Iznogoud
Iznogoud (pronounced "he's/is no good" with a French accent) is a French comics series featuring an eponymous character, created by the comics writer René Goscinny and comics artist Jean Tabary. The comic series chronicles the life and times of Iznogoud, the Grand Vizier of the Caliphate of Baghdad at an undefined period in the past. His greatest desire is to replace the Caliph, leading him to repeatedly utter the phrase "I want to be Caliph instead of the Caliph" (dethrone him), a phrase that has been adopted in French and some other European languages to characterize overly ambitious people. Iznogoud is supported by his dimwitted yet faithful servant, Wa'at Alahf (pronounced "what a laugh").
| Iznogoud | |
|---|---|
Main character with the series logo | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Dargaud, BD'Star, Éditions Tabary |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Adventure comics |
| Publication date | 1962 |
| No. of issues | 32 |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | René Goscinny |
| Written by | René Goscinny, Jean Tabary |
| Artist(s) | Jean Tabary, Nicolas Tabary, Elric |
After the death of Goscinny in 1977 Tabary continued with writing the character. The stories have been translated into several languages, including English, and the title has been adapted to animated and live-action film.
So far 30 graphic novels featuring Iznogoud have been published in French, with at least 26 of those published in English and a number of other languages. Iznogoud was also adapted into a cartoon series produced by Saban Entertainment, with 52 episodes to its name, again with most of them having been translated to other languages as well.