Politikin Zabavnik

Infobox Magazine
title = Politikin Zabavnik


image_size = 200px
image_caption = "Zabavnik" cover featuring Gorillaz, May 2007
editor = Zefirino Grassi
editor_title =
frequency = Weekly
circulation = 45,000 [http://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=369528 Vreme 686 - Intervju - Zefirino Grasi, Politikin Zabavnik: Formula udrobljenog sadrzaja ] ]
category = Magazine for amusement and science
Comic magazine
company = Politika AD (50%)
WAZ (50%)
publisher = Politika Newspapers & Magazines
firstdate = February 28, 1939
country = SRB
language = Serbian
website = [http://www.politikin-zabavnik.co.yu www.politikin-zabavnik.co.yu]
issn =

Politikin Zabavnik (Serbian Cyrillic: Политикин Забавник) is one of the most popular magazines in Serbia. The first issue came out on 28 February 1939. In the beginning it was printed in the form of newspaper, and issued biweekly, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Nowadays it comes out weekly on Fridays. One third of the magazine are comics, while the other two contains articles about science, nature, history, music, interesting events, written to appeal to the broadest audiences. [ [http://www.mediacenter.org.yu/code/navigate.asp?Id=6&from_date=1/1/2000&to_date=3/5/2007&content=&search=undefined&izvor=&offset=9 Mediji o medijima ] ] The magazine's famous slogan labels it as "For everyone from 7 to 107" (Za sve od 7 do 107) [ [http://www.yu4you.com/items/sr/casopis/item_64.html Yu4You.com: Politikin zabavnik: Časopisi Politika a.d ] ] . The slogan once said "For everyone from 7 to 77", but was changed, after the editor received a letter from a reader, saying how he recently turned 78 and asking if he was still fit to read it.

History

Pre-war years (1939 – 1941)

First editorship consisted of journalists from Politika, headed by Vladislav Ribnikar, Dušan Duda Timotijević and Živojin Bata Vukadinović. They were among the enthusiasts who were gathering Serbian intellectual left wing during the late 1930s. [http://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=369528 Vreme 686 - Intervju - Zefirino Grasi, Politikin Zabavnik: Formula udrobljenog sadrzaja ] ] They had the idea about making an amusing newspaper containing novels, stories and comic strips. On 31 December 1938 newspapers Politika came out with an open competition for the name of new edition. Between 34,998 coupons that arrived, one fifth voted for the name "Politikin Zabavnik" (Politika's Entertainer) among other suggestions. [http://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=369528 Vreme 686 - Intervju - Zefirino Grasi, Politikin Zabavnik: Formula udrobljenog sadrzaja ] ] The magazine's first issue was published on 28 February 1939. It was issued in the form of Berliner newspaper (31×47 cm). It had 12 pages printed in black and white. Four of them were printed with addition of red color and its undertones. The concept of Politikin Zabavnik was ballanced relation between comics and texts, such as novels, stories and interesting facts.

As comics editor Duda Timotijević was in charge for translation of American comic strips and Sunday strips, he became the "godfather" of many Disney's characters, giving them Serbian names to reflect their characteristics. [http://www.rastko.org.yu/strip/zzupan-zlatnodoba.html [Projekat Rastko Zdravko Zupan: Zlatno doba srpskog stripa ] ] Beside Disney's comic strips Politikin Zabavnik published comics such as: "Jungle Jim", "Ming Foo", "Little Annie Rooney", "The Lone Ranger", "Red Ryder", "Thimble Theater", "Curley Harper", "Brick Bradford", and "King of the Royal Mounted". Domestic comic authors also had significant space: Đorđe Lobačev (comics related to Serbian folklore – "Baš Čelik" and "Čardak ni na nebu ni na zemlji"), Moma Marković ("Rista sportista" – adventures of Belgrade boys), Konstantin Kuznjecov (adaptation of Pushkin's tales in verse – "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel" and "The Tale of Tsar Saltan"), and Sergej Solovjev (adptation of R. L. Stevenson's "Treasure Island"). The main difference between Politikin Zabavnik and concurrent comic publishers, such as "Mika Miš" and "Mikijevo carstvo", was textual parts containing crosswords, novels, "Ripley's Believe It or Not!", reportings from science to sport, and numerous short, interesting and edifying texts. Beside, it had exclusive rights on, in that time in Serbia extremely popular, Walt Disney comics. [http://www.rastko.org.yu/strip/zzupan-zlatnodoba.html [Projekat Rastko Zdravko Zupan: Zlatno doba srpskog stripa ] ]

Editor of textual parts was Bata Vukadinović. Politikin zabavnik featured novels of Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, H. G. Wells and many other famous writers. [http://www.rastko.org.yu/strip/1/zupan-draginicic_1/politikin-zabavnik_l.html [Projekat Rastko Zdravko Zupan i Slavko Draginčić: Istorija jugoslovenskog stripa I ] ]

Average magazine circulation came to 41,000 per issue, which was at the time a great number. But, the bombardment of Belgrade in World War II stopped the publishing of the magazine. The last of the pre-war editions (No 220) came out on 4 April 1941.

After-war years (1952 – 1967)

Soon after the war was over, new communist regime was intolerable about comics and baned them. [http://www.rastko.org.yu/strip/ivkov-mala_istorija.html [Projekat Rastko Slobodan Ivkov: Mala istorija srpskog stripa ] ] The explanation was that commics are a product of capitalism. However, after the end of Soviet influence in Tito's Yugoslavia, and especially after the conflict with Stalin and Informbiro period, cultural bondages started to loose. First it started with caricatures and animated movies, and later some comics acquiescently started to be published in different editions. [http://www.rastko.org.yu/strip/60godina/60gstripa_03.html Slobodan Ivkov: 60 godina stripa u Srbiji ] ]

Seven years after World War II Vladislav Ribnikar decided to re-establish the magazine. The first after-war issue came out on 5 January 1952. Editor in chief was Kosta Stepanović, and his first assistant Bogdan Popović,(he later also became editor). According to the legend, which authenticity is today hard to verify, it was prearranged by a visit of Athens' representative of Walt Disney Company. He suggested to Tito to re-establish comic publishing in Yugoslavia. "Why not, I like Donald Duck", was Tito's reputed answer. [http://www.aleksandarzograf.com/writes/writes_voltdizniusfrj.html Zograf ] ] The fact is that Disney's characters had significant space in "Politikin Zabavnik".

Modern age (1968 – 1990)

The first day of 1968 was a historical date for the magazine. Nikola Lekić, chief editor in that time, changed its form from newspaper to magazine format (25×33 cm). Also, it was now published in color. Another significant addition was a comic in the middle of the magazine. Before that Politikin Zabavnik published only comic strips. The magasine now contained a complete episode of a comic separated on 2-3 sequels. [http://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=369528 Vreme 686 - Intervju - Zefirino Grasi, Politikin Zabavnik: Formula udrobljenog sadrzaja ] ] Starting from 1971, Politikin Zabavnik was also printed in latin and Slovenian [ [http://stripvesti.com/arhiva/sv-258.htm index ] ] , and at its peak it reached a number of 330,000 copies per issue (1975). [http://www.jasatomic.org.yu/?postid=3373 JašaTomić.org.yu - Katastrofalna poplava u mestu Jaša Tomić opština Sečanj (BANAT) ] ] During the middle of the 1980s it changes the format again, becoming a little smaller (21×30 cm).

ections

Every issue consists of constant and periodical sections, and other texts related to magazine content.

Constant Sections:
* Веровали или не! (Ripley's Believe It or Not!)
* Јесте ли већ чули да... (Have you already heard that...) — Interesting facts
* Хогар Страшни (Hägar the Horrible) — Comic strip
* Ма шта кажеш (You don't say) — Funny stories
* Живот пише драме (Life writes dramas) — Sad, heartbreaking stories from real life
* Забавникове логичке загонетке (Zabavnik's logical riddles) — Logical and mathematical problems
* Comic — 12-15 pages of one comic, usually separated on 2-4 sequels
* Енигматика (Enigmatic)
* Забавников ЗОО (Zabavnik's ZOO) — Texts about animals.
* Изуми, открића, достигнућа (Inventions, discoveries, achievements) — Technology and science texts
* High Tech — Articles about new technological gadgets
* Ја ♥ ПТТ (I ♥ PTT) — Pages for letters of readers, and answers on their questions about miscellaneous topics
* Чудесни свет Герија Ларсона (The Far Side) — Comic strip
* They said about... (Рекли су) — Edifying or funny sentences of known and unknown people
* Гарфилд (Garfield) — Comic strip

Periodical Sections:
* Зашто се каже... (Why do we say...) — Linguistical texts about roots and meaning of specific words
* За читање и уживање (For reading and enjoyment) — Short stories of famous writers
* Забавников историјски Забавник (Zabavnik's historical Zabavnik) — Stories from history
* Приче о песмама (Stories about songs) — Texts related to music, edited by Dejan Cukić
* Фантастика (Fantastic) — SF or fantasy stories, edited by Zoran Živković

Comics

During the years Politikin Zabavnik has published numerous comics and strips. Mostly American, French, Belgian and those of domestic authors. Some of the famous comics often published in Politikin Zabavnik are: [ [http://stripovi2.tripod.com/id4.html Politikin zabavnik ] ]

*Asterix
*Batman
*Bernard Prince
*Blueberry
*Brick Bradford
*Cocco Bill
*Corto Maltese
*Dennis the Menace
*Dick Tracy
*Flash Gordon
*He-Man
*Iznogoud
*Jeremiah
*Katzenjammer Kids
*Lucky Luke
*Mandrake the Magician
*Modesty Blaise
*Popeye
*Prince Valiant
*Rahan
*Rip Kirby
*Secret Agent X-9
*Superman
*The Phantom
*Tin-Tin
*XIII

Politikin Zabavnik Literature Awards

Politikin Zabavnik Literature Award (Књижевна награда Политикиног забавника) is an award given every year for the best book for the young readers, published in the previous calendar year. It was established in 1980 (for year 1979). The awards ceremony takes place every year on the foundation day of Politika - 25 January. Every youth book in Serbian or a language of national minorities in Serbia. [ [http://www.knjizara.co.yu/index.php?gde=http://www.knjizara.co.yu/pkch/data01/nagrada_polit_zabavnika.html knjizara.com ] ] has the right to participate in the contest.

Among the writers awarded are: Grozdana Olujić, Enes Kišević, Milovan Vitezović, Gradimir Stojković, Pavao Pavličić, Vladimir Stojšin, Branko V. Radičević, Slobodan Stanišić, Mirjana Stefanović, Milenko Maticki, Svetlana Velmar Janković, Vesna Aleksić, Vladimir Andrić... [ [http://www.knjigainfo.com/index.php?gde=@http%3A//www.knjigainfo.com/pls/sasa/bip.text%3Ftid%3D20310@ knjigainfo.com ] ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.politikin-zabavnik.co.yu Official site - Serbian]