Profile of Rolf Kauka on Famous Like Me

Rolf Kauka (9. April 1917 in Markranstädt bei Leipzig - 13. September 2000 in Thomasville, Georgia, USA) he was a Comic-Artist.

Fix & Foxi is the most successful German comic and the most well-known and also most published work of comic artist Rolf Kauka. It was published between 1953 and 2000 - more than 40 years. Currently, the series is not published as a comic book, but rather in comic albums. The most recent publications are the anniversary edition “50 Jahre Fix & Foxi” in 2003 and “Der Raketenblitz” in 2004.

Figures

The two main characters of the comic are the twin fox brothers, Fix and Foxi, who live in Fuxholzen (Foxburg in the TV series.) They are open, active and social and, therefore, serve as rolemodels for their young audience.

Other Figures in Fuxholzen:

• Lupo (Wolf) - a bit of a slacker who lives in the tower - a gluttonous ne’er-do-well, who is a true master at the art of enjoying life.
• Oma Eusebia (Wolf) - an “old maid”, who is also somewhat of a mother-figure for the others.
• Lupinchen (Wolf) - Eusebia’s granddaughter, cousin to Fix, Foxi and Lupo.
• Uncle Fax (Fox) - Fix and Foxi’s bachelor uncle, with whom they live. He dabbles in second-hand items.
• Professor Knox (Papagei) - the typical absent-minded professor and inventor.
• Hops (Rabbit), Stops (Hedgehog) and Stoepsel (Hedgehog)
• Fridolin (Cat), Daggi (Goose) and Pieps (Mouse)
• In nearby Maulwurfhausen: Pauli (Mole), Mausi (Mouse), Mimi (Pauli’s girlfriend.

Other Kauka figures outside the Fuxholzen universe:

• The Pichelsteiner - prehistoric adventure series
• Dagobert - an early character by Rolf Kauka
• Diabolino - an imp character
• Mischa - adventure series based in the future and in outer space.
• Tom and Biberherz - Old West adventure series.
• Peppercorn Family - the last series created by Rolf Kauka.

History of the Comic

In 1951 Rolf Kauka founded the Kauka Publishing house and found experienced illustrators in Yugoslavia, Italy and Spain. In May of 1953 his first comic book, “Till Eulenspiegel”, appeared. The characters in the comic book were loosely based on the German fairytales, fables and folkstories. Besides the eponymous character, figures such as Reinecke Fox and Isegrim Wolf appeared. In issue number 6 the fox characters Fix & Foxi first appeared in a short comic story. They soon became the favorites of the readers and appeared in issue number 10 on the title page. From issue number 29 forward the series was retitled “Fix & Foxi”.

“Fix & Foxi” was published weekly in Germany with a circulation up to 400,000 per week. All total over 750 Million comic books were sold.

Aside from Rolf Kauka’s original comic characters his comic books introduced to German audiences such international series as Asterix and the Smurfs from France and Belgium. Some characters received germanized names, for instance Spirou & Fantasio/ Pit & Pikkolo, Gaston Lagaffe/ Jojo, etc.

In the early 1960's Rolf Kauka fended off a takeover attempt by Disney. In 1973 he did sell his publishing house to the English publisher IPC and the dutch publishing group VNU. He maintained his right of authority, but removed himself from the active publishing world. In 1975 he founded the Kauka Comic Academy in Munich, where he concentrated on the training and continuing education of young writers and illustrators. At the end of the 1970's the publishing consortium was dissolved and Bauer/VPM began publishing Fix & Foxi.

In 1994 the comic book Fix & Foxi was retooled by the publishers into an adolescent tabloid magazine and the publication was changed from weekly to monthly. It is at this point that Rolf Kauka withdrew the publishing rights and stopped all publication of the series.

From 1993 to 1998 Hethke Publisher produced reprints of the first 50 comic books. From 1997 to 1999 seven comic albums of classic comics were produced by Ehapa, the erstwhile Kauka rival. In 2000 there was a short-lived revival of the comic book by Ehapa, but it was discontinued after the third issue due to insufficient sales.

In 1982 Rolf Kauka founded “Promedia, Inc.” and began planning the Fix & Foxi TV series as well as together with his wife, Alexandra Kauka, and the Ravensburger Corporation the Fix & Foxi Adventure Land in the Ravensburger Spieleland theme park.

Beginning in March 2000 the Fix & Foxi TV series has been broadcast in Germany (ARD & KiKa channels.) The characters are also still active in reprints, as audio and video cassettes, merchandising figures and as a TV series in 30 countries. A new Fix & Foxi monthly comic magazine will be available beginning October 25, 2005 and a Fix & Foxi feature film is currently in the planning stage at Bavaria studios. The “Bild” Newspaper will publish on October 10, 2005 a complete comic book, which will announce the return of the Kauka comic production.

Other

The German slang expression “Ich bin Fix und Foxi” is a variation of the phrase “Ich bin fix und fertig”.

The character Lupo lives in an old windmill, which has had the blades removed and is often referred to as the tower. The tower was originally portrayed as a windmill - with a goblin in residence. It first appeared in the story “the magic mill” in “Fix & Foxi” issue 4 from 1960. Lupo later took over the tower and it has since been located in the outskirts of Fuxholzen. Since Lupo has taken up residence the character of the tower has changed to reflect its resident the furnishings are spartan and the condition of the tower has deteriorated, for example the weathervane is crooked. Aside from the futuristic villa of Professor Knox and Pauli’s house in the hillock, Lupo’s tower is the most representative structure in the Kauka universe.

Weblinks

• Website of Rolf Kauka
• Website of Kauka Medien-Gruppe
• Website of Kauka Marketing & Medien
• Website of Kauka Promedia, Inc.
• Website of Kauka Licensing

Kauka, Rolf Kauka, Rolf Kauka, Rolf Kauka, Rolf Kauka, Rolf

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