Photo of Zenica School of Comics participants in 1997 by Adnadin Jašarević, used with permission via Balkan Diskurs.

This article by Adin Kadrić first appeared in Balkan Diskurs on September 12, 2025. An edited version is being republished on Global Voices under a content partnership agreement with the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC).

Editor's note: Zenica is a city in the middle of Bosnia and Herzegovina with about 100,000 residents. It is noted for its ironworks industry as well as being home to one of the big prisons in ex-Yugoslavia, described in the cult rock song Zenica Blues. It is not often considered when speaking about art, making the significance of this initiative — which began during the war of 1992-1995 and still persists to this day — even more extraordinary.

For over 30 years, the Zenica School of Comics has been not only an illustration school but a symbol of perseverance, cultural resistance, and lasting dedication to art. Initially conceived as an escape from the repression of the 1992-95 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and later, a platform for expression and creativity, the school has trained around 200 young artists. About 70 of them have gone on to become prominent young authors, whose works have left a mark on the domestic and regional comics scene.

Several graduates are even acclaimed beyond the borders of their country, with Kenan Halilović, Biljana Šafaražik, and Zdravko Cvjetković being some of the most prominent. While the school has been synonymous with quality and creativity within the domestic comic scene for years, the international acclaim for these artists’ work underscores the fact that Zenica maintains a firm foothold in this visual medium.

Recalling its beginnings, Adnadin Jašarević, the school’s founder and director of the Zenica City Museum, said that its primary goal was to give children a creative escape from the harsh realities of war. Under such conditions, comics were like Alice in Wonderland — providing an escape from hunger, fear, and shelling. An average of ten students still pass through the school every year, learning how to translate their thoughts, fears, and hopes into dynamic sequences of frames and speech clouds.

Newer names like Filip Andronik, Milorad Vicanović, Senad Mavrić, and Enis Čišić represent the contemporary wave of comic artists from BiH. They actively cooperate with renowned publishers from the United States and Europe, demonstrating that despite its underdeveloped infrastructure, Bosnia and Herzegovina has comic creators who can stand equally alongside the best talent the genre has to offer.

This is the first comic book school in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Photo: Adnadin Jašarević, used with permission via Balkan Diskurs.

Publications such as “Horostop,” “ZE strip,” “EKO strip” and “SUV – Steps in Time” were created at the Zenica School, showcasing both its longevity and its dedication to comic culture. Explaining that the students themselves choose the topics they work on according to their own interests, Jašarević noted that he has “never stopped working” to ensure that comics remain a tool for expression and creative release.

As far as technology’s impact on the comic industry goes, Jašarević explained that while comics used to be widely available to the masses, they are now becoming a far more exclusive product, with expensive integral editions and albums intended for a small but loyal audience. While the idea behind ​​comics as a liberating medium remains the same, the development of technology has heralded a turn in modern-day comic production.

Cartoonist and former Zenica student Zdravko Cvjetković, in speaking about the impact of technology, emphasized that smart tablets have made drawing easier and faster for many artists, without compromising the quality of their work. However, he warned that AI tools — such as those used for generating text and images — pose serious ethical and aesthetic questions.

He believes that the mass availability of tools that produce images and stories in seconds, threatens to trivialize art and blur the line between creativity and automation: “If we all become artists just because we have a tool in our pocket, then nobody is really an artist.”

Many things about comics today, according to Cvjetković, are drastically different than before the war: “Comics are no longer accessible to such a wide audience, especially children. They’re too expensive and rarely found in newsstands.”

The burgeoning Bosnian comics scene

Pointing out that children today reach for screens before print media like comics or books, Cvjetković said that publishers are therefore targeting older generations who grew up with comics.

A positive outcome of this is the growing number of comics festivals in the region, which promote a culture of reading and drawing. “Workshops and comics contests for children [are] an almost mandatory part of every serious festival,” Cvjetković emphasized, “and this is crucial in the absence of comics schools like the one in Zenica.”

Illustrations by Zdravko Cvjetković. Photo: Zenica School of Comics on Facebook, used with permission via Balkan Diskurs.

Comics culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina persists despite its modest ecosystem, in which there is almost no institutional support, and few major publishers or specialized festivals. However, thanks to the enthusiasm of individuals, the scene is not disappearing; in fact, it is quietly but steadily growing.

Authors like Berin Tuzlić and Enis Čišić have been representing BiH on the regional and international comics scene for years. Tuzlić, known for his experimental approach and multimedia projects, combines comics with music and animation. Čišić, who also tried his hand at Marvel productions, represents a more contemporary, technically precise form of expression. Their work shows that the country is producing talent capable of competing globally.

Ismet Erdić also holds a special place on the BiH comics scene, with his rare combination of historical storytelling and visual narration in comics about Kulin Ban and medieval Bosnia. His work has educational value and is often used in classrooms, which makes him one of the few authors whose comics reach the general public.

Despite unfavorable conditions for comic distribution, publicity, and marketing, comics culture in BiH is still preserved as a niche interest by enthusiasts. Social networks, web comics, and regional cooperation with authors from Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia are currently key to their survival. So, while relatively small, the BiH comics scene has an authentic flair and great potential, waiting for better times ahead.