Uncommon comics

Original article by Philip Heijmans, Prague Post online

Prague will host a plethora of comic artists and exhibitions over the next two weeks as internationally renowned graphic artists including Max Andersson (Sweden), David Rubin (Spain) and Nick Abadzis (UK), gather for the fourth annual KomiksFEST! Held in more than 15 locations throughout the city, the many exhibits, panel discussions, book signings, films and lectures (most of which are in English this year) are designed not only to celebrate and promote an art form, but to demonstrate that, despite the popular sterotype, comics are not just for kids.

"We founded the festival in order to help establish comics as a substantive and respected art form for adults, challenging readers and viewers," says Joachim Dvořák, executive director of KomiksFEST! and editor-in-chief of the Labyrint publishing house. "This year, the basic motto remains the same: 'Comics unlimited!' "

The festival, run largely by a small team of university students and volunteers, will be showcasing art from all corners of Europe, including Sweden, Germany, France, Spain, Romania, Poland and, of course, the Czech Republic.

Despite the international star power, Dvořák feels it is crucial people understand what comics culture means in the Czech lands and how it has evolved here. "From the beginning, we wanted to invite foreign guests in order to make them confront the current domestic scene," he says.

Toward that end, this year's event includes exhibitions on the history of comics in the Czech Republic, including "Comics Behind the Iron Curtain: 1945-89." Containing more than 70 items, the exhibit includes English subtitles and can be seen now through Nov. 22 in New Town Hall at Karlovo náměstí.

In recent years, KomiksFEST! has attracted such comics stars as David B., Lewis Trondheim and the legendary Bryan Talbot, best-known for creating The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel, Heart of Empire. This year, all eyes are on Andersson, the Swedish post-punk author and acclaimed graphic novelist who will be promoting his newest project, Bosnian Flat Dog, a surreal tale of his and co-author Lars Sjunnesson's journey at the height of war into the Balkans, where they encounter the body of former Yugoslav dictator Josip Tito, contend with ice-cream grenades and discover life lessons on milk cartons.

Andersson's best-known work to date is his graphic novel Pixy. He will see it here adapted as a puppet piece by Ježek a Čížek, a local theater group. "I didn't know they'd done it until just recently," Andersson says. "But I'm not mad. How could I be? It's art!" (The performance, with Andersson in attendance, is scheduled for Nov. 6 at the Club Room at Dlouhá 37.)

Abadzis, coming from London, won the prestigious Eisner Award in 2008 for his work Laika and is quite excited about the idea of coming to Prague to be part of KomiksFEST! "It's nice to have a comics festival held in a beautiful city where the people and cultures are open and ready to appreciate comics as art, as communication," he says. "It's an honor to be asked to be a part of it. That means your work transcends cultural barriers and is enjoyed by people wherever they may be."

To Abadzis, at least, this is not surprising. Asked about comics as a medium in the literary world, he says, "In many ways, it's the most flexible communications medium ever invented by humankind." (Abadzis will appear at Roxy NoD Nov. 7 to talk about Laika and sign autographs.)

As comics fans gear up for this year's festival, they know they will be celebrating a unique art form. What they may not know is they will also be paying tribute to a man who, in many ways, has been the voice of the comics community here in Prague. Tomáš Hibi Matějíček, the founder and lead organizer for KomiksFEST! for the past three years, died Oct. 10 after a long battle with cancer.

Matějíček, 31, was seen as an overachiever who, over the years, paved the way for the growth and development of comics throughout the Czech Republic. Matějíček also made a name for himself as a screenwriter and author of two books, including the cult classic Šifra Mistra Hanky.

"It is hard to describe my feelings when he suddenly just disappeared from my life," Dvořák says. "He was someone with whom we worked closely. We loved him almost like a younger brother. Hibi's whole life was engaged in nonprofit organizations. Over the past 10 years, he devoted enormous amounts of energy to promoting comics here, and certainly contributed to their development."

"I met him several times; the whole thing is very sad," Andersson says. "He was a very important part of comics development in Prague and for making them an accepted art form."

But his spirit lives on in the festival, which has grown in size and stature every year. With the language accessibility better than ever, it's a good time to see what the excitement is all about.

KomiksFEST!
When: Oct. 31-Nov. 11
Where: Various venues
Tickets: Most of the events are free
For a complete schedule and more information, check www.komiksfest.cz