The library of foreign literature for children (branch №3 of the Pushkin library)
ul. 3 sovetskaya, 8, entrance from the yard (m. Ploshchad Vosstaniya)
+7 (812) 275-53-10, www.pushkinlib.spb.ru
Opening hours: mon-sat 11.00-18.00, sun closed

September 15 – October 14

Wilhelm Busch (1832 – 1908) was born in Wiedensahl, Germany. After getting an education in engineering, he studied art in Düsseldorf, Antwerp and Munich, and eventually took up caricature. One of his first cartoon stories “Max and Moritz” (published in 1865) became a bestseller immediately after publication and gained the status of classic work. A rare combination of brilliant artistic and poetic talents ensured William Bush’s popularity around the world. His famous drawings served as reference point for New York artists when they were creating their first comics. Along with the Swiss artist Rodolphe Töpffer, Busch can be called “grandfather” of comics.

In prerevolutionary Russia, Bush’s books were published and republished many times. In the 1920-ies, during the golden age of Soviet children’s book culture, there was no ban on publication of Bush’s work, so the best children’s poets of the new era, such as Daniil Harms and Samuil Marshak, created their versions of Bush’s stories. However, Bush’s comics were not republished in the Soviet Union from the 30-ies to the 90-ies. In 2011 the publishing house Melik-Pashayev printed 2 collections of Wilhelm Busch cartoon stories retold by the famous children’s writer Andrey Usachev.

In 1937, Wilhelm Busch Society opened a museum in Hanover, which houses a vast collection of works by the author. Also in the last 40 years the museum has amassed a large collection of comics, cartoons and illustrations by artists from various countries. Wilhelm Busch Museum Website is www.karikatur-museum.de

The library of book graphics (the Lermontov library system)
ul. 7 krasnoarmeyskaya, 30, entrance from the yard, code 150 (m. Tekhnologicheskiy institut)
+7 (812) 575-16-34, www.lplib.ru/bkg
Opening hours: mon-fri 09.00-20.00, sat 10.00-18.00, sun closed

September 15 – October 7

Grigory Yushchenko was born in 1986 in Novosibirsk. He graduated from the History Faculty of St. Petersburg State University (Department of Russian Art History). In 2005-2006 he was a member of creative association Parasite Gallery. In April 2006, together with Igor Mezherytskyi and Alexander Vilkin he founded the art group PROTEZ. As part of the art group’s activity, he participated in more than twenty exhibitions and events, as well as in production of several films.

Grigory was twice nominated for (2007 and 2010) and once a finalist (2008) of Kandinsky Art Award. Participant of the festival Perm Live (2009, 2010), Moscow Biennale of Young Art «Stop! Who’s there?» (2008, 2010), International Exhibition «Nordic Art Today» in St. Petersburg (2011) and a large number of group exhibitions.

At the festival, Grigory will present his new project «Russian devils» – hand-drawn story, dedicated to the relationship of man and evil forces in our pre-apocaliptic times.

Zoom café
ul. Goroknovaya, 22 (m. Nevskiy prospekt, Sennaya ploshchad’)
+7 (812) 612-13-29, www.cafezoom.ru
Opening hours: mon-fri 09.00-24.00, sat 11.00-24.00, sun 13.00-24.00

September 16 – October 14

Helena Klintsevich was born on May 2, 1990 in Siberia. At the moment she is graduating from the University of Cinema and Television (SPbGUKiT) specializing in directing animated films. In addition, she worked as an intern at the International Film School EICAR in Paris. Her animation work “About Love” participated in the festivals St. Anna (Moscow), The Festival of Festivals (Saint-Petersburg), Tindirindis (Vilnius).

During her artistic career, Helena participated in the project Museum Night with animated sketches about Space, collaborated with the magazine Seasons, created cards for The Flower Shop, illustrated stories in the magazine Seance, developed concert posters for musician friends, worked at festivals like KinoForum, The Festival of Festivals, Piterkit, Message to Man, Open Cinema.

Helena prefers to draw with one line, for her the most important thing is the face, or rather its expressions. She believes that every story should end well in spite of the many difficulties that one can face on the way.

Blog of the artist helya-in-blog.blogspot.com

The library of book graphics (the Lermontov library system)
ul. 7 krasnoarmeyskaya, 30, entrance from the yard, code 150 (m. Tekhnologicheskiy institut)
+7 (812) 575-16-34, www.lplib.ru/bkg
Opening hours: mon-fri 09.00-20.00, sat 10.00-18.00, sun closed

September 18 – October 7

Live Bubbles is a creative publishing duo of artists from St. Petersburg, Vladimir “Pitersky Punk” Lopatin and Ilya Obukhov. Two completely independent creators have decided to collaborate in 2010, driven by their desire to publish and promote comics in Russia. To date, they published three collections of comic strips entitled «The Republic of Comics», which include works by contemporary authors of comics, including those from abroad.

In addition to publishing, together and separately, the creators of Live Bubbles are constantly involved in various artistic events and performances.

At the festival the duo will present their project «Anatomy of a comic strip», which will show the process of creating comic books on the base of books that they have published.

vk.com/live_bubbles

«Art re.FLEX» gallery
pr. Bakunina, 5 (m. Ploshchad Vosstaniya)
+7 (812) 332-33-43, www.artreflex.ru
Opening hours: mon-sat 12.00-19.00, sun, mon closed

September 21 – October 14

The association of illustrators Tzeh was formed in 2006 and currently includes more than 50 Russian-speaking illustrators from different countries, from beginners to artists with experience of more than 15 years. The members are from Russia, Ukraine, Europe and the U.S., including some quite well known artists, such as Maria Shabaeva-Krasnova, Oksana Grivina, Victor Melamed, Edik Katyhin, Eugeny Tonkonogy, Protey Temen, members of the design bureau “Pike” and others.

Even though the participants of the union have very different tools of expressions, they are united first of all by their «mutual envy» as they phrase it. Tzeh only gets new members when the members unanimously decide that this new artist is exactly what the union lacks. The scope of work of the association includes more than ten commercial and non-commercial group projects including projects for major international companies. The group considers commercial and non-commercial projects equally important.

The new project, which will be shown at the festival, is a series of stories, squeezed into a single image, comic strips in one frame. In order to focus the viewer on the story as well as to maintain the visual unity of the project, all works were executed in black and white. Judging by the formal features and tools of expression used to create them, these works could be categorized as illustrations, but independent illustrations, which only require a thoughtful and open-minded audience.

www.tzeh.ru

Gallery «Saray» at at the Fountain house
53, Liteyniy avenue, entrance through the arch (m. Mayakovskaya, Vladimirskaya)
+7 (812) 579-72-39, www.akhmatova.spb.ru
Hours of operation: Tue-Sun 10.30-18.30, Wed 13.00-21.00, closed Mon

September 26 – October 14

Harukishi is a self-proclaimed composer, artist, pho-toy-graph, author and translator of comics. He also creates as a writer from time to time. He was born on the island of Hokkaido in 1973.

In 2010 he founded Electronic Publishing House Toge No Jizo, where he began to publish mini-comics by Annco from Korea, Eric Kriek from Holland, Hans Rickheit and Robert Goodin from the U.S. At the moment he is the only publisher in Japan, who publishes foreign alternative comics in electronic format. In 2011 Harukishi wrote a guide book «Let’s read alternative foreign comics». The book’s 170 pages tell about 50 foreign comics that were published after 2000. It also included a series of comics of Russian author Oleg Tischenkov «Cat».

In 2011 Harukishi became the winner of the Boomfest festival competition.

Blog of artist – gosshie.blogspot.com

Small Hall of «Manege»
nab. kan. Griboedova, 103 (m. Sadovaya, Sennaya ploshchad)
+7 (812) 312-25-54, www.manege.spb.ru
Opening hours: wed-sun 12.00-20.00, mon-tue closed

September 27 – October 14

Le dernier cri is an underground publishing house that specializes in graphic design, illustration and comics, reproducing them by silkscreen printing. It was founded in Marseille in 1993 by artists Pakito Bolino and Caroline Sury. In nearly 20 years they have managed to publish over 300 books, as well as launch the magazine Hôpital Brut. Besides that Le dernier cri regularly organizes exhibitions in France and abroad, creates music and animated films.

Le dernier cri established an international network, which involves artists from different countries, and actively collaborates with them on their creations in which art brut is mixed with traditional comic book elements and new graphic design solutions. Creating icons with each new product, combined with direct speech, persistence and instincts – this is the research area that the studio is interested in.

www.lederniercri.org