Title of the work
Country of the First Edition
Country/countries of popularity
Original Language
First Edition Date
First Edition Details
Marek Turek, script, ill. & cover design. Fastnachtspiel: 1. Koniec Początku [The End of the Beginning]. Katowice: Imago, 2003, 52 pp.
Marek Turek, script, ill. & cover design. Fastnachtspiel: 2. Zadziwiający Pan Burmistrz [The Amazing Mr. Mayor]. Katowice: Imago, 2003, 52 pp. ISBN:83-919635-1-9
Marek Turek, script, ill. & cover design. Fastnachtspiel: 3. Bezsensowny Styks [Nonsensical Styx]. Katowice: Imago, 2004, 52 pp.
Marek Turek, script, ill. & cover design. Fastnachtspiel: 4. Infinitum. Katowice: Imago, 2006, 52 pp.
ISBN
Genre
Alternative histories (Fiction)
Comics (Graphic works)
Dystopian fiction
Fiction
Graphic novels
Mythological fiction
Cover
We are still trying to obtain permission for posting the original cover.
Author of the Entry:
Viktoryia Bartsevich, University of Warsaw, v.bartsevich@student.uw.edu.pl
Peer-reviewer of the Entry:
Elżbieta Olechowska, University of Warsaw, elzbieta.olechowska@gmail.com
Elizabeth Hale, University of New England, ehale@une.edu.au
Marek Turek
, b. 1970
(Author, Illustrator)
Marek Turek was born on February 15, 1970, in Zabrze, in Upper Silesia (the southern part of Poland), he now lives in the neighbouring Gliwice. He began his career as scriptwriter and illustrator of comics in 1992. He publishes in Poland and abroad (USA, Czech Republic, Italy). He is the author of comic books Fastnachtspiel, NeST, Bajabongo.
Source:
Profile at the komiks.gildia.pl (accessed: February 5, 2017).
Bio prepared by Viktoryia Bartsevich, University of Warsaw, v.bartsevich@student.uw.edu.pl
Summary
Fastnachtspiel* is a four-part series of comic books (The End of the Beginning, The Amazing Mr. Mayor, Nonsensical Styx, Infinitum). The action begins after the end of the world. The story resembles the world of nightmares, blacks and whites are sharply contrasted, a claustrophobic mood pervades each of the four parts. An apocalyptic town inhabited by demons, angels, golems and vampires provides a background for the story. There is no more death but this strange world is filled with fear and suffering. The character of Charon wonders on the river Styx without his previous purpose of conveyor of souls to the Underworld. Various characters try to implement some sinister plan but nobody knows who is behind it. Life seems devoid of meaning. Questions about heaven and hell are discussed but remain unanswered. And nobody seems to care.
* A fifteenth-century German farce played during Lent, with moralizing tones and possibly containing folklore, pre-Christian elements.
Analysis
It is an interesting example of use of mythological themes in creation of a post-apocalyptic world. Fastnachtspiel displays the image of how the world would look, if evil would have prevailed over good. Marek Turek uses in his drawings deliberately distorted shapes. He uses Terence’s aphorism: Nothing human is alien to me [Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto*] also in its Latin version. Not only classical themes are present in Fastnachtspiel, but also biblical (the reference to Cain and Abel). Among the classical ones are mentioned for instance Charon, Sirens, Amor, Styx, and Maze. The world created by Marek Turek is grim and dismal, it lacks hope. Black and white scary drawings are repulsive and they speak louder than the accompanying text. A characteristic feature of M. Turek style are the sharply contrasted blacks and whites, visions of drowsy nightmares, claustrophobic mood – all brought to perfection.
* Publius Terentius Afer, Heauton timorumenos, 77.
