“The World of Comics” for all 9th art lovers

Two years after the opening of the first World of Comics café bar in the eastern part of the city, with a rather large reading room full of comics and another even larger room for all 9th art lovers, the World of Comics library and gallery has recently opened in the heart of the city and thus put Zagreb on the map of the rare capitals worldwide with such a specific offer.

Comic book lovers no longer have to travel all the way to Brussels, the absolute global Mecca of 9th art devotees, as they can find everything that interests them in Zagreb. Two years ago, the first World of Comics opened in the eastern part of Zagreb. This is a café bar where coffee can be sipped while reading the selection of comic books in the café bar’s library. The concept has recently been extended to encompass yet another, even larger place. The second World of Comics, with a large library and gallery, has opened its doors in the very heart of the city, in Kačićeva Street, and has immediately become the meeting place for 9th art lovers and all those attracted by somewhat unorthodox music and film offers. This has put Zagreb on the map of those very rare capitals worldwide that boast such a specific attraction. Places like this have so far existed only in Brussels, or rather Belgium, a country where comics are considered a very important export product. However, whilst comics enjoy a special national treasure status in Belgium, the World of Comics concept in Zagreb is an entirely private project, a rarity, if not a unique such project in the world.

The popular 9th art lovers can obviously avail themselves of both venues. However, the “older” one offers “only” a reading room with numerous Croatian and foreign comics that can be read in a pleasant ambience, with free internet access and unusual music evenings on weekends. The World of Comics Library and Gallery is a place intended for a broader audience. The space has provided the concept’s founder with what the first one could not offer – a large library to which many citizens donated their comic book collections and a space for themed exhibitions, comic book schools for children and teenagers, auctions and rich music and film programmes on weekends.

Quite in the manner of the unconventional art that comics are, on Thursdays the World of Comics Library and Gallery will offer unique evenings of slapstick comedy and guitar – the screening of silent movies featuring the likes of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Hardy, with live guitar accompaniment. Sometimes the guitar will be replaced by piano accompaniment.

The programme on Fridays is called Classics and Wine – a pleasant ambiance with the backdrop of classical music by great composers. On Saturdays, nostalgic lovers of old Zagreb urban songs will come into their own here. With free internet access on several computers and no entrance fee, the entire project is bound to build up quite a following. After all, this is indeed a place like no other in Zagreb which, in addition to offering an enviable collection of comic classics and rare foreign editions, exudes the almost forgotten Zagreb flair.