The Three Musketeers

An original comic strip by illustrator Antonín Šplíchal, designed also for adults who have never grown up, created in 1972 and published now for the very first time after 40 years. This comic adaptation makes the Three Musketeers the "third" musketeers in genre – following literary and cinematic versions. Based on Alexandre Dumas' classic adventure, this comic strip views the legendary tale through the lens of a light mystification by an ordinary citizen living in the totalitarian reality of the 1970s. It transposes classic heroic stories into a familiar, ironic pseudo-reality where absolutely anything could happen. The comic was originally intended for the inside covers of the Ostravský kulturní zpravodaj (Ostrava Cultural Newsletter), which also published the unique comic "Expedition from Sixia" by the same writer, Miloš Polášek, illustrated by Kája Saudek (whose original drawings are still being searched for). However, by 1972, the advancing communist "normalisation" had progressed so far that publishing the comic was banned due to its lack of socialist-class awareness. While this staged reality begins in the 17th century, it probably does not extend beyond 1972. Yet, if the nostalgia for our fading heroes is strong enough to demand a continuation of their adventures, the authors would surely rise to the challenge of publishing their stories even after another 20 years.