Andrija Maurovic
Encyclopedia
Andrija Maurović was a renowned comic book
author, often called the father of Croatia
n and Yugoslav
comics.
in Boka Kotorska in present-day Montenegro
(at the time in Austria-Hungary
). After a short sojourn to Kraków
in Poland, he moved with his Croatian
family to the nearby city of Dubrovnik
where he attended elementary and secondary school.
Following the recommendation of the writer Ivo Vojnović
, he enrolled at the Academy of Arts
in Zagreb
. Soon, he got into conflicts regarding norms and rules, since the academy prevented students of any work during their studies. At that time he started illustrating books, weekly and daily newspapers, and also graphic institutions, booksellers and editors, particularly for St. Kugli. As the best students, particularly in drawing, he dropped his first academic year. Being extremely busy with the work he liked, he did not take his academic fiasco tragically. Working on illustrations, caricature
s, posters and graphic design
, he became one of the best, and his work appeared in the editions of papers and magazines like Jutarnji list, Novosti, Koprive, Ženski svijet, Kulisa.
Maurović collaborated with many eminent Croatian writers and screenplay writers, such as Franjo Fuis. He also drew his illustrations based on literary models of epic world writers and novelists like Alex Tolstoy
, Zane Grey
, August Šenoa
, Jack London
, B. Traven
, Max Brand
, and H. G. Wells
.
It is difficult to describe the total number of his professions and activities. He was a painter of seascapes and apocalyptic scenes, caricaturist, illustrator
, preacher and comic strip sketch
er. He lived life of his own and created a great number
of impressive comic strip heroes and personalities (like Dan, Old Tom-cat, Radoslav). His works are part of the Sudac Collection
.
Being in all the world encyclopaedias
and publications on comics, he has earned his eminent place in the art of world comics. Numerous edition
s and reprints of his best works, numerous awards and prizes he has received, the reputation that he achieved is comparable with the achievements and fame of the greatest names and creators of cartoons in the world.
Andrija Maurović died in Zagreb
, and was buried in the Mirogoj cemetery
. The comic strip club in Kotor
bears his name.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
author, often called the father of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n and Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
comics.
Biography
Maurović was born in the village of Muo near KotorKotor
Kotor is a coastal city in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of the municipality....
in Boka Kotorska in present-day Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
(at the time in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
). After a short sojourn to Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
in Poland, he moved with his Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
family to the nearby city of Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
where he attended elementary and secondary school.
Following the recommendation of the writer Ivo Vojnović
Ivo Vojnovic
Ivan "Ivo" Vojnović was a Croatian and Serbian writer from Dubrovnik. He is often nicknamed "The last great Dubrovnik writer".-Biography:...
, he enrolled at the Academy of Arts
Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb
The Academy of Fine Arts Zagreb is a Croatian art school affiliated with the University of Zagreb.The Academy was established in June 1907 as the Royal College for Arts and Crafts and initially had three departments, for sculpting, painting and art education...
in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. Soon, he got into conflicts regarding norms and rules, since the academy prevented students of any work during their studies. At that time he started illustrating books, weekly and daily newspapers, and also graphic institutions, booksellers and editors, particularly for St. Kugli. As the best students, particularly in drawing, he dropped his first academic year. Being extremely busy with the work he liked, he did not take his academic fiasco tragically. Working on illustrations, caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
s, posters and graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
, he became one of the best, and his work appeared in the editions of papers and magazines like Jutarnji list, Novosti, Koprive, Ženski svijet, Kulisa.
Maurović collaborated with many eminent Croatian writers and screenplay writers, such as Franjo Fuis. He also drew his illustrations based on literary models of epic world writers and novelists like Alex Tolstoy
Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy
Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy , nicknamed the Comrade Count, was a Russian and Soviet writer who wrote in many genres but specialized in science fiction and historical novels...
, Zane Grey
Zane Grey
Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the Old West. Riders of the Purple Sage was his bestselling book. In addition to the success of his printed works, they later had second lives and continuing influence...
, August Šenoa
August Šenoa
August Šenoa was a Croatian novelist, critic, editor, poet, and dramatist....
, Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
, B. Traven
B. Traven
B. Traven was the pen name of a German novelist, whose real name, nationality, date and place of birth and details of biography are all subject to dispute. A rare certainty is that B...
, Max Brand
Max Brand
Frederick Faust, aka Max Brand|thumb|rightFrederick Schiller Faust was an American author known primarily for his thoughtful and literary Westerns. Faust wrote mostly under pen names, but today is primarily known by only one, Max Brand...
, and H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
.
It is difficult to describe the total number of his professions and activities. He was a painter of seascapes and apocalyptic scenes, caricaturist, illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, preacher and comic strip sketch
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
er. He lived life of his own and created a great number
Number
A number is a mathematical object used to count and measure. In mathematics, the definition of number has been extended over the years to include such numbers as zero, negative numbers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and complex numbers....
of impressive comic strip heroes and personalities (like Dan, Old Tom-cat, Radoslav). His works are part of the Sudac Collection
Sudac Collection
Sudac Collection is a large private collection of avant-garde art owned by Marinko Sudac, a Croatian art collector., the Sudac Collection comprised 1500 works of avant-garde artists from former Yugoslavia, created between 1915 and 1989...
.
Being in all the world encyclopaedias
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
and publications on comics, he has earned his eminent place in the art of world comics. Numerous edition
Edition
In printmaking, an edition is a number of prints struck from one plate, usually at the same time. This is the meaning covered by this article...
s and reprints of his best works, numerous awards and prizes he has received, the reputation that he achieved is comparable with the achievements and fame of the greatest names and creators of cartoons in the world.
Andrija Maurović died in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, and was buried in the Mirogoj cemetery
Mirogoj Cemetery
The Mirogoj Cemetery is considered to be one of the most beautiful cemetery parks in Europe and, because of its design, numbers among the more noteworthy landmarks in the City of Zagreb....
. The comic strip club in Kotor
Kotor
Kotor is a coastal city in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of the municipality....
bears his name.