The Comics We Loved

The Comics We Loved: Selection of 20th Century Comics and Creators from the Region of Former Yugoslavia is an award winning lexicon, co-authored by Živojin Tamburić, Zdravko Zupan and Zoran Stefanović, with foreword by Paul Gravett,^[1] assisted by dozens of experts from Western Balkans.

It was published by Belgrade based publisher "Omnibus" in 2011, being the first critical comics lexicon in Eastern Europe.

Summary

For the first time in the research of popular culture, there has been critically drawn together, in one place, the most important works and authors’ opuses from one of the centres of European comics—Former Yugoslavia.

Yugoslavia in the 20th century was a region which was not only massively developing comics’ culture, but was also producing many important works in the history of comics, and even some masterpieces. This tradition has continued even today in the countries which were a part of the former Yugoslavia: Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

The book provides basic information, panel examples and critiques or citations from critiques for about 400 comics from about 400 authors (about 200 artists, 150 script writers, 50 writers whose works were used in comics). With the help of about 100 comics critics from the whole of the Western Balkans, the book has been written and compiled by three co-authors – Živojin Tamburić (who is also initiator and editor of the book), Zdravko Zupan and Zoran Stefanović – who have been devoted to comics all their lives as readers, artists, researchers, promoters and collectors.

The criteria that were used for the selection of comics are aesthetic and professional achievements, popularity, originality, sociological relevance and curiosities. The book is distinguished by many special research materials and a rediscovery of many forgotten authors’ opuses after many decades of obscurity. The book is published in Serbian, but the most important parts are translated into English.

Reception

"In this book, these intrepid, discriminating compilers have realised an exceptional achievement by combing diligently through thousands of pages of comics and comics reviews to distill a captivating alphabet of artists and writers who have shaped and enhanced not only the comics of their homeland but in several cases the comics of the world." — Paul Gravett, writer, curator, international comics historian, director of Comica Festival, London

"Jury's decision was based on the excellence and grandeur of this project, which thoroughly analyzes, systematizes, and popularizes 20th century comic books in former Yugoslavia. The authors of this lexicon of critical essays, which are all top experts in their field, have proven to be fully competent to create such a detailed and ambitious project to serve as a testimony to the history of comic book culture, its quality surpassing all borders as it can boast obvious regional significance." — Belgrade Book Fair Jury for Serbian Edition of the Year Award.^[2]

"When you have in one place a complete overview of the most important authors, magazines and critics of comics, it means you have a guide which you can absolutely trust." Momčilo Rajin, art historian, editor and author

"The Comics We Loved by Živojin Tamburić, Zdravko Zupan and Zoran Stefanović represents a pioneering achievement in the history and critique of the 9th Art in Serbia and Yugoslavia." - Vasa Pavković, writer, editor and critic

"The Comics We Loved is the book that in the 21st century will draw attention to this previously less emphasised cultural factor, which shaped consciousness of contemporaries in the previous century." - Slobodan Ivkov, editor, critic and curator

Awards and recognitions

• “Award for the Best Publishing Achievement of the Year” on the Book Fair in Belgrade, 2011, for The Comics We Loved.
• “Comic Event of the Year” by NIN magazine, Belgrade, 2011, for The Comics We Loved.

References

External links

• The Comics We Loved, "Omnibus", Belgrade, official publisher's page