Comix Drawer

Branislav Kerac was born in Novi Sad on 7th September l952. He keeps his notebooks from the age of four, filled with his first scribbles. Somebody could recognise something sensible (like a streetcar), but it does not look like anything significant, as somebody could expect. Fortunately, family friend Dejan Beslin, sculptor from Novi Sad, found some indication of talent, and gave to little Bane the first instruction: how to handle a pencil, what was the square, and what was the circle, where to make more pressure, where not. The result was that, at that time, while Bane's friends played football, he used to draw. At the fourh grade of elementary school, Toza Obradovic joined him and they compete who was going to draw better the comic heroes Kit Carson, Cansas Kid or Roy Rank. Toza 's enthusisasm did not last very long, but Bane practised a lot to reach his first ideals ( Hal Foster, Dan Barry, Masherot, Jesus Blasco, Sergio Tarquinio...whose works were published in "Kekec","Politikin zabavnik" and "Crtani romani"). "Plavi vjesnik", edition "Strip-Strip" and Lykos's "Strip zabavnik" introduced to Bane welknown names in Yugoslav comics like Beker, Radilovic, Maurovic, Navojev and Solovjev. The appearence of the magazine "Zenit" and the premiere of Romita's Daredevil had made decisive influence on him. At that time (l967-68), Bane had already started to draw seriously, with ink, in frames, with sound effects, and "real" scripts. The real "seriously" started in l975., when Bane accidentaly met Toza (they were separated for 10 years). After a long talk on the zebra crossing, they decided to make a comic "Lieutenant Tara" and offer it to the publishing firm "Dnevnik". Even more serious "Serious work" started in 1989. When world famous producer Ervin Rustemagic took over the distribution of Bane's authorised comics. With Ervin's firm 'STRIP ART FEATURES' CAT CLAW "counquered" Scandinavian countries and appeared in ten more countries all over the world. But, the situation in 1991. stopped the successfull campain in America (Publishing firm MALIBU from L.A. had published just 9 titles), but anyway, Bane got the status of recognised comic author. Bane got an offer form Andreas Knige, the owner of the firm CARLSEN VERLAG to make a short coloured comic for the album DURCHBRUCH, published for the ruining of Berlin wall, and simultaneously translated into 14 languages. If we say that the other artists who worked in this project were Bill Gibbons, Enki Bilal, Moebious...Bane got himself a good company. Knowing that Cat Claw was mentioned three years in a row the most popular character of Swedish magazine MAGNUM, we can say he is still there.

Like the most of the beginners, Bane, thinking that nobody is better than him, used to write his own scripts. For the same reason, none of them could be finished,because, not one topic could keep his attention for long. At that time, there were so many comics, that every week brought new suggestions. When Olac Gladiator appeared, Bane started to draw something about Cesar. Next week, initiated by Modesty Blaise, he turned his attention to James Bond style.It lasted untill 1969, when he completely finished western "Dead or alive".

At the first period of his work, Bane used to draw by the scripts of Toza Obradovic, but Toza had more and more requests from other drawers, so Bane was becoming more independent. Know as a naggy person who carps, other script writers did not become mad much to cooperate with him. Besides, everybody knows his statement "Why would I draw somebody else's nonsense if I can do it with my own!" It remains unknown how could Toza cope with such a moron for so many years!

DESIGNER

Comic and design, as the means of graphic expression have always been side by side. So, Bane has been familiar with graphic shape of some products, but he never dealt with design much, besause he was engaged by comics. However, the situation in past few years gave him the oportunity to express himself in that field too. Knowing the trends in the development of electronics and print preparations, he accomplished intermediate level of Photoshop school and gets ready to pass preliminary exam at the Deke McClelland's college. According to the pictures at this sight, which he had digitaly coloured, he migh become some wizard, who knows? Meanwhile, enjoy yourself sipping coffee made out of the bag signed "Design by Bane".

LOST FOR STOMATOLOGY

Among numerous drawings made for his school friends and school magazines, Bane accomplished Secondary medical school - branch for dental technician, so he logicaly decided to go further - onto Dental medicine college in Belgrade. He failed on the first year because of Chemistry, since he could not write properly formula of cyclopentanoperhydrophenantren nucleus. On the second year, he did not pass because he did not want to do the experiments on the poor frog. He passed three exams on the third year, without seeing neither ordination, nor patients. Lost about subjects such as Sociology and Prearmy education(very important for a dentist, eh?), in 1977. Bane decided to change the college for second hand drawing table, so he got the diploma of "Lost dentist", saying that it is better to become average artist than a bad dentist.

CHESS BOZO

Bane' s favourite fun between two pencil moves is to play chess with Sibin Slavkovic and Goran Djukic, also known as comic authors. Because they are all marriage witnesses to each other, there is no mercy in those matches. One who does not lose the queen until the 15th Move, becomes temporary grand master.