Attention, all the pandas out there! We’re pleased to introduce Anežka Židkova, an illustrator from the Czech Republic. She creates a hilarious comic series filled with funny characters, witty dialogues, and unexpected twists. Sounds intriguing, right?
We got in touch with the artist to learn more about her work. First, we asked about the inspiration for her comic series. Anežka told us: “I started making comics in my last year of high school to prepare my portfolio for college. I had stories coming to me all the time and I loved drawing. Comics are a perfect way to combine narrative and visuals. I never really tried to develop my sense of humor, most of it comes from my upbringing. My whole family is really funny, especially my dad. Eastern Europeans are really funny people in general. Although I’d say my sense of humor is more gentle than the typical Eastern European one. I like to share my ideas, preferably through humor, because when it’s done well it’s the best way to go.”
More info: Instagram
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Image credits: kiwiagnes
Asked to describe her creative process, the artist said: “I just live my life and observe the stuff happening around me. I’m a very curious person and I love to learn. The best ideas come to me when I feel strongly about a topic or an event. Once I settle on what I want to 'talk' about, I break it up into 3 panels. Two panels for the exposition and the last one for the twist. Picking an environment and character design that suits the current narrative. The small format of a comic strip allows me to produce new characters and worlds that quench my thirst for experimenting with visual variety.”
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Židkova also shared with us how she comes up with ideas for her new strips: “I really hate cliches and believe any true artist should try to constantly challenge the current ideas of anything there is and find new perspectives on all the aspects of the world around us or at least find refreshing combinations of what is already known to us. So I try my best to live by this and fulfill my duty as an artist. And since one’s beliefs tend to shape their actions, I come up with these twists and punchlines.”
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We were wondering how Anežka engages with her audience on social media and incorporates their feedback into her work. The artist told us: “I treat my Instagram followers as kindly as possible and I’m very grateful for their dedication. The feedback usually comes in the form of comments which I try to process and incorporate it into my future work. Recently I’ve been asked by multiple followers to do a comic about seals, so I’m working on that.”
Židkova added that aside from Instagram, she also has a running comic strip called “F POHODĚ” in the Metro newspaper in the Czech Republic. The artist said: “Unfortunately, it doesn’t always allow me the luxury of interaction despite it making up the majority of my audience.”
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Lastly, we were curious about what aspect of creating comics Anežka considers the most rewarding. We learned that: “One of the most rewarding aspects of creating and putting my comics out there is feeling heard the way I won’t be able to feel by just simply talking. Making a piece of media gives a person the opportunity to talk to multiple people without even meeting them. I’ve experienced having my therapist quote my own comic strip to me during our first session without knowing I was the author. It was a very powerful experience.
I sometimes struggle to find new ideas but thankfully they keep coming. Fresh ideas usually come from ever-changing conditions, stimuli, and new information. Since nothing in life is permanent, I never am bored, therefore I keep creating.”
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