Marian Walentynowicz (born 20 August 1896 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire, died 26 August 1967 in Warsaw, Poland) was a Polish graphic artist, architect, teacher, writer and comics artist in Poland.
He is probably best known for his collaboration as illustrator with Kornel Makuszyà Âski in their creation of Kozioà Âek Matoà Âek, a popular classic children's series about a billy goat.
Walentynowicz studied Architecture at the Warsaw Polytechnic. During the 1930s he taught at the Women's Architectural Academy in Warsaw (). From the 1920s onwards he worked as an illustrator for various Warsaw publications. During the Second World War, he was the war correspondent attached to General Stanisà Âaw Maczek's First Panzer division of the Polish Armed Forces in the West. While with the Polish Forces, Walentynowicz stayed in London prior to the Normandy landings. The army had a quandary what to do with a Lieutenant who was a qualified architect, with insufficient knowledge of war craft. 'Make me a general', he suggested laconically and promptly was turned into a journalist. His war memoirs were published as , War without pathos in 1969.
He designed the emblem of the Independent Polish Parachute Brigade as well as the awards for the Brigade's heroes. He was a prolific book illustrator. Among his jacket designs was the wartime edition of Józef Kisielewski's , The Earth Gathers Dust. His children's book illustrations include:
With Kornel Makuszyà Âski:
With other authors:
Some of the stories have been turned into well loved TV and feature film animations.
Aside from his collaborations with other authors, Marian Walentynowicz also published his own work:
With Kornel Makuszyà Âski: