Storyline
From the ruins of war to the pages of Marvel and DC, Croatian artists have built stories as powerful as the ones they illustrate. They have now built a reputation within the popular world of comic books.
Few fans are aware that some of these iconic characters originate from a small Balkan nation with a limited comic book market of its own.
For years, Croatian illustrators have quietly made their mark at top publishers like Marvel and DC Comics, crafting the visual worlds of heroes known and loved by millions.
It’s an unlikely success story born not in flashy studios, but amid the upheaval of war and economic uncertainty. Before the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, comics were a staple of youth culture in the region. From that era emerged a generation of Croatian artists who would later earn international acclaim in an industry far from home.
“We’ve always had great talent. But as the market declined significantly in our country, these talented individuals—thanks to their skill and excellence—were forced to seek opportunities abroad. … There’s no secret to their success, these are simply top-notch cartoonists,” explains Marko Šunjić, founder of Fibra, a Croatian comic book publisher.
Dalibor Talajić, a former clarinet teacher, traded music for illustration and never looked back. Today, his résumé includes titles such as Deadpool, X-Men, Avengers, and The Hulk.
“Ever since I was a kid, I was dreaming about superhero comics, about doing superhero comics. Marvel, DC, that was eventual goal. Unless you’re a genius, which I’m not, you start small. So, I was firstly published in a couple of small publishers, but I was persistent… And it took me, let’s say, 15 years to break the ice, to appear in the foreign market, in the American market. But after that, only two years, it took to get to Marvel,” says Talajić.
Being a comic book artist, he says, is a dream come true—a rewarding but extremely demanding job. Behind every issue are weeks or even months of work, sleepless nights, and a constant run with deadlines.
This article and video were provided by The Associated Press.
Script
[Visitors browsing comics at the Croatian publisher’s stand at comic book fair]
[Spider-Man comic]
[Comic artist drawing character Zagor]
[Marko Sunjić, founder of the Croatian publisher Fibra, the biggest comic publisher in the country, behind a table with comic books]
Marko Sunjić (interview): “We’ve always had great talent. But as the market declined significantly in our country, these talented individuals – thanks to their skill and excellence – were forced to seek opportunities abroad. When foreign publishers saw the level of mastery they possessed, everything unfolded naturally. There’s no secret to their success, these are simply top-notch cartoonists.”
[Comic artist Dalibor Talajić drawing in the library in Zagreb]
Dalibor Talajić (interview): “Ever since I was a kid, I was dreaming about superhero comics, about doing superhero comics. Marvel, DC, that was the eventual goal. Unless you’re a genius, which I’m not, you start small. So, I was firstly published in a couple of small publishers, but I was persistent, and I was very annoying in regards to sending emails all around. And it took me, let’s say, 15 years to break the ice, to appear in the foreign market, in the American market. But after that, only two years, it took to get to Marvel.”
[Talajić sketching the superhero Deadpool]
[Talajić drawing]
[Talajić going over the drawing with a black marker]
Dalibor Talajić (interview): “It all comes down to Bruce Lee. He would say opportunities may or may not come, but if they do, one must be prepared. So, a lot of work, a lot of discipline. And every chance you get, you take it. Every opportunity to learn the ropes, you take them.”
[Esad Ribić, famous Croatian comic artist, working in his studio]
[Ribić painting]
Esad Ribić (interview): “I started career in Zagreb Film in animation studio and I thought that would be my career. I was doing comics only as a hobby on the side. I was doing some professional illustration work, though. But when the war started in the early ’90s, animation studios closed down, so I was left with only my hobby. And it was apparent quite early on that I couldn’t really make a living in Croatia doing comics, so it was either changing the trade or trying to get some work abroad, so that’s what I managed to do in ’96.”
[Ribić while he paints]
[Ribić painting man’s face]
Esad Ribić (interview): “I’m a painter. I’m not a natural comic artist. I would do black and white if I had to, but if it was up to me, I would just paint everything. But a lot of the stuff needs to be done faster than what painting allows. So, you have to do black and white.”
[Talajić working in a library]
[Talajić’s face while he draws]
[Almost finished drawing of Deadpool]
Dalibor Talajić (interview): “Axel Alonso, a famous editor, used to say there’s something in the water in Croatia. And CB Cebulski who is now Editor-in-chief in Marvel used to say until 20,000, until 2000 it was the vowels like Italians and since 2000 on it’s the itches.”
[Talajić flicking through pages of a comic book]
[Croatian edition of Marvel comic that Talajić worked on]
[Esad Ribić in a studio]
[Palette with paints and drawing with a brush]
[Glass with brushes]
Esad Ribić (interview): “Get as good as you can and try not to copy stuff you like too much, because if you do that you will end up doing stuff that somebody else is already doing, probably better than you. So, try to limit influences you get from what you’re interested in.”
[Talajić drawing Deadpool character]
[Finished and signed drawing]
Dalibor Talajić (interview): “You have a deadline, you have a ridiculous amount of stuff to draw. You draw – nobody asks you. So, practice discipline, practice speed, practice the low bar – the level of quality that you don’t go below ever, regardless of circumstances.”
[Talajić picking up stuff from a desk]
[Talajić leaving the library]
This script was provided by The Associated Press.