Osiedle Swoboda
| Osiedle Swoboda | |
|---|---|
magical realism | |
| Publication date | 2004–2006 |
| No. of issues | 6 |
| Main character(s) | Szopa Wiraż Niedźwiedź Smutny |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Michał Śledziński |
Osiedle Swoboda (The Liberty Estate
The abundance of insightful social observations deftly intertwined with the plot contributed to the fame and popularity of the series among young readers: "If I was to mention the most important Polish comic series published at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, I would instantly answer that Osiedle Swoboda has no equals" was how the series was described in Gazeta Wyborcza by Wojciech Orliński.[3]
Plot
It presents adventures of young people living in the casual estate. The characters (Smutny, Wiraż, Niedzwiedź, Szopa, Kundzio) like rough music, parties, alcohol and other substances. They are constantly forced to wrestle with violence, boredom, dull hoods and
The main characters
Smutny
Name and surname: unknown
Nickname: Smutny
Education: unknown
Occupation: lack of a permanent job; occasionally: a morgue employee, a stretcher-bearer, Santa Claus
Family: parents, brother, aunt
Description: a victim of various unfortunate twists of fate. He displays a tendency to meet psychos in the estate. Together with Kundzio, he rents a double room hole in the old part of Swoboda. Some readers claim he might be perceived as a personification of the author, however such statements have always been denied by Michał Śledziński.
Distinguishing marks: goatsbeard, a sad facial expression
The most famous feat: relieving himself of breakfast in a church
Szopa
Name and surname: unknown
Nickname: Szopa
Education: unknown
Occupation: a drug dealer, occasionally: Santa Claus
Family: grandmother and cousin Adrian (both dead), mother
Description: a drug pusher with some moral rules. No chemicals, kids, and pregnant women. He is always seen with a cigarette and presents himself as perfectly composed and reticent kind of person. He carries on his business from a dugout in the outskirts of the city- the place where he decided to stay after his friend had disappeared. He takes care of Ciacho's bitch called Psotka. He had earlier lived in a tenement haunted by ghosts.
Distinguishing marks: afro, beard
The most famous feat: breaking a rubber plant without using hands
Wiraż
Name and surname: unknown
Nickname: Wiraż
Education: unknown
Occupation: lack of a permanent job, occasionally: elf
Family: sister
Description: he is thought to be the greatest freak in the crew. He has ambition to become a master of ceremonies and is interested in building his career on the stage. He is a figure of fun and is constantly laughed at by other characters, especially Niedźwiedź. He is recognizable by a hat inherited from his grandfather.
Distinguishing marks: a checked hat, a huge nose
The most famous feat: destroying the door in Szopa's apartment
Niedźwiedź
Name and surname: unknown
Nickname: Niedźwiedź
Education:
Occupation: lack of a permanent job, occasionally: a morgue employee, a stretcher-bearer, Santa Claus, a member of a demolition team, a leaflet hander
Family: unknown
Description: the greatest boozer in the estate. It seems that
Distinguishing marks: a winter cap, beard, his nose and ear are pierced
The most famous feat: leading to a brawl between two groups of an athletic-disco disposition
Kundzio
Name and surname: unknown
Nickname: Kundzio
Education: unknown
Occupation: unknown
Family: unknown
Description: an enthusiast of ladies who had studied their
Distinguishing marks: none
The most famous feat: remaining the only sober person after a party at Fizyk's hang-out
Ciachciarachciach
Name and surname: unknown
Nickname: Ciachciarachciach (an urban legend)
Education: unknown
Occupation: unknown
Family: a dog called Psotka
Description: he seems to be a regular guy but is thought to be a protector of the estate. He is alleged to have some supernatural powers and helps the crew with all crises. He disappeared after a tenement haunted by ghost had been torn down. He stayed together with his bitch Psotka in a dogout in the outskirts of the city.
Distinguishing marks: hairy, unshaven
The most famous feat: emptying a bottle of wine in 17 seconds
Important motifs
Legends on the block
Stories are an inextricable part of living in the estate and are shared by characters of Osiedle Swobda all the time. Therefore, telling them grows into the local art, the best raconteur – like the ones in tribes – is an extremely important member of "tribal" hierarchy. On the other hand, one could not help but notice that tales embellish characters' lives. Although, they seem to embark on their own adventures the longing for something more is still detectable. These
Wisdom of the block
Characters in Osiedle Swoboda evince
Legacy
Polish comic books have developed dramatically since the first issue of Osiedle Swoboda was published. It then distinguished itself by an original way of combining the local with the global. Osiedle Swoboda is a typical
References
- ^ Kajko i Kokosz – new life - Animocje
- ^ Michał Śledziński (13 April 2010). "Osiedle Swoboda" (in Polish).
- ^ Wojciech Orliński (20 January 2005). "Osiedle Swoboda, Śledziński, Michał". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish).
- ^ Jarosław Kopeć (13 April 2010). "Osiedlowa blokomania" (in Polish).
- ^ Wojciech Orliński (20 January 2005). "Osiedle Swoboda, Śledziński Michał". Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish).