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scribed scenes of deviant sexuality and hypocrisy of the Slovenian Catholic church. His drawing was inspired by 4000, the dystopic novel by Slovene writer Ivan Tavčar. “They are committed comics writers, though politically incorrect,” Albahari notes.
From Sex to War
For Stripburger’s special topical editions, editors invite authors to draw a comic strip on a specific issue. One was a collection of comics by Slavic authors from fifteen Eastern European countries called Stripbure. It provoked much interest among Western “connoisseurs” of alternative comics, who through the collection became acquainted with “a premonition of the wounded future.” Topics are more commonly drawn from everyday life. Sex (XXX Burger) and madness (Madburger) are still popular. When the USA attacked Iraq in 2003, Warburger came out. The team achieved great international acclaim through provocative cartoons on handicap (Handy Burger). The latest issue is devoted to recipes for food, good luck and a better life. Sometimes they give over special issues to the comic art of certain countries. Speaking on the most recent topics and styles prevalent in alternative comics, Albahari says: “A certain form produces certain content. The way you describe something, indicates the understanding of the content.” Not all of Stripburger’s authors deal with social issues. Jyrki Heikkinen, for example, interweaves poetry with comics to create lyrical work. Others like Peter Cooper take a classic approach. All the contributors are drawers, illustrators, plastic designers or film animators. Each of them contributes to the high quality of the magazine. If asked to highlight a few promising Slovenes, it would have to be Gašer Rus, David Krančan or Martin Ramoveš. In his latest contribution Rus shows that we can be subversive if we proceed from personal experience. He illustrates the deterioration of traditional paternal authority.
Stripburger may be subversive but it has received mainstream attention. In 2001 it won the Alpha Art award at the international comics festival in Angoulême, one of the most important in Europe. The Slovenia Times
The future
Stripburger may be subversive but it has received mainstream attention. In 2001 it won the Alpha Art award at the international comics festival in Angoulême, one of the most important in Europe. Fancy a burger? The magazine can be purchased in bookshops in Slovenia and elsewhere in the world and previous issues will soon be published in electronic form.
Tomaž Lavirč
The Godfather of Contemporary Slovenian Comics The title of Slovenia’s most productive and recognisable contemporary comic artist undoubtedly belongs to Tomaž Lavrič. His reflection of modern society, marked by political transition and Balkan war, is internationally acclaimed. By Andraž Bajc
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avrič belongs to the generation of Yugoslavian youths who grew up comics. Little wonder that his stories are closely connected to the former homeland – a homeland which in his youth boasted powerful production of domestic comics as well as a solid supply of foreign translations. His creations have always been linked to liberal weekly Mladina, which more or less has Lavrič as its trademark. In it he has appeared under many pseudonyms and expressed himself through a variety of drawing styles. His most unique creation is a story called Diareja (Diarrhoea). Even though it walks the thin line between comic strip and caricature it is definitely one of the peaks of the Slovene comic
scene. In its nearly 24 years of existence it has mocked two political systems, numerous characters, and political situations – and continues to do so to this day. The main character – a bignosed figure drawn with just a few lines – randomly changes to an officer, a punk, a bureaucrat, or a representative of a certain nation with just one attribute, and makes a simple but
The Diarrhoea
Kostja Gatnik
A Different Kind of Comic Heroism Over 40 years after its publication, Magna Purga – the work of illustrator and photographer Kostja Gatnik – remains a classic of Slovene comic books.
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lovenia might not be a superpower in comic production, but its small population has nevertheless included a few remarkable artists. Kostja Gatnik is one of them. Magna Purga, a comic book featuring his works, is a classic. Even though it was made in different times, its messages remain up to date and when found on a bookshelf it quickly attracts the attention of youngsters. If Miki Muster is the Slovenian Disney, then Gatnik is perhaps
Slovenia’s Robert Crumb. His style is tough to define, however. Call it “third generation of comic artists”, alternative, or underground. Its most distinctive element is variation in artistic expression with elements of popart, and a solid dose of appealing, smart (black) humour. His heroes are either everymen in the most trivial situations, or parodied folk heroes and super heroes (James Bond becomes Janez Blond). In addition to the cult Magna Purga, Gatnik has created a wide