The Clenching Fist

 I am a visual type. Because of that, I pay attention to visual elements. Sometimes, they are very puzzling to me.

One of those is this clenching fist that I've been noticing for the past 20+ years. With very characteristic details highlighted here in pink circles, especially the one highlighted in the red circle, I see exactly the same fist appearing again and again. In some cases, it's exactly copy-pasted, or photocopied before computers.

 

The exact same fist is used by totally opposite groups/movements—from racist Aryan groups, White Power to the Black Panther Party/Black Power and Black Lives Matter and everything in between.

 

https://br.m.wikipedia.org/.../Restr:Racist_Aryan_Fist_or...

https://medium.com/.../the-black-panther-party-b7ce0268002b

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_power

https://www.etsy.com/.../black-lives-matter-svg-digitized...

 

Even the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers use a slightly modified version of the same fist.

 

I am very curious about whose original drawing was this fist.

If by any chance you know this, please let me know.

 

 

"Floyd Collins" Musical

This days at Lincoln Center you can see posters with my illustration for the Lincoln Center Theater's musical Floyd Collins. The poster is art directed by Nicky Lindeman at SpotCo.

You can read more about this project here.

 

"Texas Kid, My Bro" by Igor Kordej

Another gift from my friend Igor Kordej.

A few days ago, Igor gifted me this beautifully drawn and intense comic Texas Kid, My Bro, published by the Croatian publisher Fibra.

Igor is one of my longest-known friends. We've known each other since 1972 and have shared many personal and work-related adventures.

 

 

Not all comics in my collection are acquisitions. Some are gifts from my friends, like this recent present from Igor Kordey. 

This beautifully drawn page is from the soon-to-be-published second volume of the comic Marshall Bass. The comic, drawn by Igor Kordey and written by Darko Macan, is based on the life of Bass Reeves.

Bass was a runaway slave, gunfighter, farmer, scout, tracker, railroad agent, and deputy U.S. Marshal. He spoke the languages of several Native American tribes including Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole and Creek. He was one of the first African-American Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River, mostly working in the deadly Indian Territory. The region was saturated with horse thieves, cattle rustlers, gunslingers, bandits, bootleggers, swindlers, and murderers. Reeves made up to 4,000 arrests in his lifetime, killing twenty men in the line of duty.

 

 

 

 

Lecture to Future Police Officers on Symbols of Hate

On December 6th, I was giving a lecture on symbols of hate was held for 48 new police recruits in the Training Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Skopje, North Macedonia.

I was invited to come to the Center by invitation of the Assistant Minister of the Training Center, Mr. Vlatko Mitkovski.

During the lecture, I spoke about the importance of recognizing and understanding the meaning of the symbols of hate used by neo-Nazis, racists, and various hate groups, which bombard society daily through the Internet, street graffiti, and different sports fan groups. He explained how police officers, as part of their professional work, must learn to recognize these symbols and do everything in their power to stop the spread of these messages of hate and bring positive changes to the community.

It is hoped that the lecture had been beneficial and provided the attendees with valuable knowledge and new perspectives on the topic.

The event was organized by Vidi Vaka.

Lecture "Design Activism" in Skopje, North Macedonia

On December 5th, I gave a lecture on design and activism in front of more than 200 guests at the Faculty of Architecture in Skopje, North Macedonia. The lecture is part of my visit to Skopje, which accompanies the opening of the Tolerance Poster Show. My lecture was introduced by the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Prof. Dr. Ognen Marina, and a speech was also given by the founder of Vidi Vaka, Goran Igić, who also organized these events.

Among the attendees were high school pupils from the School of Art and the gymnasium Orce Nikolov, deputy minister of Police, Mr. Vlatko Mitkovski, with teachers from the Police Academy, activists, representatives of the civic sector, Open Society Foundation, NDI and representatives of the design and comic books community.

During the two-hour lecture, which was followed by numerous questions from the audience, I spoke about activism in art, emphasizing the role of design. He shared his personal experiences and projects that connect art, design, and activism to address current global issues. 

The lecture highlighted the importance of designers taking responsibility for their work, advocating for social justice, and using their authority to raise awareness of key issues. All that sparked a long discussion about the ever-evolving role of design in shaping societal values and the power of visual communication.

Photos by Vidi Vaka.

Maumee by Milton Caniff

I recently acquired this very unusual daily comic Steve Canyon by Milton Caniff from 1968.

Milton Caniff remained loyal to his alma mater, Ohio State, often referencing it in his Steve Canyon strips as "Maumee University." In this humorous large panel, Thud Shelley, a Steve Canyon recurring character, takes center stage at the stadium after a bizarre chain of events leads to an unexpected outcome.

I was only surprised because it seemed nobody from Maumee University tried to bid for this comic. Bad for them, good for me. 

This is not my first Milton Caniff comic. You can see more here, here, and here.

 

 

Poster for Transformation/Metamorphosis

My poster design for the play Transformation by JDP-Yugoslav Drama Theater in Belgrade, Serbia. 

Transformation is a play inspired by Franz Kafka's novel Metamorphosis. The theme of the play is depression, the illness of one of the family members and his death. Why is it sometimes easier to let one of the family members die to make everyone better off? The play is made from personal experiences, first of all of the director, and then of the actors. What does it mean to wake up and live like an insect in today's world? What does the world look like from the perspective of a mentally ill person? What does the transformation of an entire family that lives with an "insect" look like? 

You can see more of my theatre poster designs here.

 

 

"Mary Perkins, On Stage" by Leonard Starr

My recent acquisition is this daily comic Mary Perkins, On Stage by Leonard Starr from 1979.

Leonard Starr (1925 – 2015) was an American cartoonist, comic book artist, and advertising artist, best known for creating the newspaper comic strip, On Stage and reviving Little Orphan Annie.

In 1957, Starr created the comic strip On Stage, later titled Mary Perkins, On Stage for the Chicago-Tribune-New York News Syndicate. Characterized by a mix of soap opera, adventure and humor, the strip featured tight, realistic graphics and, from the beginning, strong layouts, design and storytelling. He continued producing Mary Perkins, On Stage until 1979. Starr would later cite the work of Alex Raymond and

Milton Caniff as influences on the strip's artwork.

Poster for "Flyod Collins" Musical at LTC

My artwork for Floyd Collins, a new musical at Lincoln Center Theater.

The poster design and art are directed by Nicky Lindeman at Spotco. Since the play is based on an event that happened in 1925, the art director wanted the poster to have the look of the posters from that time.

Floyd Collins had its world premiere at the American Music Theater Festival in Philadelphia in 1994. It was followed by the off-Broadway debut at Playwrights Horizons in 1996 where it won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical. Due to its enduring cast recording, the musical has achieved a devoted following over the years.  This Lincoln Center Theater production will mark the long-awaited Broadway debut of this modern-day classic.

Floyd Collins is based on the true story of a cave explorer in Kentucky, 1925. While chasing a dream of fame and fortune by turning Sand Cave into a tourist attraction, Floyd Collins himself becomes the attraction when he gets trapped 200 feet underground. Alone but for sporadic contact with the outside world, including his brother Homer, Floyd fights for his sanity – and, ultimately, his life – as the rescue effort above explodes into the first genuine media circus. Reporters and gawkers from across the country descend on the property, fueling the hysteria and manipulating the nation into holding its collective breath. Floyd Collins, featuring a haunting exploration of the American dream by Tina Landau and a glorious folk and bluegrass-inspired score by Adam Guettel, tells the transcendent tale of a true American dreamer.

You can see more of my theatre posters here.

"Garth" by Frank Bellamy

My recent acquisition, two originals of the comic Garth by Frank Bellamy. Two continuing episodes of the story were published in the Daily Mirror newspaper on June 11th and 12th, 1975.

"Cazador y presa" by Arturo Del Castillo

My latest acquisition—an original page from the comic Cazador y presa by Arturo Del Castillo. It's the last page of this comic.  

I already have two pages from his comic El Cobra in my collection. You can see the pages here and here.

 

"Up Anchor!" comic by Kreigh Collins

My recent acquisition is this quite large page of Up Anchor! comic by Kreigh Collins from 1970.

Kreigh Taylor Collins (1908 – 1974), born in Davenport, Iowa, was an American cartoonistbest known for the comic strip Kevin the Bold. In 1968, Collins began working on the comic strip Up Anchor!, a story in modern setting about sailing, loosely based on his own experiences of sailing. Up Anchor! was published as a Sunday comic strip until 1972.  

Here you can read and see more comics by Kreigh Collins.  

 This is not my first page of Kreigh Collins's comics. I already have a page of his comic Kevin the Bold, which you can see here. 

The last image shows how the comic looks in print.

 

 

"Where the Wild Lines Are"

I just received the catalogue for the exhibition Where the Wild Lines Are – Books and Illustrations for Children at Die Neue Sammlung (The Design Museum) in Munich.

This exhibition comprises illustrated children’s books from Die Neue Sammlung’s collection and is curated by Caroline Fuchs. The exhibition will be on display until January 26, 2025.

I am quite pleased to see that several children’s books I donated to the museum are included in both the exhibition and the catalogue, and I even received credit for them.