bucarest

Five years ago we used to say that selling comics in Romania was like trying to sell ice-cream to Inuits. Four years later we can proudly state that it now resembles selling pork in Palestine.

Hardcomics began 6 years ago in the city we call Bucharest. The birthchild of Serbian graphic designer Milos Jovanovic and Romanian animator Matei Branea, later on to be joined by Street artist Andy Sinboy. The meeting of these comic fans spawned Romania’s first independent (and back then only) comic book publication. The first issue called "Aaarghh" was made by Romanian painter and illustrator Roman Tolici, a bizarre, neurotic and abstract compilation of sex, violence, love and beauty. The second issue was by our own Matei Branea and his lovably chainsmoking character Omulan. This issue was mute and looked at man’s relationship with a God which is enforced on him, as well as how to get extremely high and party.

For the third issue we captured a million pigeons and tied messages to their neck, telling people that we were going to publish a compilation of Romanian comics, professional or amateur, if it made us chuckle or think it was going in. After a few months we were proud to present a compilation comic book featuring different styles from 28 artists. At the time there was no other means of publishing physical comic books in Romania. Comic book culture in Romania is still next to zero. You can barely find a couple of international comics in two specialized bookshops in Bucharest. Nonetheless we are sticking to our horses, providing a platform for anyone who enjoys frames and speech bubbles as a form of communication, interaction, entertainment or masturbation.

Since we began, we have grown from a small company of three people to a massive corporation with one boss, two exhausted employees and a horny cat. Our first issues were self financed, but we were fortunate to have made a statement and produced some quality books which have gotten noticed by cultural institutions such as the Romanian Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC) which sponsored the print for the compilation 'Hardcomics 6 - The Anthology'.

Now, is time of the new issue: Hardcomics #7: First sexual experience.

Order your copy: crew@hardcomics.ro

Hardcomics #7 €9.99