Scarecrows for my Valentine?

LOVE IS STRONGER THAN HATE!

Komic Brew is proud to announce the publication of Scarecrows – a full colour fantasy picture book for the whole family, written and illustrated by renowned Bosnian author Berin Tuzlic.

To mark this occasion a launch event will take place, in the presence of the author, tomorrow (Saturday 14 February) at 2pm in the Scottish Storytelling Centre, (http://www.tracscotland.org/scottish-storytelling-centre), featuring readings, projection of animation films and exhibition. Entry is free.

Scarecrows is set in a desolate dystopian future where the media(s) control the world and tells of a friendless little girl who meets a boy trapped in a TV set. She wants to release the boy and play with him, but the media scarecrows attack from everywhere. Will the girl be able to fight off the scarecrows and release the trapped boy?

“You could say that the story of Scarecrows is a variation on “The Ugly Duckling” by Andersen with a Tim Burton aesthetic”, says the author. Questions initiated by this short story include: are we slowly losing our humanity? Who are the real monsters? Can love overcome the fear and hatred that seems to permeate society?

“We immediately fell in love with the book,” said Adam Armit, the publishing director of Komic Brew. “Fans of Tim Burton’s universe will appreciate the visual treatment, rich in colour and expressionist atmosphere, while lovers of the written word will enjoy the originality of this unusual story.” This is a book that holds a mature, thought provoking story. The poetic approach to the narration, together with the naiveté and the fantastical futuristic set result in a strange multi-layered hybrid that will appeal to the whole family. 

A successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign in December 2014 helped finance this beautiful book. Scarecrows will be available in both printed and digital formats from tomorrow.

This enterprise signifies a great deal to Komic Brew and will cement what is hoped will be a long-term relationship both on a business and cultural level.

What the press has said:

“I read a lot of books. A lot. But this one is one of the best e-books I got to review in the last period. Illustrations: Great, Great, Great!!! And Again! Great!” – Land of Children’s Books (http://landofchildrensbooks.blogspot.fr/2014/12/scarecrows-illustrated-fantasy-book-for.html)

“Scarecrows’ 72-pages of full colour splendor will not leave you indifferent. ” – Artist Opus Magazine (http://artistsopus.com/featured/scarecrows-a-full-colour-fantasy-book/)

“I loved the message of Scarecrows, but there was much more to this simple book than that. This was about knowing there is someone out there who will love you and be your friend, no matter how alone you feel. ” – Lisa Kay Tate, Minion Feeding 101.

“My first thought was Scarecrows was really cute, but it was also kind of sad, the way the little girl didn’t have any friends. I loved the artwork. ” – Molly Kay Tate (age 12), Minion Feeding 101 (http://minionfeeding101.com/2014/11/komic-brews-scarecrows/)  

About the creator

In a prolific professional career spanning two decades, Berin Tuzlic has produced and directed many animation films, comic books, music videos and commercials.  He is president of the ASIFA BiH – the Bosnian branch of the International Association of Animation Films and also founder of PIXEL – Association for Art & Visual Communication. His films have been screened in all major festivals in the world, and he regularly participates in group and solo exhibitions.

“There is a multitude of media everywhere in today’s world. They are in our homes, on the streets, in our cars, even in our pockets, on our mobile phones. As medias fight each other for exclusive, sometimes shocking materials, the boundaries of good taste are erased and everything is submitted to the law of quantity: getting more viewers in any possible way.

Humanity is slowly becoming immune to feelings: we are getting used to seeing terrible things happening in the world, that we barely react any more to poverty, war and injustice. These are some of the deeper issues that are just under the surface of Scarecrows.” – says Berin.

About Komic Brew

The Edinburgh based publishing company, Komic Brew is a bit of a strange creative formula, consisting of one part Scot + one part Macedonian. It was co-founded by Adam Armit and Goce Cvetanovski and has a focus on graphic novels, comic books, and comic strips in the fantasy, SF and horror genres. Planned secondary activities include the publication of board and card games.

There are a number of comic series and graphic novels in different phases of production. There are also plans to publish four series that have not been previously available in English before.

To find out more and see some of the planned projects and current artwork, please visit the Komic Brew website at www.komicbrew.com

 

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