Dariush Ramezani is an Iranian-Canadian cartoonist and illustrator who blends humour, culture, and storytelling through art. Born in Iran in 1976, he began his career in civil engineering, earning a degree in the field and working on large-scale projects in Iran for 10 years. Alongside his engineering work, Dariush pursued his love for drawing, contributing cartoons to magazines and writing comic books.

 

His comic series, The Adventures of Gavazn, earned him widespread recognition in Iran. Gavazn is notable for being the only comic series in the Gilaki language, a Caspian dialect spoken in Iran’s Gilan Province. The character, a reindeer-headed human, first appeared in Humour & Caricature magazine in 2001 and continued for 130 issues until 2012. The series's success led to the publication of its first album, The Adventures of Gavazn: Gavazn in Rasht, in 2014 by Nashr-e-Farhang-e-Illia. The comic's charm lies in its slapstick humour, adventurous themes, and a unique blend of fantasy, all while preserving the endangered Gilaki language.

 

In 2014, Dariush immigrated to Canada and later pursued a degree in graphic design. He now works as a full-time graphic designer and has expanded his artistic portfolio with projects such as sports illustrations, The Montreal Places series, and a new iteration of Gavazn, set in Montreal. His latest work, Life is Beautiful, is the first album in this new series, capturing the essence of his character's adventures in a fresh setting.