Zenica School of Comics: Art and Education for ChildrenCEFR B1
28 Sept 2025
Adapted from Balkan Diskurs, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Miguel Alcântara, Unsplash
The Zenica School of Comics started during the 1992-95 war and has continued for more than thirty years. Adnadin Jašarević, the founder and director of the Zenica City Museum, said the school’s main goal was to give children a creative escape from the harsh realities of war. He compared comics to Alice in Wonderland as a form of release from hunger, fear and shelling.
Around 200 young artists trained at the school and about 70 became notable on the domestic and regional comics scene. Graduates with wider recognition include Kenan Halilović, Biljana Šafaražik and Zdravko Cvjetković, while newer names such as Filip Andronik and Enis Čišić represent a contemporary wave.
The school published magazines like Horostop, ZE strip, EKO strip and SUV – Steps in Time. Technology changed the work: tablets made drawing easier, but artists warn that AI tools could trivialize art. With little institutional support, festivals, workshops and regional cooperation now help the scene survive.
Difficult words
- comic — a story told in pictures and text.comics
- artist — a person who creates art.artists
- school — a place for learning or education.
- resilience — the ability to recover from difficulties.
- technology — tools and methods for creating things.
- creativity — the ability to make new ideas or things.
- initiative — a plan to improve a situation.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- What impact do you think comics have on children during difficult times?
- How might technology change the future of comic creation?
- Why is it important for local artists to collaborate with publishers?
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