I was trawling the internet looking for anything on comics from Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine or Russia when I saw this one and thought "That looks interesting" then found out it was one I wrote in May, 2016!
ahem. Can't even remember this. However, worth posting again!
It had been my intention to spend a few days looking into Bulgarian comics. Sadly, my computer seems to be going a little, shall we say, "eccentric" on me.
However, those wonderful people at Lambiek have covered the subject https://www.lambiek.net/comics/bulgarian.htm which I hope they don't mind me using? Lambiek is what I have always considered the source for information on comic creators (I blush to say, myself included) so this item was an amazing find.
THANK YOU LAMBIEK!
History of Bulgarian Comics
Now that Bulgarian contemporary art is well on its way to being
integrated into world culture, Bulgarian comics should be granted their
rightful place among Bulgarian art, culture and library collections.
Regretfully, due to a variety of reasons, comics have been cursed as an
artform in Bulgaria for many years now. After a period of very fruitful
development during the 1980s, Bulgarian comics plunged deep into the
underground and virtually disappeared from kiosks and bookshops. Right
now, if you look for an definition of "comics" in any Bulgarian
dictionary (or any Bulgarian equivalent of the word), you won't be able
to find one, not even in specialized references.
Only the "Dictionary of Foreign Words in Bulgarian Language" gives a vague explanation of what comic art is, but the definition is so ignorant and ridiculous that it's not worth quoting. Nevertheless, the history of comics in Bulgaria is very interesting.
Only the "Dictionary of Foreign Words in Bulgarian Language" gives a vague explanation of what comic art is, but the definition is so ignorant and ridiculous that it's not worth quoting. Nevertheless, the history of comics in Bulgaria is very interesting.
The history of Bulgarian comics can be divided in the following periods:
-classic (pre-World War II)
-classic (1940s onwards)
-revival (1980s)
-post-industrial
-classic (pre-World War II)
-classic (1940s onwards)
-revival (1980s)
-post-industrial
The very first samples of Bulgarian comic art appeared in papers like
Slaveiche. It were sequentially illustrated text poems, illustrated by
caricaturists like Slavov and Aleksandar Dobrinov.
Prior to World War II the Bulgarian scene had several monthly magazines
for kids and also a specialized newspaper, Vessela Drujina, which
occasionally featured comics.
On 6th of June 1940 the first issue of Chuden Sviat ("Wonderland") was
published in Sofia, an all-comics color newspaper edited by Nikola
Kotov, who was greatly influenced by Walt Disney comics. The
contributors were some of the best Bulgarian writers of children's
literature at that time: Orlin Vasilev, St. C. Daskalov, Angel
Karaliichev, Georgi Raichev and others. Artists were Nikola Kotov,
Iurdan Stubel and Dochko Atanasov.
The main influences that were visible in the Bulgarian comics from that
period came from the West, especially from heroes very popular at the
time like Tarzan, Gangsters and Pirates. Another serious influence was
the Italian newspaper Topolino.
The most successful comics were the ones featuring scenes and fairy
tales from Bulgarian folklore, or well-known classic novels and stories
like 'Treasure Island' by Robert Louis Stevenson, which was adapted for
comics by L. Zidarov.
Many
comic magazines appeared in Bulgaria during the first half of the
1940s. Iliustrovano Chetivo ("Illustrated Book") appeared every
Wednesday.
Contributors were Zmei Gorianin, Atanas Dushkov, Ivan
Dafinkov, V. Kovalevski, and L. Zidarov.
Kartinen Sviat ("Pictoral World") appeared on Wednesdays and was the
first magazine to publish Bulgarian material, among others by Zvezdelin
Conev, G. Georgiev and V. Milev.
Vesela Drujina ("Cheerful Band"), featuring Martin Branner's 'Perry Winkle'
Sedmichna zabava ("Weekly Amusement") appeared on Tuesdays, edited by
D. Mutafchiev. Other magazines that published comics during this period
were Papagal and Pataran.
All of these magazines were cancelled in 1944. They were followed by Duga, Diaskop and the new edition of Chuden Sviat.
Romani v Kartini was a series of about 16 comic books published by the
printing house Doverie in Sofia. There are different stories by
different artists.
Based on a series of articles by Georgi Chepilev in the 1980s, Bulgarian comics can be divided in the following genres:
1) historical - patriotic
2) textbook
3) adventure (that later evolved into 'fiction'')
4) adventurous
5) curious
6) satiric (menipov)
7) sentimental - touching
8) instructive for kids
(Overview courtesy of Vladimir Nedialkov, with additions by Stiliana Thepileva)
Another interesting look at Bulgarian comics by Hervé St-Louis can be found at the Comic Book Bin along with a cover gallery -http://www.comicbookbin.com/Bulgarian_Comics001.html
Daga I am a little familiar with -I don't have copies but there were cover scans and some discussion of the comic on the Yahoo Eurocomics group a few years back.
Comics as an influence? Well, I'll draw your attention to this photograph which most comickers have probably seen by now. Quite interesting!
The full story about the above can be found on CBR: http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/06/graffiti-artist-turns-bulgarian-war-memorial-into-superhero-monument/
And I believe I have already posted on Bulgaria's Comic Museum the details of which are mentioned, briefly, here:
Comics Museum To Open In Bulgaria's Ruse
Photo: BGNES
Comics Museum To Open In Bulgaria's Ruse
Comics Museum To Open In Bulgaria's Ruse
The first Bulgarian comics museum will open in the city of Ruse in April.
It will include the private collection of Stoian Stoianov who started collecting comic books in the 1980's.
For the 30 years since then he had found a copy of the first Bulgarian comic book - “Children's Newspaper” from 1925 and the first color comic books from the “golden age of the Bulgarian comics” - the 1930s and early 1940s.
Some of the comics have plots based on the Bulgarian medieval history and Bulgarian literary and folklore characters.
It will include the private collection of Stoian Stoianov who started collecting comic books in the 1980's.
For the 30 years since then he had found a copy of the first Bulgarian comic book - “Children's Newspaper” from 1925 and the first color comic books from the “golden age of the Bulgarian comics” - the 1930s and early 1940s.
Some of the comics have plots based on the Bulgarian medieval history and Bulgarian literary and folklore characters.
Now I have seen this book but not found it for sell on Amazon yet A Short History Of Bulgarian Comics
by Anton Staykov:
And to be honest that is all I could find on the internet. If any of our Bulgarian comic friends have links to companies, etc., currently publishing comics it would be most welcome!
Photo: BGNES
The first Bulgarian comics museum will open in the city of Ruse in April.
It will include the private collection of Stoian Stoianov who started collecting comic books in the 1980's.
For the 30 years since then he had found a copy of the first Bulgarian comic book - “Children's Newspaper” from 1925 and the first color comic books from the “golden age of the Bulgarian comics” - the 1930s and early 1940s.
Some of the comics have plots based on the Bulgarian medieval history and Bulgarian literary and folklore characters.
- See more at: http://www.novinite.com/articles/158997/Comics+Museum+To+Open+In+Bulgaria%27s+Ruse#sthash.YOLXn9js.dpufIt will include the private collection of Stoian Stoianov who started collecting comic books in the 1980's.
For the 30 years since then he had found a copy of the first Bulgarian comic book - “Children's Newspaper” from 1925 and the first color comic books from the “golden age of the Bulgarian comics” - the 1930s and early 1940s.
Some of the comics have plots based on the Bulgarian medieval history and Bulgarian literary and folklore characters.
Comics Museum To Open In Bulgaria's Ruse
- 2
- Google +0
- 20
Send to Kindle
Photo: BGNES
The first Bulgarian comics museum will open in the city of Ruse in April.
It will include the private collection of Stoian Stoianov who started collecting comic books in the 1980's.
For the 30 years since then he had found a copy of the first Bulgarian comic book - “Children's Newspaper” from 1925 and the first color comic books from the “golden age of the Bulgarian comics” - the 1930s and early 1940s.
Some of the comics have plots based on the Bulgarian medieval history and Bulgarian literary and folklore characters.
- See more at: http://www.novinite.com/articles/158997/Comics+Museum+To+Open+In+Bulgaria%27s+Ruse#sthash.YOLXn9js.dpufIt will include the private collection of Stoian Stoianov who started collecting comic books in the 1980's.
For the 30 years since then he had found a copy of the first Bulgarian comic book - “Children's Newspaper” from 1925 and the first color comic books from the “golden age of the Bulgarian comics” - the 1930s and early 1940s.
Some of the comics have plots based on the Bulgarian medieval history and Bulgarian literary and folklore characters.
Comics Museum To Open In Bulgaria's Ruse
- 2
- Google +0
- 20
- Send to Kindle
Photo: BGNES
The first Bulgarian comics museum will open in the city of Ruse in April.
It will include the private collection of Stoian Stoianov who started collecting comic books in the 1980's.
For the 30 years since then he had found a copy of the first Bulgarian comic book - “Children's Newspaper” from 1925 and the first color comic books from the “golden age of the Bulgarian comics” - the 1930s and early 1940s.
Some of the comics have plots based on the Bulgarian medieval history and Bulgarian literary and folklore characters.
- See more at: http://www.novinite.com/articles/158997/Comics+Museum+To+Open+In+Bulgaria%27s+Ruse#sthash.YOLXn9js.dpufIt will include the private collection of Stoian Stoianov who started collecting comic books in the 1980's.
For the 30 years since then he had found a copy of the first Bulgarian comic book - “Children's Newspaper” from 1925 and the first color comic books from the “golden age of the Bulgarian comics” - the 1930s and early 1940s.
Some of the comics have plots based on the Bulgarian medieval history and Bulgarian literary and folklore characters.
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