Marjan Manček: Illustrator – Slovenia

When you’re drawing, the word comes, the line comes, the figures come, you add to them, repair them and then something emerges from this, a story develops.

M. Manček

marjan mançek is one of Slovenia’s most recognizable illustrators due to his unique style. He has illustrated more than 200 books, written and illustrated comics and children’s picture books, and made several short animated films. He has received a number of awards in Slovenia and abroad for his work.

Manček was born in 1948 in Novo Mesto in Slovenia. During his years as a student of English and History at the University of Ljubljana, he earned money publishing cartoons, particularly caricatures. After having worked briefly as a teacher, and later as an editor in a publishing house, he started working full time as a freelance artist.

Manček’s artistic style is informed by his experience as a caricaturist. His drawings seem to be designed to express the content as clearly as possible, while using the smallest possible number of lines. Yet, this does not mean that Manček does not pay attention to detail. Movement, for example, is an important feature of his illustrations, and he makes use of his experience from working with animated film when depicting, for example, laughter or crying.

Manček’s early work on caricatures and cartoons has also influenced his style in terms of the comedic elements and humor present in his illustrations. There is a sense of playfulness in his drawings and he expresses humor in a number of ways. Sometimes it is by exaggerating and contrasting certain parts, sometimes it is by facial expressions, and other times it is by the sheer oddity of his drawings.

Though Manček puts a lot of effort in the detail of each individual illustration, the overall design of each book is equally important. For instance, he is guided by both aesthetic deliberation and educational aims when illustrating a book. Accordingly, he may for example decide to link the text with his drawings, hoping that the connection between text and illustration will lead the child towards reading through play. In fact, the most important factor for Manček when making his creative decisions is the readers. “In creating for children and young people, I am aware for whom the work is intended, and when it comes onto paper, in some way, I feel whether it is right,” he says. In other words, Manček always takes his readers into account when illustrating, considering them a starting point for his drawings.