| JAMMING WITH ALEKSANDAR ZOGRAF is a self-published book by the Serbian cartoonist Aleksandar Zograf (a pseudonym of Sasa Rakezic), the author of such works as Life Under Sanctions, Psychonaut, Dream Watcher and Bulletins from Serbia. Zograf has been active on the international scene since the early '90s when his work started to appear in comics anthologies such as Weirdo and Zero Zero and when Fantagraphics Books published a few of his titles. Works by Zograf have been translated and published in many European magazines, and his solo titles have been issued by publishers L'Association in France, PuntoZero in Italy, Jochen Enterprises in Germany and Under Comics in Spain.
With Bob Kathman, Zograf edited an international anthology of dream-inspired comics entitled Flock of Dreamers ( Kitchen Sink Press, 1997), including works by 22 artists from 8 countries. This was a prime example of the collaborative spirit that this author has tried to support through his internationally oriented work and through building an intercontinental network of artists and friends. Reflections of his collaborative instincts can be detected in the concept of Zograf's new anthology, JAMMING WITH
ALEKSANDAR ZOGRAF. This is a collection of comics Zograf has created in conjunction with artists and writers including American alternative comics scene stars such as Robert Crumb and Jim Woodring and one of the finest French cartoonists and illustrators, Thierry Guitard. Among others featured
are Wostok, an alternative comics great from Serbia, Charles Alverson, who worked on the legendary Harvey Kurtzman's HELP! Magazine, Lee Kennedy and Peter Blegvad, among the "strangest" creators to be found on the British comics scene, and three cartoonists from the U.S. West Coast--Pat Moriarity,
Chris Lanier and Bob Kathman.
"I've done a few stories with other comic authors on different occasions over the last four or five years," stated Aleksandar Zograf, in the book's introduction. "Sometimes we worked through the mail, and sometimes we were able to meet at various comics conventions. The results are all gathered in
this volume. I don't know if it was a conscious effort, but as it turned out each story was conceived through a different kind of collaboration. The experience showed that people of varying sensibilities, different nationalities and often working from different continents could join their creativity and collaborate in more then one way".
Besides publishing in conventionally published books and magazines, Zograf has continued to produce mini comics and self-published booklets. His Hypnagogic Review minis are available for US $2 (or 2 EURO) apiece, postage included. JAMMING WITH ALEKSANDAR ZOGRAF is the first regular book-format, self-publishing effort by this author.
|
