Ethno Comix 1 – Ethnography, but in Comic Book Form

Ethno Comix 1, the very first issue of the Museum of Ethnography’s first-ever comic book publication, has been released – and it is exactly what we expect from a comic. Adventurous, creative and light in tone, it nevertheless remains informative and insightful from an ethnographic perspective.

The Museum of Ethnography makes the heritage and knowledge preserved in its collections accessible through outstanding exhibitions and award-winning publications, both in Hungary and internationally. This newly published comic book goes one step further: it demonstrates that ethnography belongs to everyone. One does not need to be a museologist, curator or ethnographer to engage with or understand it. With its direct, poetic voice, this bilingual (Hungarian–English) publication offers engaging and enjoyable ethnographic content for younger generations as well as for older readers who appreciate the comic book format.

The issue, published in December 2025, was created at the invitation of the comic’s editors and initiators, Borka Bazsó and Veronika Filó, both members of staff at the Museum of Ethnography. Seven creators were invited to take part: Barbara Bernát, Mátyás Lanczinger, Petra Lilla Marjai, Attila Stark, the artist duo of Mónika Hudra and Gergely Oravecz, and István Szanyi. Their task was to respond, through the language of comics, to one of three selected objects from the museum’s permanent collection exhibition.

The chosen artefacts were the museum’s first-ever inventoried object – a Japanese lantern collected by János Xantus – Lajos Boglár’s notebook on feather classification, and the busó mask displayed in the gallery titled Heritage. The artists approached their chosen objects through their own visitor experiences, exploring how these items affected them and what emotions, thoughts and stories they evoked. The resulting six short comics each lead the reader in a different direction, into distinct imaginative worlds, while encouraging those unfamiliar with ethnography to explore this field for the first time.

Ethno Comix 1 is available at the favourable price of HUF 1,500 from the Museum of Ethnography’s bookshop and online webshop.