# Jucika

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***Jucika*** (ˈju.tsi.kɒ) is a Hungarian [silent comic](/source/Silent_comics) strip created by [Pál Pusztai](/source/P%C3%A1l_Pusztai) that ran from 1957 to 1970.[1][self-published source?] The titular character is a witty, attractive woman who gets into a variety of comedic situations, often risqué and suggestive. The series satirizes and parodies [sexism](/source/Sexism), with many of the strips involving Jucika navigating unwanted attention from men and her efforts to get the better of it.

*Jucika* was initially published in the magazine *Érdekes Újság* in 1957, and was later moved to *[Lúdas Matyi](/source/L%C3%BAdas_Matyi_(magazine))* due to its popularity.[1] It ran until Pusztai's death on September 11, 1970. There were over 500 comic strips in total.[2] Nine strips of *Jucika* were printed in the [East-German](/source/East_Germany) magazine *Freie Welt*. The series also ran in [Canada](/source/Canada) under the name *Judy*. In 2003, a compilation of *Jucika* gags was published in [China](/source/China).[2]

Jucika became popular internationally on social media in the 2010s. A museum exhibit dedicated to her was opened for nearly 5 months at the Hungarian Trade and Hospitality Museum in 2018.[3][4]

## Overview

The main character, Jucika, is a woman with short black hair.[5] She is depicted as attractive, independent, romantically forward, witty, and liberated. Many of the typically three-panel strips involve her responding to unwanted attention from men, to which she responds with clever reprisals or ploys to get the better of it. Other comics focus less on her appearance and more on humorous situations Jucika finds herself in; she was seen to have a wide variety of jobs and occupations throughout the strips. The strips feature little to no dialogue and rely mainly on visual humor and gags. However, in the fiftieth comic strip, Jucika herself finally "spoke" and told the readers about her life.[6] She also spoke in a special news report dedicated to the comic series in 1964, as a celebration of her fifth anniversary.[7]

## History

Jucika, who was introduced in 1957,[8] was a cult phenomenon in 1950s and 1960s Hungary and a particularly popular feature of the newspapers that published her. The comic strip debuted in the newspaper *Érdekes Újság*.

In 1959, *Érdekes Újság* was merged with the *Ország-Világ* magazine, and from then on Pál Pusztai wrote *Jucika* for the satirical humor paper *[Lúdas Matyi](/source/L%C3%BAdas_Matyi_(magazine))*. If *Jucika* was not included in one of the issues of *Lúdas Matyi*, the publisher would receive letters of complaint.

Jucika made appearances outside of the comics, such as on card calendars published by Budaprint. In 1964, she was played by actress [Gabi Magda](/source/Gabi_Magda) in a TV variety show, and she also appeared animated to promote a clothing company in a TV spot.[9][10]

The strip transitioned to color printing upon its first comic for Ludas Matyi, an occasion commemorated with a special strip in which Jucika interviews for a job with the paper's mascot Matyi and his goose.[11] From then on, the popularity of the character and its creator continued to grow. Jucika appeared several times on the front page of *Ludas Matyi* and hundreds of the comics were published in the magazine. Pusztai's last strip, which featured Jucika working as a flight attendant, was published on September 10, 1970. The then-51-year-old Pál Pusztai died a day later of sudden heart failure during a trip to [Dubrovnik](/source/Dubrovnik).[12] An unsigned strip titled "Jucika and the melon market" (*Jucika és a dinnyevásár*) was later found in Pusztai's workplace and was published in the December 3, 1970 issue of *Lúdas Matyi* with a few other drawings by the artist.[13]

## Recent popularity

Although during Pusztai's life *Jucika* was little known beyond Hungary, it gained an international [fandom](/source/Fandom) in the 2010s when the comics were shared on [social media](/source/Social_media).[2][1][self-published source?] In November 2019, a public [booru](/source/Booru) was created for sharing [fan art](/source/Fan_art) of the series.[2][14] In 2026, *Keegan the Animator*'s modernized adaptations of the comic, including a reframed scene of *[The Apartment](/source/The_Apartment)*, gained popularity on the internet.[15][16]

From June 19 to November 4, 2018, a museum exhibition titled "What Did Jucika Buy?" (none: *Mit vásárolt Jucika?*) was opened at the Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism[17] (none: *Magyar Kereskedelmi és Vendéglátóipari Múzeum*), which showed the history of advertisements targeted towards women throughout the [socialist era of Hungary](/source/Hungarian_People's_Republic). It illustrated the dynamics of the advertising industry, along with how gender roles for women changed over the years, with Jucika being used as a caricature of the modern woman of the time. The exhibition contained video loops of classic Hungarian advertisements, along with an audio backdrop of classic jingles. It was the final part of a trilogy of exhibits; the first part, "[Tournures](/source/Tournure) and Hooped [Petticoats](/source/Petticoat)"[18] (none: *Fardagály és kámvás rokolya*) was held from 2010 to 2011, and the next, "Beauty and Advertising" (none: *A szépség és a reklám*), was held in 2014.[3][4]

## References

1. Maveal, Chloe (9 April 2021). ["'Jucika': An Unexpected Dive into Mid-Century Sexuality and Feminism"](https://www.thegutterreview.com/jucika-an-unexpected-dive-into-mid-century-sexuality-and-feminism/). *The Gutter Review*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230520222001/https://www.thegutterreview.com/jucika-an-unexpected-dive-into-mid-century-sexuality-and-feminism/) 20 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-05-20.

1. Bas Schuddeboom. ["Pál Pusztai"](https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/pusztai_pal.htm). *[Lambiek Comiclopedia](/source/Lambiek#Comiclopedia)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230521213024/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/pusztai_pal.htm) 21 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

1. ["Mit vásárolt Jucika? - MKVM"](https://mkvm.hu/mit-vasarolt-jucika-nok-a-szocialista-reklamban/) (in hu-HU). 12 June 2018. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231209173938/https://mkvm.hu/mit-vasarolt-jucika-nok-a-szocialista-reklamban/) 2023-12-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-12-09.

1. ["'What Did Jucika Buy?' Women in Socialist Advertising - Exhibition"](https://welovebudapest.com/en/event/what-did-jucika-buy-women-in-socialist-advertising-exhibition/). *We Love Budapest*. 19 June 2018. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230916011633/https://welovebudapest.com/en/event/what-did-jucika-buy-women-in-socialist-advertising-exhibition) 2023-09-16 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-12-09.

1. "Jucika apróhirdetés gyanújában". *Érdekes Újság*. '***(11). 1957.***

1. "Jucika jubilál". *Érdekes Újság*. '***(4). 1958.***

1. ["Filmhíradók Online / A Ludas Matyi Jucikája öt éves"](https://filmhiradokonline.hu/watch.php?id=18003). *filmhiradokonline.hu*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230914231416/https://filmhiradokonline.hu/watch.php?id=18003) 2023-09-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-12-09.

1. "Jucika és a sár". *Érdekes Újság*. Vol. 7. 1957.

1. ["BUDAPRINT"](http://www.kartyanaptarak.hu/thumbnails.php?album=1083). *Régi magyar kártyanaptárak*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230521214716/http://www.kartyanaptarak.hu/thumbnails.php?album=1083) 2023-05-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

1. ["Jucika visszatért: egy hatvanas évekbeli magyar képregényfiguráért rajong az EGÉSZ internet | nlc"](https://nlc.hu/ezvan/20220128/jucika-visszatert-egy-hatvanas-evekbeli-magyar-kepregenyfiguraert-rajong-az-egesz-internet/) (in Hungarian). 2022-01-28. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230907005516/https://nlc.hu/ezvan/20220128/jucika-visszatert-egy-hatvanas-evekbeli-magyar-kepregenyfiguraert-rajong-az-egesz-internet/) 2023-09-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-07.

1. "Jucika állást keres". *[Lúdas Matyi](/source/L%C3%BAdas_Matyi_(magazine))* (3). 1959.

1. "Jucika a stílszerű légikisasszony" *Lúdas Matyi* (37). 1970.

1. "Jucika és a dinnyevásár". *Lúdas Matyi* (49). 1970.

1. ["Jucika Booru"](https://jucika.booru.org/index.php). *jucika.booru.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230521213025/https://jucika.booru.org/index.php) 2023-05-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-05-21.

1. Lang, Jamie (2026-04-08). ["KiwisBurntToast Turns 70-Year-Old Hungarian Comic Into Viral Hit"](https://www.cartoonbrew.com/shorts/keegan-the-animator-kiwisburnttoast-jucika-259866.html). *www.cartoonbrew.com*. Retrieved 2026-04-14.

1. ["Keegan the Animator and The Return of Jucika"](https://www.dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2026/04/12/keegan-the-animator-and-the-return-of-jucika/). *The Daily Cartoonist*. 2026-04-12. Retrieved 2026-04-14.

1. ["Museum - MKVM"](https://mkvm.hu/en/museum-history/). 2018-07-02. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231209201220/https://mkvm.hu/en/museum-history/) 2023-12-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-12-09.

1. ["Fardagály és kámvás rokolya. Divat és illem a 19. században (Budapest, 2010) | Könyvtár | Hungaricana"](https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/SZAK_VEND_Sk_2010_Fardagaly/?pg=1&layout=s). *library.hungaricana.hu*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20231209201221/https://library.hungaricana.hu/hu/view/SZAK_VEND_Sk_2010_Fardagaly/?pg=1&layout=s) 2023-12-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-12-09.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jucika](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jucika) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jucika?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.