Mirko Ilic
Encyclopedia
Mirko Ilić is Croatian
and Bosnian graphic designer
and comics artist
based in New York
.
. He published his first works in 1973, and has since been publishing comics and illustrations in magazines, such as Omladinski tjednik, Lasta
, Tina
, Pitanja, and has become the art and comics editor of the students' magazine Polet in 1976. That's when he organized an informal organization of the comic book creator
s Novi kvadrat (The New Square), that has been widely connected to the Novi val musical movement in Zagreb. That connection also made Ilić design album covers of some of the most prominent Yugoslav bands of the time, such as Bijelo dugme
, U škripcu
, Prljavo kazalište
, BOA
, Parlament, and many others. He also wrote the song Čovjek za sutra on the first album of Prljavo kazalište, but he was not given the credits for the authorship. Ilić appears in Sretno dijete
, Igor Mirković's documentary about the Novi val (New Wave
) movement in Zagreb, as one of the most prominent figures of the movement.
, Heavy Metal
and Marvel's Epic Illustrated
. In 1980, Novi kvadrat ceased to exist and Ilić entirely stopped working on the comics, and focused upon illustration and graphic design. In 1982, he started working for the Italian
magazine Panorama
, as well as for the main Croatian political magazine Danas.
, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and many other prominent and influential newspapers and magazines. In 1991, he becomes an art director of Time International, and the following year he becomes art director of the op-ed
s in the New York Times.
In 1993, Ilić became one of the co-founders of Oko & Mano Inc. graphic design studio, and in 1995 he founded Mirko Ilić Corp., a graphic design and 3-D computer graphics and motion picture title studio. In 1998, he created the title sequence
for the romantic comedy You've Got Mail
.
.
Co-authored with Steven Heller
:
Co-authored with Milton Glaser
.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Bosnian graphic designer
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
and comics artist
Comics artist
A comics artist is an artist working within the comics medium on comic strips, comic books or graphic novels. The term may refer to any number of artists who contribute to produce a work in the comics form, from those who oversee all aspects of the work to those who contribute only a part.-Comic...
based in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Yugoslavian period
Ilić was born in Bijeljina, and has finished the School of Applied Arts in ZagrebZagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. He published his first works in 1973, and has since been publishing comics and illustrations in magazines, such as Omladinski tjednik, Lasta
Lasta
Lasta is a historic district in north-central Ethiopia. It is the district in which Lalibela is situated, the former capital of Ethiopia during the Zagwe dynasty and home to 11 medieval rock-hewn churches....
, Tina
Tina
- Fictional characters:*Tina Branford, a fictional character from the Final Fantasy series; main character of Final Fantasy VI *Tina Hopkins, EastEnders character*Tina McIntyre, a character from the popular British soap Coronation Street...
, Pitanja, and has become the art and comics editor of the students' magazine Polet in 1976. That's when he organized an informal organization of the comic book creator
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
s Novi kvadrat (The New Square), that has been widely connected to the Novi val musical movement in Zagreb. That connection also made Ilić design album covers of some of the most prominent Yugoslav bands of the time, such as Bijelo dugme
Bijelo dugme
Bijelo dugme was a highly influential former Yugoslav rock band, based in Sarajevo. Active between 1974 and 1989, it is widely considered to have been the most popular band ever to exist in former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and one of the most important acts of the Yugoslav rock...
, U škripcu
U Škripcu
U Škripcu was a former Yugoslav rock band from Belgrade, notable as participant in the Artistička radna akcija project as well as for their later works.- Formation and breakup :...
, Prljavo kazalište
Prljavo kazalište
Prljavo kazalište is a rock and roll band from Zagreb, Croatia. Since its formation in 1977, the group changed several music styles and line ups but remained one of the top acts of both the Croatian and the former Yugoslav rock scenes.-Beginnings:Prljavo kazalište was formed in 1977 in Dubrava,...
, BOA
BOA (band)
BOA is a Croatian music group, which was especially prominent during the 1980s around the former SFR Yugoslavia.-History:The band's early history started in Zagreb, then SR Croatia in 1974, when its founding members Mladen Puljiz and Slavko Remenarić, switched their interest from classical music to...
, Parlament, and many others. He also wrote the song Čovjek za sutra on the first album of Prljavo kazalište, but he was not given the credits for the authorship. Ilić appears in Sretno dijete
Sretno dijete
Sretno dijete is a documentary film directed by Igor Mirković, and produced by Rajko Grlić, an Ohio University professor of film, in 2003...
, Igor Mirković's documentary about the Novi val (New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
) movement in Zagreb, as one of the most prominent figures of the movement.
International career
In 1977, Ilić started publishing his works in the established comics magazines outside Yugoslavia, such as Alter Alter, Métal HurlantMétal Hurlant
Métal Hurlant is a French comics anthology of science fiction and horror comics stories, created in December 1974 by comics artists Jean Giraud and Philippe Druillet together with journalist-writer Jean-Pierre Dionnet and financial director Bernard Farkas.The four were collectively known as "Les...
, Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (magazine)
Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science fiction and erotica. In the mid-1970s, while publisher Leonard Mogel was in Paris to jump-start the French edition of National Lampoon, he discovered the French...
and Marvel's Epic Illustrated
Epic Illustrated
Epic Illustrated was a comics anthology in magazine format published in the United States by Marvel Comics. The series lasted for 34 issues, from Spring 1980 to February 1986....
. In 1980, Novi kvadrat ceased to exist and Ilić entirely stopped working on the comics, and focused upon illustration and graphic design. In 1982, he started working for the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
magazine Panorama
Panorama (Italian magazine)
Panorama is a right-wing Italian-language news magazine.-Ownership:The magazine is published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, the largest Italian publishing house...
, as well as for the main Croatian political magazine Danas.
American period
He stopped working for the magazines in 1985, and in March 1986 he left Yugoslavia and went to New York "with $1,500 in the pocket and no idea what to do upon getting there". Yet, he soon started publishing his illustrations in TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and many other prominent and influential newspapers and magazines. In 1991, he becomes an art director of Time International, and the following year he becomes art director of the op-ed
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
s in the New York Times.
In 1993, Ilić became one of the co-founders of Oko & Mano Inc. graphic design studio, and in 1995 he founded Mirko Ilić Corp., a graphic design and 3-D computer graphics and motion picture title studio. In 1998, he created the title sequence
Title sequence
A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
for the romantic comedy You've Got Mail
You've Got Mail
You've Got Mail is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Nora Ephron, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It was written by Nora and Delia Ephron based on the play Parfumerie by Miklós László. The film is about two letter-writing lovers who are completely unaware that their sweetheart is in...
.
Personal life
Ilić is married to Nicky Lindeman, with whom he has two children, one of whom is named Ivo. He was previously married to Croatian writer Slavenka DrakulićSlavenka Drakulic
Slavenka Drakulić is a noted Croatian writer and publicist who currently lives in Sweden.Slavenka Drakulić was born in Rijeka, PR Croatia, on July 4, 1949. She graduated in comparative literature and sociology from the University in Zagreb in 1976...
.
Books about graphic design
Ilić is a co-author of several notable books about graphic design.Co-authored with Steven Heller
Steven Heller (graphic design)
Steven Heller is an American art director, journalist, critic, author, and editor who specializes on topics related to graphic design....
:
- Genius Moves: 100 Icons of Graphic Design
- Handwritten - expressive lettering in digital age
- Anatomy of design
Co-authored with Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser is a graphic designer, best known for the I Love New York logo, his "Bob Dylan" poster, the "DC bullet" logo used by DC Comics from 1977 to 2005, and the "Brooklyn Brewery" logo. He also founded New York Magazine with Clay Felker in 1968.-Biography:Glaser was born into a Hungarian...
.
- Design of Dissent
External links
- Mirko Ilić Corp. official site Mirko Ilić's biography Ex - yu hitovi Mirka Ilića, MTS Mondo, April 13, 2008