Marquis de la Vermotte-Toupet

A creature of powdered-wig pomposity and aristocratic pretension, the Marquis de la Vermotte-Toupet made his entrance in the pages of Mosaik in 1978 — that beloved East German anthology from Verlag Junge Welt that gave generations of readers some of the most inventive comics the Bronze Age had to offer. Across his eleven catalogued appearances, this gloriously named nobleman shares the stage with a wonderfully eclectic cast including Abrax, Brabax, Califax, Hans Wurst, and Ludas Matyi, hinting at the rich, satirical world Mosaik so expertly wove together. Brought to life by the creative team of Lothar Dräger, Lona Rietschel, and Irmtraut Winkler-Wittig, he's the kind of character whose very name — all flourish and self-importance — tells you exactly what kind of comic energy he brings to the page. For collectors and fans of European comics history, he's a delightful footnote in a publication that deserves far more international recognition than it typically receives.