Osiedle Swoboda
Encyclopedia
Osiedle Swoboda is a comic book written and illustrated by Michał Śledziński. It was supposed to imitate American comic books such as Spider-Man
. The first issues appeared in the papers of Produkt magazine and since 2004 it has been published separately by Niezależna Prasa. It consists of 6 issues; the final bimonthly issue was published in 2006. A prototype of “Swoboda” is the estate Szwederowo in Bydgoszcz – the home estate of the author himself. The comic book reflects customs of youth living back in the 90’s, and therefore is considered one of the most important comic books published in Poland
. The abundance of insightful social observations deftly intertwined with the plot contributed to fame and popularity of the series among young readers “If I was to mention the most important polish comic series published at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, I would instantly answer that Osiedle Swoboda has no equals”- this is how the series was described in Gazeta Wyborcza
by Wojciech Orliński.
and other substances. They are constantly forced to wrestle with violence, boredom, dull hoods and hangover
- everything that today's youth is exposed to.
Nickname: Smutny
Education: unknown
Occupation: lack of a permanent job; occasionally: a morgue employee, a stretcher-bearer, Santa Claus
Family: parents, brother, aunt
Description: a victim of various unfortunate twists of fate. He displays a tendency to meet psychos in the estate. Together with Kundzio, he rents a double room hole in the old part of Swoboda. Some readers claim he might be perceived as a personification of the author, however such statements have always been denied by Michał Śledziński.
Distinguishing marks: goatsbeard, a sad facial expression
The most famous feat: he relieved himself of breakfast in church
Nickname: Szopa
Education: unknown
Occupation: a drug dealer, occasionally: Santa Claus
Family: grandmother and cousin Adrian( both dead), mother
Description: a drug pusher with some moral rules. No chemicals, kids, and pregnant women. He is always seen with a cigarette and presents himself as perfectly composed and reticent kind of person. He carries on his business from a dugout in the outskirts of the city- the place where he decided to stay after his friend had disappeared. He takes care of Ciacho’s bitch called Psotka. He had earlier lived in a tenement haunted by ghosts.
Distinguishing marks: afro
, beard
The most famous feat: he broke a rubber plant
without using hands
Nickname: Wiraż
Education: unknown
Occupation: lack of a permanent job, occasionally: elf
Family: sister
Description: he is thought to be the greatest freak in the crew. He has ambition to become a master of ceremonies and is interested in building his career on the stage. He is a figure of fun and is constantly laughed at by other characters, especially Niedźwiedź. He is recognizable by a hat inherited from his grandfather.
Distinguishing marks: a checked hat, a huge nose
The most famous feat: he destroyed doors in Szopa's apartment
Nickname: Niedźwiedź
Education: Railway High School
Occupation: lack of a permanent job, occasionally: a morgue employee, a stretcher-bearer, Santa Claus
, a member of a demolition team, a leaflet hander
Family: unknown
Description: the greatest boozer in the estate. It seems that inebriation is his natural state. He is perpetually penniless and implicates Smutny in some abstract, ungainful shoddy work. A willingness to fight, straightforwardness and being rude to women are his characteristic features. He used to be a member of a heavy metal
demolition team called “Destroyers”.
Distinguishing marks: a winter cap, beard, his nose and ear are pierced
The most famous feat: he led to a brawl between two groups of an athletic-disco disposition.
Nickname: Kundzio
Education: unknown
Occupation: unknown
Family: unknown
Description: an enthusiast of ladies who had studied their psyche
for a year reading women’s magazines and analyzing individual episodes of soap operas. Other character of the series, Ciachciarachciach, believes in his telekinetic powers. He is one among a few who are able to see a creature called a “man in stripes”- Ciachciarachciach’s messenger.
Distinguishing marks: none
The most famous feat: he was the only sober person after after carousal at Fizyk's hang-out
Nickname: Ciachciarachciach (an urban legend
)
Education: unknown
Occupation: unknown
Family: a dog called Psotka
Description: he seems to be a regular guy but is thought to be a protector of the estate. He is alleged to have some supernatural powers and helps the crew with all crises. He disappeared after a tenement haunted by ghost had been torn down. He stayed together with his bitch Psotka in a dogout in the outskirts of the city.
Distinguishing marks: hairy, unshaven
The most famous feat: he emptied a bottle of wine in 17 seconds
combined with anecdotal and philosophical wisdom – the folk
one. They are presented as sages who do not need academic knowledge to be sharp-witted and street smart. Faith in the superiority of knowledge acquired on the street is almost a utopian belief compared by some critics to excessive idealization of Polish peasantry in Little Poland
. The block in the series is presented in terms of the myth of bipolarity
- on one hand it is paradise, on the other, ghetto with no way out.
originating from an authentic Polish estate in Bydgoszcz. However, in the background one may distinguish motifs taken ironically from a "kit" of stereotypes of global mass culture. Characters are chased by avenger
s in masks, some of them experience some paranormal adventures.
Today this formula stopped being a novelty. Osiedle Swoboda no longer stands out as a innovative project, simply because there is a plethora of comic books of similar subject matter (e.g. Wilq- superbohater). All in all, this comic book stood the test of time exceptionally well. What still amazes readers is the author's descritption of ordinary people living in the casual estate enriched with a measure of unusual humour. Additionally, the series is spiced with a pinch of surrealism
and fantasy
which seem almost inherent in this particular estate. So far no one has managed to illustrate polish young people and their lives in a more convincing way.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
. The first issues appeared in the papers of Produkt magazine and since 2004 it has been published separately by Niezależna Prasa. It consists of 6 issues; the final bimonthly issue was published in 2006. A prototype of “Swoboda” is the estate Szwederowo in Bydgoszcz – the home estate of the author himself. The comic book reflects customs of youth living back in the 90’s, and therefore is considered one of the most important comic books published in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The abundance of insightful social observations deftly intertwined with the plot contributed to fame and popularity of the series among young readers “If I was to mention the most important polish comic series published at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, I would instantly answer that Osiedle Swoboda has no equals”- this is how the series was described in Gazeta Wyborcza
Gazeta Wyborcza
Gazeta Wyborcza is a leading Polish newspaper. It covers the gamut of political, international and general news. Like all the Polish newspapers, it is printed on compact-sized paper, and is published by the multimedia corporation Agora SA...
by Wojciech Orliński.
Plot
It presents adventures of young people living in the casual estate. The characters (Smutny, Wiraż, Niedzwiedź, Szopa, Kundzio) like rough music, parties, alcoholAlcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and other substances. They are constantly forced to wrestle with violence, boredom, dull hoods and hangover
Hangover
A hangover describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria, diarrhea and thirst, typically after the...
- everything that today's youth is exposed to.
Smutny
Name and surname: unknownNickname: Smutny
Education: unknown
Occupation: lack of a permanent job; occasionally: a morgue employee, a stretcher-bearer, Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
Family: parents, brother, aunt
Description: a victim of various unfortunate twists of fate. He displays a tendency to meet psychos in the estate. Together with Kundzio, he rents a double room hole in the old part of Swoboda. Some readers claim he might be perceived as a personification of the author, however such statements have always been denied by Michał Śledziński.
Distinguishing marks: goatsbeard, a sad facial expression
The most famous feat: he relieved himself of breakfast in church
Szopa
Name and surname: unknownNickname: Szopa
Education: unknown
Occupation: a drug dealer, occasionally: Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
Family: grandmother and cousin Adrian( both dead), mother
Description: a drug pusher with some moral rules. No chemicals, kids, and pregnant women. He is always seen with a cigarette and presents himself as perfectly composed and reticent kind of person. He carries on his business from a dugout in the outskirts of the city- the place where he decided to stay after his friend had disappeared. He takes care of Ciacho’s bitch called Psotka. He had earlier lived in a tenement haunted by ghosts.
Distinguishing marks: afro
Afro
Afro, sometimes shortened to fro and also known as a "natural", is a hairstyle worn naturally by people with lengthy kinky hair texture or specifically styled in such a fashion by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair...
, beard
The most famous feat: he broke a rubber plant
Rubber plant
Rubber plant may mean:* Para rubber tree - a major commercial source of natural rubber* Castilla elastica - a source of rubber for the ancient Maya people* Ficus elastica - common ornamental plant...
without using hands
Wiraż
Name and surname: unknownNickname: Wiraż
Education: unknown
Occupation: lack of a permanent job, occasionally: elf
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
Family: sister
Description: he is thought to be the greatest freak in the crew. He has ambition to become a master of ceremonies and is interested in building his career on the stage. He is a figure of fun and is constantly laughed at by other characters, especially Niedźwiedź. He is recognizable by a hat inherited from his grandfather.
Distinguishing marks: a checked hat, a huge nose
The most famous feat: he destroyed doors in Szopa's apartment
Niedźwiedź
Name and surname: unknownNickname: Niedźwiedź
Education: Railway High School
Railway High School
Railway High School, Palakkad is situated in Railway Colony. This place is known as Hemambika Nagar Railway Colony.The school was initially started by Indian Railways as a primary school, under un-aided programme of the government of Kerala....
Occupation: lack of a permanent job, occasionally: a morgue employee, a stretcher-bearer, Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
, a member of a demolition team, a leaflet hander
Family: unknown
Description: the greatest boozer in the estate. It seems that inebriation is his natural state. He is perpetually penniless and implicates Smutny in some abstract, ungainful shoddy work. A willingness to fight, straightforwardness and being rude to women are his characteristic features. He used to be a member of a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
demolition team called “Destroyers”.
Distinguishing marks: a winter cap, beard, his nose and ear are pierced
The most famous feat: he led to a brawl between two groups of an athletic-disco disposition.
Kundzio
Name and surname: unknownNickname: Kundzio
Education: unknown
Occupation: unknown
Family: unknown
Description: an enthusiast of ladies who had studied their psyche
Psyche
- Psychology :* Psyche , a concept of intangible self* Psyche , a periodical on the study of consciousness* Soul in the Bible, or psyche , spirit or soul in philosophy and theology- Art :...
for a year reading women’s magazines and analyzing individual episodes of soap operas. Other character of the series, Ciachciarachciach, believes in his telekinetic powers. He is one among a few who are able to see a creature called a “man in stripes”- Ciachciarachciach’s messenger.
Distinguishing marks: none
The most famous feat: he was the only sober person after after carousal at Fizyk's hang-out
Ciachciarachciach
Name and surname: unknwonNickname: Ciachciarachciach (an urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
)
Education: unknown
Occupation: unknown
Family: a dog called Psotka
Description: he seems to be a regular guy but is thought to be a protector of the estate. He is alleged to have some supernatural powers and helps the crew with all crises. He disappeared after a tenement haunted by ghost had been torn down. He stayed together with his bitch Psotka in a dogout in the outskirts of the city.
Distinguishing marks: hairy, unshaven
The most famous feat: he emptied a bottle of wine in 17 seconds
Legends on the block
Stories are an inextricable part of living in the estate and are shared by characters of Osiedle Swobda all the time. Therefore telling them grows into the local art, the best raconteur – like the ones in tribes - is an extremely important member of “tribal” hierarchy. On the other hand one could not help but notice that tales embellish characters’ lives. Although, they seem to embark on their own adventures the longing for something more is still detectable. These urban legends are often produced under the influence of alcohol and so called “magical element”. Through colorful stories characters escape from the grey reality but in time this escape becomes their entire live. What is left after sobering up are depressing hangover and disappointed parents who possess no authority and are constantly absent.Wisdom of the block
Characters of Osiedle Swoboda evince anti-intellectualismAnti-intellectualism
Anti-intellectualism is hostility towards and mistrust of intellect, intellectuals, and intellectual pursuits, usually expressed as the derision of education, philosophy, literature, art, and science, as impractical and contemptible...
combined with anecdotal and philosophical wisdom – the folk
Folk
The English word Folk is derived from a Germanic noun, *fulka meaning "people" or "army"...
one. They are presented as sages who do not need academic knowledge to be sharp-witted and street smart. Faith in the superiority of knowledge acquired on the street is almost a utopian belief compared by some critics to excessive idealization of Polish peasantry in Little Poland
Little Poland
Little Poland may refer to:*Lesser Poland , a historical region of southern Poland*Lesser Poland Voivodeship , a present-day administrative region in southern Poland...
. The block in the series is presented in terms of the myth of bipolarity
Bipolarity
The term bipolarity can refer to:*Polarity in international relations*Bipolar disorder in psychiatry*An object with an electromagnetic field which is not a magnetic monopole*A dipole antenna in radio broadcasting...
- on one hand it is paradise, on the other, ghetto with no way out.
Legacy
Polish comic books have developed dramatically for seven years- time that elapsed since the first issue of Osiedle Swoboda was published. It then distinguished itself by an original way of combining the local with the global. Osiedle Swoboda is a typical housing estateHousing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
originating from an authentic Polish estate in Bydgoszcz. However, in the background one may distinguish motifs taken ironically from a "kit" of stereotypes of global mass culture. Characters are chased by avenger
Avenger
Avenger may refer to:-Military:* Avro Avenger, biplane fighter design* The SP 17pdr, A30 , a variant of the Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger British self-propelled gun* Avenger-class escort carrier, a British aircraft carrier...
s in masks, some of them experience some paranormal adventures.
Today this formula stopped being a novelty. Osiedle Swoboda no longer stands out as a innovative project, simply because there is a plethora of comic books of similar subject matter (e.g. Wilq- superbohater). All in all, this comic book stood the test of time exceptionally well. What still amazes readers is the author's descritption of ordinary people living in the casual estate enriched with a measure of unusual humour. Additionally, the series is spiced with a pinch of surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
which seem almost inherent in this particular estate. So far no one has managed to illustrate polish young people and their lives in a more convincing way.