Henryk Chmielewski (comics)

Henryk Chmielewski (comics)

Henryk Jerzy Chmielewski (born 7 June 1923), also known under his pseudonym Papcio Chmiel, is a Polish comic book artist and journalist.

During World War II, Chmielewski served in the Home Army and took part in the Warsaw Uprising. After the war, he started working as a graphic artist in the Świat Młodych magazine, where he also published comics. Since the debut of his first Tytus, Romek i A'Tomek comic book in 1966, he focused his career almost entirely on this series, telling the story of Tytus de Zoo, an anthropomorphic, talking chimpanzee who wants to become a human. The last, thirty first book of the main series was published in 2008, but Chmielewski continues to create other works, such as artbooks, with his characters.

Chmielewski's comics are known for the use of absurdist humour, puns and word plays. Aimed at children and teenagers, with the goal of being both entertaining and educational, his works often explores history (especially history of Poland), science, art or have the characters trying different professions.