Tea-drinking heroes and modern legends: Alibek Kozhageldiyev’s vision for Kazakh comics
During Comic Con Astana 2025, Kazinform News Agency correspondent spoke with comic artist Alibek Kozhageldiyev, who is participating in the festival’s Artist Alley. In this interview, he shared his creative journey, the inspiration behind his Kazakh-language comics, and why tradition and humor go hand in hand in his work.
Alibek shared that he has been drawing since early childhood and began producing comics professionally in 2012. His first printed release came in 2018, and among his notable works are We Are Not Superheroes and The Other Makta Qyz, both available in Kazakh and Russian.
“I’m inspired by films and by memories from childhood. Specifically, with Makta Qyz, it’s a children’s story I was told when I was five. I’ve known it by heart since the earliest years of my life,” he said.
Kozhageldiyev noted that The Other Makta Qyz was built around a folkloric foundation infused with humor and modern twists. The first comic took over five years to complete, and the second took two and a half years. When asked about his audience, he said that his primary readers are families who prioritize the Kazakh language, as well as supporters of national cultural content.
Discussing his creative approach, Kozhageldiyev explained that blending traditional elements with modern settings presents no difficulty, but in turn it opens space for innovation.
“I don’t see it as a challenge. On the contrary, it’s an easy path because it’s untouched territory. It’s a space where I can imagine, break rules, add something of my own, maybe even reinvent a few things,” Alibek explained.
In one of his stories, he created a version of a Batyr (a hero or brave warrior) who doesn’t rush to save children but instead brews himself a cup of tea with a capsule machine. With tea capsules labeled “afternoon,” “evening,” or “midnight,” the hero chooses to relax rather than jump into battle. According to Kozhageldiyev, these cultural ties make the story feel truly Kazakh and relatable.
“I hope there will be more authors who will publish comics in the state language, who will do it better than me, more profitably than me. Let there be 20, 30, or 100 of them. I just want to shift the mechanism a little so it can start spinning,” he highlighted.
The artist also revealed his plans to enter the international market through online comic platforms and to continue working on new stories based on other Kazakh fairy tales.
At the end of the interview, Alibek addressed younger creators, encouraging them to make content in Kazakh without fear of failure or lack of popularity.
“I’ll do everything I can to support and help them if they ever need it. I’ve seen how talented today’s kids are; they’re already drawing, publishing, and selling. They’re amazing. I’d love to see one of them make their own book. I’ll buy it and read it for sure,” the artist said.
Kazinform continues its coverage of Comic Con Astana 2025, the region’s largest geek culture festival. Highlights from the second day can be found via the link.