Željko Pahek (born 1954 in

Županja Županja (, hu, Zsupanya, german: Schaupanie) is a town in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located 254 km east of Zagreb. It is administratively part of the Vukovar-Syrmia County. It is inhabited by 12,090 people (2011). Županja lies on the Sa ...

, then in

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

, now in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

) is an internationally published

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 ...

and

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

creator, scriptwriter, painter, illustrator and caricaturist. Since 1980s he is known for black humored comic series, as well as cover illustrations for masterpieces of

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

literature. He lives in Belgrade,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

Biography

Pahek lives in Belgrade since 1978. He is one of the key founders of Beogradski krug 2, an important Yugoslav artistic group, together with Bojan M. Đukić (main founder), Vladimir Vesović,

Zdravko Zupan Zdravko Zupan ( sr-cyr, Здравко Зупан; 7 February 1950 – 9 October 2015) was a Yugoslav comic book creator and historian. He is best known for comics such as " Tom & Jerry", "Zuzuko", "Munja", " Mickey Mouse", " Goofy" and "Ellswor ...

, Askanio Popović, R. M. Guera, Dragan Savić, Dušan Reljić, Dragan Bosnić and others. Since 1979 Pahek is publishing comics and illustrations in cultural journals and comic magazines in Yugoslavia, such as: ''Student, Vidici, Politikin Zabavnik, YU Strip, Stripoteka, Spunk novosti, Naš Strip, Strip mania''...; and since 1986 in foreign magazines such as: ''Schwermetall'' (Germany), ''Fluide Glacial'' (France), ''L'Eternauta'' (Italy), ''Zone 84'' (Spain), ''Tintin'' (Belgium), ''Eleftherotipia'' (Greece) and '' Heavy Metal Magazine'' (USA). His works are in "Heavy Metal Special Editions" for 15th, 20th and 35th anniversaries of the publication. His comic "Die schwarze narbam" ("Black Scars"), dedicated to the destruction of the Berlin Wall, was published in thirteen languages (international collection "Durch bruch", aka "Breakthrough", 1990). He is notable for black humoured comic series "Astro-idjani" and "The Legion Of The Waterproof" and for numerous caricatures in magazines, republished in a collection ''Depilacija Mozga'' ("Removal of the Brain"). From 1982, wide Yugoslav audience knows Pahek also as a cover artist for science fiction and fantasy books from the writers such as

Robert Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

, Philip K. Dick, Arthur C. Clarke,

Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), BBC radio comedy, ''The H ...

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comical works. He is best known for his '' Discworld'' series of 41 novels. Pratchett's first no ...

Tim Powers Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels '' Last Call'' and ''Declare''. His 1987 novel ''On Stranger Tide ...

and Slobodan Škerović. He has also written scripts for D. Bosnić and D. Savić, and worked as a colorist for Hermann Huppen's acclaimed comics series —

Jeremiah Jeremiah, Modern: , Tiberian: ; el, Ἰερεμίας, Ieremíās; meaning " Yah shall raise" (c. 650 – c. 570 BC), also called Jeremias or the "weeping prophet", was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewi ...

and The Towers of Bois-Maury.

Critical reception

"In artists like Đorđe Milović, Željko Pahek and

Zoran Tucić Zoran Tucić ( sr-cyr, Зоран Туцић, born 30 October 1961 in Šabac) is a Serbian comic-book and graphic novel creator, architect, scriptwriter and illustrator. He graduated from Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade with project „New ...

we have contemporary draughtsman of truly international calibre." –

Paul Gravett Paul Gravett is a London-based journalist, curator, writer, and broadcaster who has worked in comics publishing since 1981. He is the founder of ''Escape Magazine'', and for many years wrote a monthly article on comics appearing in the UK magaz ...

Works (a choice)

Comics, graphic novels and caricatures

;As the main creator * ''Astro-iđani'', Yugoslavia /Serbia/, 1981–1983. * ''Once upon a time in the future'', United States, 1991. * ''Depilacija Mozga'', Yugoslavia /Serbia/, 1997. * ''Badi kukavica i druge priče'', Yugoslavia /Serbia/, 2001. * ''Moby Dick'' 1–2, France, 2005. * ''1300 kadrova'', Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2014. * ''Error Data (Chronicles by a Burnt Out Robot)'', England, 2016. * ''La Légion des imperméables'', France, 2016.
La Légion des Imperméables
' sur la Bédéthèque (original title: "Legija nepromočivih"; int. title: "The Legion Of The Waterproof") ;Anthologies and collections * ''Durch Bruch'', Germany, 1990. (also translated as: ''Breakthrough, Après le mur, Falomlás, Der var engang en mur, Murros: Rautaesirippu repeää''...) * ''15 Years of Heavy Metal: The World's Foremost Illustrated Fantasy Magazine'', USA, 1992. * ''Signed by War — Getekend door de oorlog'' („Potpisano ratom”), Netherlands, 1994. * ''20 Years of Heavy Metal'', USA, 1997. * ''Heavy Metal Magazine: 35th anniversary issue", USA, 2012. * ''Balkan Comics Connections: Comics from the ex-YU Countries'', United Kingdom, 2013. * ''Odbrana utopije'', Serbia, 2014. * ''Sarajevski atentat'', Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2016. ;As the colorist *

, by

Hermann Huppen Hermann Huppen (born 17 July 1938) is a Belgian comic book artist. He is better known under his pen-name Hermann. He is most famous for his post-apocalyptic comic ''Jeremiah'' which was made into a television series. Biography Hermann was bo ...

* The Towers of Bois-Maury, by Hermann Huppen

Notes

Literature

* * Ivkov, Slobodan.br>''60 godina domaćeg stripa u Srbiji (1935—1995)''
leksikon-katalog, Galerija „Likovni susret“, Subotica, 1995. E-edition: Projekat Rastko * Tamburić Živojin, Zdravko Zupan,

Zoran Stefanović Zoran Stefanović (, sr-cyr, Зоран Стефановић, born 21 November 1969 in Loznica) is a Serbian author, publisher and cultural activist, best known as the founder of several cultural networks, including Project Rastko. His works w ...

. '' The Comics We Loved: Selection of 20th Century Comics and Creators from the Region of Former Yugoslavia'' (a critical lexicon), "Omnibus", Beograd, 2011. * Tucakov, Anica. ''Strip u Srbiji 1975-1995'', Zadužbina „Andrejević“, Beograd, 2000.

External links

Pahek, a bio
Modesty Comics, London
Pahek - Robeo and Ruliette
Short story, 10 pages {{DEFAULTSORT:Pahek, Zeljko 1954 births Living people People from Županja Serbian comics artists Serbian comics writers Serbian painters Serbian illustrators Serbian cartoonists Serbian caricaturists Croatian comics artists Croatian comics writers Croatian painters Croatian artists Croatian illustrators Croatian caricaturists