Califax

Born in the pages of Mosaik #1/1976 — one of the most beloved comics to emerge from East Germany — Califax is a Bronze Age creation brought to life by Lothar Dräger, Lona Rietschel, and Irmtraut Winkler-Wittig under the banner of Verlag Junge Welt, a publisher with a uniquely rich place in comics history. Across nearly five decades of publication, from 1976 all the way to 2025, this character has proven remarkably enduring, sharing adventures alongside a wonderfully eclectic cast that includes Hans Wurst, Ludas Matyi, the Marquis de la Vermotte-Toupet, and Dschaffar. With 63 catalogued appearances and at least one collector-recognized key issue to their name, Califax is a genuine fixture of the Mosaik universe — a series so cherished that creator Lona Rietschel's own retrospective volume celebrates its legacy. For anyone curious about the rich tradition of European comics beyond the Franco-Belgian mainstream, Califax is absolutely worth discovering.