Stripburger #85 – Home to Free-spirited Comics! Regardless of weather conditions, political turmoil, or climate change, Stripburger remains a magazine where comics of eclectic styles and origins take center stage. These are comics that came into the world “with all the hope, love, and optimism one could have,” as James Turek writes in his editorial on comic orphans—even if they’ve spent some time forgotten, tucked away in a drawer, sketchbook, or digital cloud before finally finding a home in the 85th issue of Stripburger. The 85th issue features two interviews: we talked to German comics artist Anna Haifisch, who describes comics as the perfect medium for visual storytelling. The short form, featured in Stripburger, is not just an ideal space for refining the comics language but also a place of complete creative freedom. “I draw the kind of comics I would like to read myself,” says our second interviewee, long-time collaborator and one of Stripburger’s pioneers, Jakob Klemenčič. His words echo our editorial credo: we publish the kind of comics we would want to draw—and read. And to top it all off, the issue includes our regular midsection, Compendium, offering a vibrant mix of reviews and reflections on comics from both the local scene and the wider world. Long live free-spirited comics! COVER: James Turek (DE)SOAPBOX: James Turek (DE)INTERVIEWS: Anna Haifisch (DE), Jakob Klemenčič (SI)COMICS: James Turek (DE), Lars Sjunnesson (SE), Tereza Šiklová (CZ), Marcel Ruijters (NL), Bruno Borges (PT), Andrej Štular (SI), Stipan Tadić (HR/US), Anna Haifisch (DE), Zsófia Rumi (HU), Klara Kracina (SI), Anamarija Kvas (HR), Malcy Duff (SCT), Heather Loase (US), Markus Färber (DE), Jakob Klemenčič (SI), Vuk Palibrk (RS), Gvendolina Završnik (SI) Compendium #12:COVER: Gvendolina Završnik (SI)CRITIQUE: Jakob Klemenčič (Matthias Lehmann: Chumbo), Bojan Albahari (Sammy Harkham: Blood of the Virgin), Tajda Liplin Šerbetar (Mikael Ross: Der verkehrte Himmel), Katja Štesl (Anna Haifisch: Ready America; Nadine Redlich: Doing the Work), Ana Bogataj (Jurij Bobič in David Krančan: Mala Mara / Little Mara; Matej Kocjan – Koco, Ines Cergol: Plapolanje skale / Fluttering Rock)REFLECTION: Peter Kisin, A Note on Reading America (Martin Ramoveš, Janez Ramoveš: Amerika)A NOTE ON DESIGN: Aljaž Vesel & Anja Delbello (Cheetos) June 2025, A4-, 124 pages: 96 magazine+ 28 supplement
