condemnation in French, targeting those perceived as overly-ambitious and, since 1992 the Prix Iznogoud is awarded annually to â€œa personality who failed to take the Caliph’s placeâ€.

Its nominees are chosen from prominent French figures who have endured spectacular failures in any one year and been given to the likes of Ã‰douard Balladur (1995) and Nicolas Sarkozy (1999). The jury panel is headed by politician AndrÃ© Santini, who gave himself one after failing to become president of ÃŽle-de-France in regional elections in 2004.

When first released in Britain during the late 1970s and 1980s (and again in 1996 as a periodical comicbook) these tales made little impression, but certainly now this snappy, wonderfully beguiling strip has finally and deservedly found an appreciative audience among today’s more internationally aware, politically jaded comics-and-cartoon savvy Kids Of All Agesâ€¦

Share this: