Matej Bogdanovski: Comics & illustration.

Digital augmentation & text
by K.K.W.

When it comes to comics, as a general rule, its a field dominated by "comic-book artist", a label thats becoming out dated every year. Now more then ever there are so many stories crafted on the edges of the industry with care, skill, and personal style. And its being done by visual artists who work in the medium of comics.

Cover to KSSZ,
image courtesy of the artist

'KSSZ' (KREUZSCHLITZSCHRAUBENZIEHER) is a great comic out of Skopje Macedonia with artwork by Matej Bogdanovski, written by Biljana Stefanovski and Bogdanovski. It functions on many levels, part nostalgia, reality, fantasy, romance and ones personal artistic re-imagining of ones own environment, and connections to it. Music , friends, art, all through a need to tell a good story.   

Image courtesy of the artist.

The setting is Skopje in an alternate present, the events dealing with multiple characters and their eventual interaction amongst the members of a particular band. The effect is stunning as the story plays out between the main characters, and the sub-characters they know. The story takes you into a their world, which is strange yet oddly familiar. Filled with similar upsets, trials and tribulations that come with the social scene. Bogdanovski brings to life his vibrant world as a character himself (a cool pagliacci-like prince of the tale) and the narrator. The look from David Bowie in "Ashes to ashes". Awesome.  

Image courtesy of the artist.

Bogdanovski also weaves in two variations of the best known super-hero icons of western comics, and pop-culture which serves as a comparison of notions of comics east and west. Not to mention its also hysterical and serves as another element to the story, making it seem seriously crazy tale in a city where anything can happen at night. The story has a visual style thats simple yet skill-full with a mix of augmented photos of parts of Skopje-for some of the backgrounds. "KSSZ" is a potent re-creation of Skopje using influences from real people he knows or met, giving you a great social adventure that has a lot of feeling to it. 

If you would like to know more, go to:www.facebook.com/matej.bogdanovski?sk=wall, "Art is the reason, art is the way"  Article by K.K.W 

Image courtesy of the artist.

Image courtesy of the artist

Image courtesy of the artist 

Image courtesy of the artist