Cat Claw is a
fictional
Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places
Place may refer to:
Geography
* Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population
** Census-designated place, ...
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
created by
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
n artist
Branislav Kerac
Branislav "Bane" Kerac (born September 7, 1952, Novi Sad) is a Serbian comic book creator, known best for his series '' Cat Claw''. In the US he also published under his pseudonym H.M. Baker. Credits in American comics include '' The Black Pearl'' ...
and writer Svetozar Obradović.
History
In the early 1980s, the publisher
Dečje novine
Dečje novine (; ''Children's newspaper'') was a publishing house based in Gornji Milanovac. It was known as the largest comics publisher of the former Yugoslavia. It also published books, magazines and sticker albums. They had almost exclusive ...
and editor Sibin Slavković called for comic strips that would resemble American
superhero comics
Superhero comics are one of the most common genres of American comic books. The genre rose to prominence in the 1930s and became extremely popular in the 1940s and has remained the dominant form of comic book in North America since the 1960s. Su ...
for their magazine ''YU Strip''.
[Cat Claw at Stripovi.com Encyclopedia](_blank)
/ref> Of the creators solicited, only Branislav Kerac
Branislav "Bane" Kerac (born September 7, 1952, Novi Sad) is a Serbian comic book creator, known best for his series '' Cat Claw''. In the US he also published under his pseudonym H.M. Baker. Credits in American comics include '' The Black Pearl'' ...
and Svetozar Obradović responded. Their suggestions included Gea, a Red Sonja
Red Sonja is a fictional sword and sorcery comic-book superheroine created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Barry Windsor-Smith for Marvel Comics in 1973, partially inspired by Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonya of Rogatino.
Marvel Comics ...
-type character, Cyborg, a Terminator
Terminator may refer to:
Science and technology
Genetics
* Terminator (genetics), the end of a gene for transcription
* Terminator technology, proposed methods for restricting the use of genetically modified plants by causing second generation s ...
-type character, and Cat Claw, a female version of Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
. Kerac stated in a 1991 interview: "I tried to imagine what the wet dream of every male pig would look like, and Cat Claw was the answer".["Cat Claw stripovi", NetSrbija.net](_blank)
/ref> Kerac penciled several pages and they were shopped around the Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
inkers, but most of them disliked the concept of the comic. Kerac ended up performing both duties. He was busy with his '' Kobra'' comic book, so one of the characters had to be dropped. Kerac chose to retain Cat Claw, which allowed him to emulate the work of one of his idols, John Romita. The first episode, "Bane Claws", written by Obradović, was very much in the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
style. It even included a cameo appearance of Peter Parker
Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the S ...
. Soon after, Obradović, due to various obligations, had to drop his work on ''Cat Claw''. After a short cooperation with writer Slavko Draginčić, Kerac became the complete author of the comic As a writer, Kerac started to incorporate humor and allusions to various films, other comics and rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...
, mostly heavy metal, into stories, which led some readers and critics to view ''Cat Claw'' as a parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
of superhero comics.
In 1995, Kerac drew the last, 44th, Cat Claw episode.[Cat Claw at Kerac's official site](_blank)
/ref>
In 1989, Strip Art Features started distributing ''Cat Claw'' on the foreign market. ''Cat Claw'' was translated and published in USA, France, Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, Sweden, Norway, Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics Entertainment, Inc. (also known as Malibu Graphics) was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. Notable titles published by Malibu included '' ...
's imprint Eternity Comics
Eternity Comics was a California-based comic book publisher active from 1986 to 1994, first as an independent publisher, then as an imprint of Malibu Comics. Eternity published creator-owned comics of an offbeat, independent flavor, as well as so ...
republished 9 issues of Cat Claw's adventures. The beginning of the Yugoslav Wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...
prevented a more successful breakthrough of the comic on the foreign market.
In 2006, ''Cat Claw'' was published in hardcover albums as ''Cat Claw Ultimate Collection''.
Fictional character
Carol Connor, an introverted university biology student, was scratched by a cat which had been used in an experiment. Later that same evening, when she attempted to shut down an experiment in Dr. Baker's lab she was exposed to "Sigma radiation". As a result, Carol found she had developed a cat's agility and claw-like fingernails. She was also superhumanly strong and could see in the dark almost as well as during the day.
At first, Carol just used her powers for her own amusement. However, when she heard her roommate Gene Jones (called GJ or Dži-Džej in Serbian transliteration) being attacked outside their apartment building, she jumped to her defense and drove the attackers off. Carol enjoyed the experience and decided to create a costumed identity. Carol "borrowed" some special fabric, woven from metal, to create her mask, gloves and boots, from the Gray's Institute. There was insufficient fabric to create a complete costume, so Carol used a black bikini
A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back coveri ...
Gene had given her (but she had never dared to wear) and fishnet pantyhose
Pantyhose, called sheer tights, or tights, are close-fitting legwear covering the wearer's body from the waist to the toes. Mostly considered to be a garment for women and girls, pantyhose first appeared on store shelves in 1959 for the advertis ...
. The ordinary fabric of the bikini and hose got torn up and had to be replaced after every fight. Later, Carol adopted a black leotard
A leotard () is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso from the crotch to the shoulder. The garment was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1838–1870). There are sleeveless, short-sleeved, and lo ...
and black leather
Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...
jacket
A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which ...
to replace the bikini.
Cat Claw went on to battle ordinary criminals and her own rogues gallery
A rogues' gallery (or rogues gallery) is a police collection of mug shots or other images of criminal suspects kept for identification purposes.
History
In 1855, Allan Pinkerton, founder of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, established a ...
: Xtremity (aka Renata Roseblood), Berthold Schwartzenberger (aka Catminator and, later, Grgur the Monster), Dr. Sigismund Morse (Grgur's creator), Dr. Bruce Baker (who also turns into a monster), Ninja Deathbringer, and the Helloweeners.
TV film
In 1992, as part of a Radio Television of Serbia
Radio Television of Serbia ( sr-Cyrl, Радио-телевизија Србије, sr-Lat, Radio-televizija Srbije, italics=yes; abbr. RTS/PTC) is Serbia's public broadcaster. It broadcasts and produces news, drama, and sports programming thro ...
show about Bane Kerac, a short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
based on Cat Claw, ''City Cat'', was recorded. The film was directed by Miša Milošević, and featured actress Daniella Peyich as Carol and Kerac himself as policeman Cameron Hill.
Theater
In 2022, a theater play
A play is a work of drama, usually consisting mostly of dialogue between characters and intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. The writer of a play is called a playwright.
Plays are performed at a variety of levels, fr ...
based on Cat Claw by Branislav Kerac, had its premiere at the Youth Theatre Youth Theatre or Youth Theater may refer to:
Generic
*Theatre for Early Years
*Theatre for Young Audiences
*Young Spectator's Theatre
Australia
*Perth Youth Theatre
* Platform Youth Theatre
* Track Youth Theatre
* Victorian Youth Theatre
Unit ...
of Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...
on 22 October at 7:30 pm (restaged on 23 and 24 October). The play was directed by Michael Helmerhorst and coadapted with Henri Overduin as a cooperation between European and local artists for the 2022 European Capital of Culture program held in Novi Sad that year. The original script draft was first written in English, then translated into Serbian.
The lead role of Carol Connor/Cat Claw was played by Ivana Vukčević. Other actors and performers were Slobodan Ninković (Cameron Hill), Saša Latinović (Bullet), Miloš Macura (MacDonald), Jelica Gligorin (Cartland), Slavica Vučetić (Gene Jones), Neda Danilović (Xtremity), Aleksa Ilić (Schwartzenberger, Drums), Nenad J. Popović (Dublle role), Darko Radojević (Keyboard), Dejan Šarković (Drums), Vlada Janković (Guitar) and Jelena Radić (Bass Guitar).
In other media
''Cat Claw'' was the name of the 1996 album by Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...
heavy metal band GeroMetal {{Infobox musical artist
, name = GeroMetal
, image =
, caption =
, image_size = 250
, origin = Novi Sad, Serbia, FR Yugoslavia
, genre = Hard rock, heavy metal, comedy rock
, years_active ...
, in which Kerac played the drums. Cover art was designed by Kerac and featured Cat Claw.GeroMetal at Branislav Kerac official page
/ref>
See also
*Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
*Black Canary
The Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics: Dinah Drake and her daughter Dinah Laurel Lance. The original version was created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
Cat Claw on Internationalhero.co.uk
Serbian comics titles
Yugoslav comics titles
Serbian comics characters
Eternity Comics titles
Serbian comics adapted into films
Comic strip superheroes
Comics about women
Female characters in comics
Film superheroes
Comics characters introduced in 1981
1981 comics debuts
1995 comics endings
Vigilante characters in comics