The project aimed to create and publish a documentary comic trilogy, capturing the life stories of three Czech and Slovak Roma people. The final project entitled O Přibjehi was published by Lipnik in 2010 (authored by Vojtěch Mašek, Máša Bořkovcová, and Markéta Hajská). It consisted of three comic books: Ferko, Keva and Albína. Each book is, like their heroes, unique, both in their content and the structure of artistic workmanship. What unites them is the authors’ attempt to convey in words and pictures their impressions of the meeting between the three strong and original personalities.
The comic Albína tells the love story of a 45-year-old Romani from the Javorník region. A large part of the story takes place in eastern Slovakian Roma settlements. The story of Albina is complemented by other actors who were present during the romance, one that began at the turn of the millennium after the arrival of humanitarian aid worker Karel to the flood destroyed area of Hermanovce in eastern Slovakia.
The comic Keva tells the story of a 20-year-old girl from Smíchov in Prague, who has nine siblings, works in a sandwich shop, and has a lot of plans for her life. Not only is it a portrait of a young Roma girl dealing with the problems of the city, but it’s a vivid testimony of the young Roma generation living in Prague.
Ferko is a comic about a 60-year-old Olach Roma with roots in Slovakia and Hungary. Ferko, using a narrative style that is similar to magical realism, leads us through his varied life, full of changes and incredible stories, often going back several generations.
