Stripove ženskih autorica mogli ste do sada viđati u mnogim izdanjima u kojima kao da su obasjavali dio noćnog neba koje bi se ukazalo između oblaka. Njihov sjaj davao je naslutiti svjetove i galaksije koje postoje, ali nam je pogled na njih bivao nekako zastrt. Ovo bi izdanje trebalo razmaknuti oblake i prikazati raskoš cijelog zvjezdanog svoda, kako bi nas ono moglo zabljesnuti sveukupnošću ljepote svih svojih sazviježđa. Izdanje koje je pred vama donosi po prvi puta objedinjene stripove isključivo ženskih autorica. Ideja kojom smo se rukovodili kada smo ga uređivali bila je: na sveobuhvatan način prikazati rad najznačajnijih i najkreativnijih autorica stripa koje žive i rade (ili su živjele i radile) na području koje možemo zvati Balkanom: Magde Dulčić, Helene Klakočar Vukšić, Helene Janečić, Dunje Janković, Maje Veselinović, Irene Jukić Pranjić, Nine Bunjevac, Katje Avberšek, Ivane Armanini, Mine Žabnikar, Ivanke Apostolove, Ljubice Heidler, Zrinke Ostović, Ines Dedović, Branke Hollingsworth-Nare, Ivane Guljašević Kuman, Sonje Gašperov, Nede Dokić, Eveline Daneve Rajninger, Tanje Komadina, Ivane Filipović, Biljane Malešević, Sare Divjak i Bojane Dimitrovski. Kako su mnoge od njih ostvarile mnogo više stranica stripa nego što je moguće obuhvatiti u ovom izdanju, odlučili smo objaviti najrecentnije radove svake autorice na temelju kojih se jasno iščitava osobitost njihovog pristupa ovom mediju. Vjerujemo da će ovaj izbor doprinijeti još boljem valoriziranju i prezentiranju već uspješnih, ali gotovo anonimnih autorica i promijeniti percepcije šire publike u pitanjima ženskog stvaralaštva uopće.
Authors
Although Canadian born, Nina Bunjevac spent her formative years in Yugoslavia, where she began her art education before returning to Canada at onset of the war of the 1990s. She continued her education in graphic design at the iconic Art Centre of Central Technical School in Toronto, subsequently graduating from the Drawing and Painting department at OCAD. After a decade of drawing and painting she discovered the passion for the narrative through sculpture installation work, eventually returning to her childhood passion for comics. Nina’s comics have been published in a number of international periodicals and anthologies, including The National Post, Le Monde Diplomatique, ArtReview and Best American Comics. Her first book Heartless (2012, Conundrum Press, Nova Scotia) won a Doug Wright Award in Best Debut category. Her second book, Fatherland (2014, Jonathan Cape, London) has reached international acclaim, appearing on the New York Times best-seller list and receiving a Doug Wright Award in Best Book category; it was also shortlisted for PACA Regional Literary Award in France. Bezimena (2018, Ici Même, Nantes; 2019, Fantagraphics, Seattle), Nina’s third book, made the official selection at Angoulême International Comics Festival 2019, won Artemisia prize in the category of Best Drawing in France, and was awarded Best Book Jury Prize at 2019 Lucca Comics and Games in Lucca, Italy. Her artwork has been included in a number of exhibitions, both in Canada and internationally. Notable exhibits include the 2014 installation Out of Fatherland, at Art Gallery of Ontario, commissioned mural pieces for The Idea of North, and Galerie Martel in Paris, France. She lives in Toronto where she divides her time between comics, illustration, teaching and fine arts.
