True Romania

Ştefan Popa POPA'S (a.k.a. POPA@S, June 11, 1955, Caransebeş), is a famous Romanian cartoonist, included in the Guinness Book of World Records for his achievments.


He studied at the High School of Fine Arts, then moved to the Special School for Mathematics, getting the first place in the Balkan Mathematics Contest. He graduated from Polytechnic University in Timişoara and the Academy of Visual Arts in Poitiers, France.


He started drawing at 5 years and published the first cartoon at 7yo in a local newspaper. At 14 years, Popa published in the only humorous magazine of the time, Urzica. At 19 years he was discovered by Henri Coursaget, first President of UNESCO and president of the Festival in Confolens, during his travels in France, he discovered the universe of cartoons and became a professional. In 1990 he released his first album with satirical cartoons. He worked with famous artists as Salvador Dali, Jerry Robinson (Superman, Batman), Vasquez De Sola, Plantu, Emerson, La Palma, Tim, Morchoisne, Kruger.


Ştefan Popa is member of the Foundation for Science and Arts of the Citá Academy in Rome and of the Association of Plastic Artists (UNESCO). He founded Popa's Academy, a cartoon school. He is now an honorary citizen in 26 cities in the country; in Romania he earned over 100 awards, and other 60 at international contests. He published in major newspapers and magazines worldwide, and over 200 Heads of State and Government have signed portraits made by Popa. His outstanding achievements in the field of graphics have imposed him as one of the most prestigious personalities of contemporary art.


At the International Cartoon Festival of Saint-Estève (France), Ştefan Popa has set the world record of resistance (1527 color portraits in ten days and ten nights). In 1995 he knocked down his own record, with 2772 color cartoons in ten days and ten nights. Also, he has overcome the world record for speed in an hour, which belonged to the Belgian Emile Robin (106 caricatures in an hour), making 131 the caricatures in an hour, and was declared the fastest cartoonist in the world, according to Guinness Book of World Records. In October 1995, André Baur wrote: "(Stefan Popa Popa's) is a force of nature... is the only man who was four seconds faster than the computer".