Croatia.
Croatia
1925
Croatian comics grew out of satirical papers such as Koprive, where Sergej Golovčenko's Maks i Maksić appeared in 1925, and found their first master in Andrija Maurović, whose Vjerenica mača (1935) is called the first Croatian novel in comics.
After a first golden age of Zagreb magazines and a second built around Plavi vjesnik (1954 to 1973), the Novi kvadrat group brought European art comics into the student press in the late 1970s. Since the 1990s artists such as Igor Kordej, Edvin Biuković, Esad Ribić and Goran Parlov have worked for American and French publishers, while alternative groups like Divlje oko and Komikaze keep a non-commercial scene alive at home.
52
32
1925
1990s
Artists from Croatia in the archive.
Comics from Croatia in the archive.
Maks i Maksić, the earliest comic from Croatia in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Croatia began.
strip
Croatia in 5 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Croatia.
5 chapters
Chapter 1
1906
to 1934
Satirical papers and the first strip
1906
to 1934
Chapter 01
Satirical papers and the first strip
Comics began with cartoons in satirical papers, above all Koprive from 1906. There the Russian immigrant Sergej Golovčenko drew Maks i Maksić from 1925, the first Croatian comic, modelled on Wilhelm Busch.
1935
to 1945
Chapter 02
The first golden age
Andrija Maurović's Vjerenica mača, scripted by Krešimir Kovačić, ran in the Zagreb daily Novosti in 1935. The weekly Oko (from 1936) and Mickey strip (from 1938) made Zagreb a comics centre, with Walter and Norbert Neugebauer, Ferdo Bis and others, and the Neugebauers' Patuljak Nosko ran in Zabavnik from 1943 to 1945.
1950
to 1975
Chapter 03
Plavi vjesnik
After a brief postwar campaign against comics, Ico Voljevica's Grga started in Kerempuh in 1950 and the weekly Plavi vjesnik (1954 to 1973) became the home of a second golden age. Writers Zvonimir Furtinger and Rudi Aljinović worked with artists such as Julio Radilović, Žarko Beker, Vladimir Delač and Oto Reisinger.
1976
to 1990
Chapter 04
Novi kvadrat
In the late 1970s the Novi kvadrat group formed around the student paper Polet: Mirko Ilić, Ninoslav Kunc, Radovan Devlić, Krešimir Zimonić, Igor Kordej, Joško Marušić and others, inspired by Moebius, Hugo Pratt and Métal hurlant. Dubravko Mataković began his underground comics in 1984.
1991
to today
Chapter 05
International careers and the alternative scene
From the 1990s Kordej, Edvin Biuković, Goran Sudžuka, Goran Parlov, Esad Ribić and Danijel Žeželj built careers in the United States and France. At home the theory magazine Kvadrat appeared from 1992, and groups such as Divlje oko and Komikaze nurtured alternative authors.
The comics to know
- Maks i Maksić1925 · comic stripSergej Golovčenko. First Croatian comic, published in Koprive until 1934.
- Vjerenica mača1935 · comic stripAndrija Maurović and Krešimir Kovačić. First Croatian novel in comics, serialised in Novosti.
- Patuljak Nosko1943 · comic stripWalter and Norbert Neugebauer. Disney-style comic in Zabavnik, 1943 to 1945.
- Grga1950 · comic stripIco Voljevica. Daily cartoon character who ran until 2000, with 12,830 strips in Večernji list alone.
- Plavi vjesnik1954 · comics magazineVjesnik. Weekly that carried the second golden age of Croatian comics until 1973.
- Herlock Sholmescomic book seriesZvonimir Furtinger and Julio Radilović. Detective parody that ran until 1972.
- Partizani1977 · comic book seriesJulio Radilović and Đorđe Lebović. World War II series in the Dutch magazine Eppo until 1988.
- Zlatkacomic stripKrešimir Zimonić. Character from Modra lasta counted among the classic figures of Croatian comics.
The people to know
- Andrija MaurovićАндрија Мауровић1901 to 1981Called the father of Croatian comics; Vjerenica mača (1935).
- Walter Neugebauer1921 to 1992Leading artist of the 1930s and 1940s; Patuljak Nosko.
- Zvonimir Furtinger1912 to 1986Main writer of the Plavi vjesnik era.
- Julio Radilović1928 to 2022Called the most important artist of the Plavi vjesnik period; Herlock Sholmes and Partizani.
- Žarko Beker1936 to 2012Plavi vjesnik artist of Zaviša and Demonja.
- Mirko IlićBorn 1956Gathered the Novi kvadrat artists as comics editor of Polet.
- Igor KordejBorn 1957Novi kvadrat member who went on to American comics such as New X-Men and Soldier X.
- Darko MacanBorn 1966Writer and artist of Borovnica and writer of Grendel Tales: Devils and Deaths.
More artists from Croatia
All 52 artists- Goran SudžukaBorn 1969 · comics artist
- Goran ParlovBorn 1967 · comics artist
- Zoran VanjakaBorn 1948 · comics artist
- Esad RibićBorn 1972 · comics artist
- Danijel ŽeželjBorn 1966 · comics artist
- Helena KlakocarBorn 1958 · comics artist
- Edvin Biuković1969 to 1999 · comics artist
- Stjepan ŠejićBorn 1981 · comics artist
- Dalibor TalajićBorn 1972 · comics artist
- Borivoj Dovniković1930 to 2022 · cartoonist
- Milan TrencBorn 1962 · comics artist
- Ivica Bednjanec1934 to 2011 · comics artist
More comics from Croatia
All 32 comics- Sunstone2011 · webcomic
- Ivor1980 to 1988 · comic book series
- Grička vješticaGrička vještica (strip)1960 · comic book
- Death Vigil2014 · limited series
- Empire2006 · comic book series
- L'Histoire secrète2005 · comic book series
- Restless Sea 11999 · album
- Kvadrat1992 · comics magazine
- Svemirkocomic strip
- Štefekove pustolovine1964 to 1966 · comic strip
- Stari Mačakcomic book series
- Barun Trenkcomic strip