LAUGH OUT LOUD! Call for Submissions - for female comic artists

City of Women in collaboration with Stripburger comics magazine

Let’s laugh out loud - when we try to convince ourselves that this is the best of all possible worlds! Let’s laugh at the reality which is permeated by apparent sense, because laughter reveals nonsense, it disrupts and opens up possibilities for change. It might be ludicrous, dreadful, quiet, cynical, self-ironic, provocative, shallow, roaring, hidden, malicious, frank or uncomfortable; when we hear it, it rocks the ground under our feet.

The premise and programme of the 13^th City of Women International Festival of Contemporary Arts is based on the subject of 'humour'. It is not our intention to merely 'map' humour by type (socially-engaged, black, national, self-ironic, fantasy, gender-specific, etc.), but to relate it to its actual social and political functions. Both, humour and art, permit the ‘impermissible’ to be portrayed and stated. Both represent the indispensable communication code for subjects which are potentially controversial or ticklish, while at the same time - by way of the humorous and light-hearted - the apparently inevitable status quo is maintained.

Let’s laugh even if something is not funny, and others don't laugh. We should ask, seek and find humour and art - although it may seem that all that's left are masters and servants, secretaries and directors, ours and theirs, loyalty point collectors, sharp air refreshers, wars for peace and virtual money. If they give meaning to our laughter, we should carry on laughing. Let’s laugh at the meaning of our own laughter.

The focus of 46^th edition of comics magazine Stripburger, made in collaboration with City of Women, is going to be women authors’ comics who deal with socially engaged and other relevant issues through the prism of humour.

All those interested in participation please send your work (max. five black-and-white A4 pages – if you want to send comics in colour, please contact us first) by August 10^th 2007 via the following e-mail address:

burgerATmail.ljudmila.org


Stripburger: www.stripburger.org

13. International Festival of Contemporary Arts - City of Women - Ljubljana, Slovenia
3^rd - 13^th October 2007: www.cityofwomen.org

Eric Braün's site UPDATED!!!

Hey everybody,

I'd like to introduce one of my favourite comic artists, Eric Braün. The naughty Canadian creates the most wonderful wordless comics that feature a good portion of black humor and other revolting stuff. For a good dose of weird, check his website. But he doesn't stop at comics, oh no, he's also a prolific sculpturer, animator, musician and whatnot. (Braun's Lambiek entry). A highly recomended read!

Ljudi, nove Komikaze! (#15) / New Komikaze fanzine, people! (#15)

The innovative Croatian underground comic team Komikaze are out for the 15th time! Enjoy their spartan, but effective website. Be sure to also visit the drawing page and jam page.

and now, a little issue-accompanying song (sorry, Croatian only):

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protiv NATO baza, uz pomoc

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-----k 0 m i k A z A !----

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idemo svi!

krv ne kola

mozga pola

ako nemam

nasred stola

komikaze

komikaze

jebo razne

vojne baze

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vani su nove

_ k 0 m i k A z E ! _

broj #15

http://www.jedinstvo.hr/komikaze

preko velike rezolucije do

svjetske revolucije!

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Putovanje u Mu - Hugo Pratt, dokumentarna emisija

Za vse navdušence nad Cortom Maltesejem in Hugom Prattom... v nedeljo ne prezrite zanimivega dokumentarca Putovanje u Mu (Potovanje v Mu) na HTV2 11.03.2007 ob 16:50

"Putovanje u Mu" govori o životu i radu Huga Pratta, pisca i autora stripova, koji je svojim djelom nadrastao uvriježene predrasude o stripu kao manje vrijednoj umjetničkoj vrsti. Jedan od najvećih majstora stripa 20. stoljeća, u svijetu je najpoznatiji po serijalu o romantičnom junaku Cortu Malteseu - mornaru i pustolovu, čiji je karizmatični lik stekao brojne poklonike širom svijeta. Isprepletanje mašte i stvarnosti, mitovi, legende i bajke, težnja da se imaginacija i fantazija suprotstave racionalnom svijetu jednoznačne stvarnosti odlike su Prattovih stripova. Za neobične priče koje je stvarao, nadahnula su ga i mnogobrojna putovanja na koja je tijekom života odlazio, iznimni ljudi s kojima se družio i pustolovna literatura koju je obožavao."

(Več na strani HRT)

Milorad Krstic in Budapest: Das Anatomische Theater in Budapest

The extraordinary exhibition by Milorad Krstic, the winner of 1995 the Silver Bear Award at the International Berlin Film Festival (for his animated film My Baby Left Me) entitled Das Anatomische Theater (An illustrated guide through the art of the 20th century; also described as "20th century placed on a dissection table"), is being shown at the Korzogyar gallery in Budapest.

The exhibition was already shown in Ljubljana, at the ŠKUC gallery in November 2006.

The opening took place yesterday, March 2nd, and it will be available till March 31th.

It's definitely worth the visit!

The Comics Reporter on Honey Talks

A little late, but nevertheless: the noted comic news and review blog The Comic Reporter, run by the former Comic Journal editor Tom Spurgeon, has noticed our recent special, the Honey Talks: comics inspired by painted beehive panels:

(...) Honey Talks, an anthology from the Slovenian publisher StripBurger, is the most interesting anthology I've seen in quite some time. This is a box of nine comics booklets (plus an introductory essay) featuring some of the world's most interesting cartoonists, all offering their take on 19th century Slovenian folk art. It's pretty high concept, and it's really wonderful.

We were tickled pink. Read the whole article here.

VOJNA V STRIPU

VOJNA V STRIPU
Pogovor o knjigi Varovano območje Goražde

Ponedeljek, 5. marca 2007 ob 19. uri v Kavarni SEM(Slovenskega etnografskega muzeja), Metelkova 2 , Ljubljana.

Teme: vojna v BIH, vloga vojnih poročevalcev, strip kot historični dokument.

Gostje:
Edin Ćulov (BIH),
Aleksandar Zograf (Srbija),
Ervin Hladnik Milharčič (Slovenija).

Voditeljica: Ksenija Horvat


Grafična novela Varovano območje Goražde, katere avtor je priznani risar in novinar Joe Sacco, je pretresljiv dokument o vojni v nekdanji Jugoslaviji. Avtor je v letih 1995 in 1996 preživel nekaj mesecev v obkoljenem bosanskem mestu Goražde in se spoprijateljil z domačini, ki so skušali ohraniti kanček dostojanstva v peklu podžganih strasti. In nekako priti ven celi. Po povratku v ZDA je ustvaril knjigo, ki nas z enim sunkom prestavi v resničnost balkanske morije. Morije, ki je bila tako zelo blizu in hkrati tako grozljivo daleč. Varovano obmocje Goražde poznavalci postavljajo ob bok Mausu Arta Spiegelmana. Knjiga je konec leta 2006 izšla pri Založbi ZRC v prevodu Igorja Prassla in Nila Baskarja. Gre za prvi prevod tega dela na področju nekdanje Jugoslavije. Morebiti bo sledil prevod v bosanski jezik.

Joe Sacco je po izobrazbi novinar in po srcu umetnik. Izumil je povsem nov žanr, stripovski žurnalizem. Svojo poročevalsko pot je začel s stripi, ki prikazujejo Berlin in glasbeno sceno, nakar je prešel na manj lahkotne teme. Po obisku bližnjega vzhoda, je nastala večkrat nagrajena grafična novela Palestina. Leta 2000 je sledilo Varovano območje Goražde. Trenutno pripravlja Zapiske iz Gaze ter delo o čečenskih talcih v Ingusetiji. Več na www.fantagraphics.com/artist/sacco/sacco.html .

Edin Ćulov je v stripu narisan skoraj na vsaki strani. Bil je Saccov prevajalec in gostitelj ter postal in ostal dober prijatelj. Lahko bi rekli, da bi bil strip brez Edina gotovo drugačen. Sicer je pocel že mnogo stvari: zelo veliko prevajal, vodil internet kavarno, ucil v šoli, delal za razne mednarodne organizacije, itd.

Aleksandar Zograf je v resnici Saša Rakezić, stripar iz Pančeva. Stripe je začel objavljati v zgodnjih devetdesetih, sprva v ZDA, nato v Italiji, Veliki Britaniji, Franciji, Španiji.. Od vsega začetka sodeluje z Stripburgerjem, trenutno objavlja v beograjskem casopisu Vreme. Zadnjo zbirko stripov Regards from Serbia je izdala priznana ameriska zalozba Top Shelf. Več na www.aleksandarzograf.com.

Ervin Hladnik Milharčič je novinar, urednik, vojni reporter, eden najboljših poznavalcev razmer na Balkanu. Svoje tekste je objavljal v Tribuni, na Radiu Študent, v Mladini, Delu, urejal je Sobotno prilogo. Sedaj objavlja v Dnevniku.

Ksenija Horvat se je kalila na Radiu Študent, Valu 202, Studiu City, londonskem BBC-ju, vodila je Odmeve na TV Slovenija in začenja voditi novo zunanjepolitično oddajo TVS. Vodila je Novinarske večere, ki so potekali v Galeriji ŠKUC pod okriljem Mirovnega inštituta.


Toplo vabljeni, da se nam pridruzite v Kavarni SEM na dogodku, ki ga pripravlja Knjigarna Azil (ZRC SAZU) v sodelovanju z Mirovnim inštitutom in z nostalgijo po Novinarskih večerih. Pogovor, ki bo v slovenskem, bosanskem in srbskem jeziku, bomo
zaključili z bosansko glasbo. Knjigo bo na predstavitvi v Kavarni SEM seveda mogoče kupiti ceneje.

(via ZRC SAZU)

PROMOCIJA 2. MAFESTA v LJUBLJANI!

Spoštovani ljubitelji stripa v Sloveniji!

Dne 22.02.2007 ob 19.00, vas vabimo v Stiparnico Buch na predstavitev in druženje z organizatorji 2. makarskega festivala stripa (MAFEST) na čelu z glavnim direktorjem festivala Darijem Antunovićem.
Od 18.05.2007 do 20.05.2007 v Makarsko (Hrvaška) namreč prihajata Alfredo Castelli in Lucio Filipucci. Prvi je tvorec enega najbolj popularnih likov hiše Bonelli, Martina Mysterea, za katerega je napisal veliko nepozabnih dogodivščin, znanih tudi slovenskim ljubiteljem stripa. Poleg tega pa je sodeloval pri junakih kot so Zagor, Mister NO in Dylan Dog. Kot prvi je v Bonellijevo produkcijo uvedel posebne izdaje, kot so posebne številke, almanahi, giganti itn. Primer, kateremu so po Martinu Mystereu sledili še drugi junaki hiše Bonelli. Lucio Filipucci pa je eden od najbolj uspešnih in cenjenih risarjev omenjenega junaka ter legitimni naslednik velikega Giancarla Allesandrinija, ki je skupaj s Castellijem v začetku 80-ih let prejšnjega stoletja ustvaril Martina Mystera. Skupaj s Castellijem sodelujeta na seriji albumov v barvah pod naslovom Docteur Mystere.

Lahko si boste ogledali Filipuccijeve ilustracije in originalne table iz stripa Martin Mystere, kupili veliko stripovskih novosti, ki so napovedane prav za MAFEST 2007, sodelovali v šoli stripa, humanitarni dražbi in v druženju z ostalimi ljubitelji stripa iz vseh koncev Evrope. Poleg gostov iz Italije, se boste v Makarski lahko srečali tudi s svetovno znanimi hrvaškimi scenaristi in risarji. Tako bodo v vaši družbi, pripravljeni na pogovor in podpisovanje: Esad Ribič (Loki, X-men, Silver Surfer), Goran Parlov (Magico Vento, Ken Parker, Nik Rider, Tex, Punisher, Terminator) Goran Sudzuka (Y the last man, Arcanes, Outlaw nation), Robert Bob Solanović (Mister Mačak, Kljunovi), Darko Macan (Dick Long, Star wars, Grendel, Mister Mačak). Tudi Slovenija bo imela svoje predstavnike v tej izbrani družbi, potrjen je prihod Janija Prgiča in Mladena Melanška, avtorjev izjemno popularnega stripa Senior/Junior, ki se je na Hrvaškem razprodal po samo treh mesecih prodaje. Velika verjetnost je, da bodo na Mafestu 2007 prisotni tudi ostali slovenski strip-avtorji kot so: Tomaž Lavrič, Zoran Smiljanić, Iztok Sitar itd.
Poskrbljeno bo tudi za bogat večerni program, z najboljšimi DJ-i v Makarski na after-hour zabavah. Vsak obiskovalec Mafesta pa bo imel popust v številnih lokalih in še mnogo drugih ugodnosti. Tudi športni navdušenci bodo prišli na svoje. Kot posebna atrakcija bo v soboto, 19.5. na Mafestu nastopila ena najbolj znanih rock skupin na področju ex-YU, Zabranjeno Pušenje.
(via MaFest)

Honey Talks in Albi, France (Retine Festival), December 2007

A few photos from last year's Retine comic festival, held by the Requins Marteaux in Albi, France in December. Matej Lavrenčič and Ivan Mitrevski have organised a bootyful lounge room in which Lavrenčič's animations were shown.

Magnus Larsson v galeriji Gregor Podnar // Magnus Larsson in the Gregor Podnar Gallery

Galerija Gregor Podnar gosti švedskega slikarja Magnusa Larssona (1972), dobitnika Beckerjeve štipendije leta 2003. Larsson impresionira s preprostimi portreti, karikiranimi proporci in okusnimi oljnimi slikami (platno, papir) nasploh. Res, ako portreti ne bi bili distortirani do meje karikature, bi človek z lahkoto prisegel, da gre za fotografijo. Slike terjajo ponovno inšpekcijo, saj se Larsson rad poigra in deformira stvari, ki so na prvi pogled videti normalne, kot npr. izbris nosu in ust, ali pa povečava oči. Če kdo nima kam s 15.000€, naj zavije na Kolodvorsko 6 in se založi s katero izmed njegovih razstavljenih del. Razstava, ki je doživela svojo otvoritev v petek, 19. 1. 2007 v Ljubljani, je Larssonova prva večja predstavitev zunaj Švedskih meja.

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The Gregor Podnar Gallery is hosting the Swedish painter Magnus Larsson (1972), who was awarded Becker’s artist scholarship in 2003. Larsson impresses with his simple portraits, distorted proportions and tasty oils in general. Indeed, had the portraits not been distorted to the limits of charicature, one could easily mistake them for photographies. The paintings demand a second look, for Larsson wrings and contorts things that seem normal at first glance, like deleting a mouth and a nose, or perhaps increasing the eyes. If you got €15.000 to spend, why not go to Kolodvorska street in Ljubljana and stock up with an exhibited painting (or two). The exhibition, opened on Friday 19th, 2007, is Larsson's first international appearance.

Nekaj fotk z otvoritve // Some photos from the exib:

Harmonike s Portugalske (Le Sketch #3)!

Paulo Patricio, portugalski stripar in ilustrator, izdaja miniaturne knjižice oz. "harmonike" s skicami kolegov z vsega sveta; po Mattu Maddenu in Jorgeju Aldereteju je na vrsto prišel tudi bralcem Stripburgerja znani Nick Bertozzi. Cena: en email!
Več informacij: http://www.paulopatricio.com/?cat=24

Honey Talks in Udine // Sekira v medu v Udinah

Otvoritev v Vidmu je, kot je iz prilozenega razvidno, uspela. Nekateri ljudje so nekaj govorili (od naših Katra in Koco), pa je bilo kar znosno, saj ni bilo predolgo. Kaj pa gastronomija? Čebelar iz Martignacca je v gustiranje ponudil dve varianti kombiniranja sirov in medov, na šanku pa so točili tokaj (ta pravi, ne madzarski) in, se mi zdi, cabernet sauvignon. Balkon je zelo prijeten, nekoliko spominja na tistega v prvem nadstropju KUDa. Več pa naj povedo slike.

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The opening in Udine was, as you can see, a success. There were some people talking (Koco and Katra from our team), but it was still bearable, speeches weren't too long. And gastronomy? A bee-keeper from Martignacco presented two combinations with cheese and honey and the wine bar was serving Tocai (the real one, not the Hungarian one) and Cabernet Sauvignon (I think). The balcony was very nice, it reminded me of the one KUD France Prešeren in Ljubljana has on the first floor. But let the pictures do the talking.

Happy New Year 2007

Animateka 06 is on!

Animateka animation festival kicked off on friday! Today's feature is Human Rights Animated Programme, 57' Free Entry! Click here for the festival timetable.

Trailer by Lars Fiske (this year's artist in residence)!

EDIT: The trailer was created by Matej Lavrenčič, using Fiske's artwork.

Razstava slovenskega stripa in animacije v Celju / SLOVENE COMICS AND ANIMATED FILM 1996-2006, Celje

Razstava slovenskega stripa in animacije ('96-'06) v Celju (Galerija sodobne umetnosti) je bila odprta precej uspešno (=nihče se ni zravsal). Sama razstava je postavljena zelo kompetentno, nabjrž pa bo marsikdo potarnal, da manjka prenekateri stipovski avtor naše dežele. Naslednjič pa pričakujemo od prigrizka več (sicer so arašidi čisto v redu prigrizek ... če si slon.)
Pohvala leti tudi na galerijo Račka, kjer je bil razstavljen slovenski erotični strip.

Hm..na animacijo smo vsled izčrpanosti popolnoma pozabili...

Zdaj pa naj govorijo fotke.

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The retrospective of the last decade of slovenian comics and animation in the Gallery of contemporary arts in Celje. The exibition and the opening were nicely executed, though some may argue that some artists were left out. The snacks were ok..if u like peanuts a lot! Wait, there were fruits too, which was actually quite refreshing. Wine too.
Due to exhaustion, we completely forgot to check the animations out...
We'll let the images do the talking.

Minutes before the opening




Storyboard for Horjak's comic, published in the exhibition's catalogue


Artwork by Tomaž Lavrič

Mr Buh , Mr Klemenčič


Mr Smiljanić