Heartless

by Nina Bunjevac, Jay Lynch (Introduction)

"Powered by an expressive black and white drawing style, reminiscent of Robert Crumb and the meticulous pointillist technique of Drew Friedman, the dark undertone of Bunjevac's humour brings into light the range of socio-political issues her comics deal with, such as gender, nationalism or urban alienation, always from an ironic feminist perspective. Her chain-smoking, slightly alcoholic and manically depressed character Zorka may just be today's ultimate antiheroine. A Balkan immigrant in the Brave New World, working in that same meat factory for the last twenty years, tormented by family constraints and her own secrete desires... we simply can't get enough of her." -- BTurn

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Short Stories, Feminism, Art, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Although Canadian born, Nina Bunjevac spent her formative years in Yugoslavia, where she began her art education before returning to Canada at onset of the war of the 1990s. She continued her education in graphic design at the iconic Art Centre of Central Technical School in Toronto, subsequently graduating from the Drawing and Painting department at OCAD. After a decade of drawing and painting she discovered the passion for the narrative through sculpture installation work, eventually returning to her childhood passion for comics.

Nina’s comics have been published in a number of international periodicals and anthologies, including The National Post, Le Monde Diplomatique, ArtReview and Best American Comics. Her first book Heartless (2012, Conundrum Press, Nova Scotia) won a Doug Wright Award in Best Debut category. Her second book, Fatherland (2014, Jonathan Cape, London) has reached international acclaim, appearing on the New York Times best-seller list and receiving a Doug Wright Award in Best Book category; it was also shortlisted for PACA Regional Literary Award in France. Bezimena (2018, Ici Même, Nantes; 2019, Fantagraphics, Seattle), Nina’s third book, made the official selection at Angoulême International Comics Festival 2019, won Artemisia prize in the category of Best Drawing in France, and was awarded Best Book Jury Prize at 2019 Lucca Comics and Games in Lucca, Italy.

Her artwork has been included in a number of exhibitions, both in Canada and internationally. Notable exhibits include the 2014 installation Out of Fatherland, at Art Gallery of Ontario, commissioned mural pieces for The Idea of North, and Galerie Martel in Paris, France.

She lives in Toronto where she divides her time between comics, illustration, teaching and fine arts.

Reviews

[Jan Philipzig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartless collects short stories (and a few individual illustrations) by Serbian-Canadian cartoonist Nina Bunjevac: all a bit on the melancholic side, most darkly humorous, some tragic. The stories’ subversive boldness brings to mind the underground comix by Robert Crumb, the pointillist illustration style and facial expressions the caricatures by Drew Friedman. There is also an artsy, feminist, somewhat disillusioned and alienated side to the stories, though, that feels more contemporary and vaguely European to me.

As others have pointed out, the book's highlight is arguably a group of absurd yet wonderfully touching shorts centered around the chain-smoking, alcoholic, manically depressed Zorka, an immigrant lady who hates her church-going sister “with passion,” while obsessing about a male stripper and prostitute named Chip. “Chip what?” “Chip… Smoke… stein…?” “He’s Jewish!!? Listen Zorka—you are no spring chicken! Don’t you think it’s about time you found yourself a nice guy, one of your own?” Impressive stuff!

[andreea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Dominick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an impressive book. Bunjevac here offers an eclectic mix of short comics stories (incuding a linked suite of stories about Zorka Petrovich, who would appear to be some sort of feline humanoid inhabiting a human world), followed by a selection of illustrations, several of which are remarkably detailed realistic renderings of animals and plants, produced originally (I believe) as scientific illustrations. The stories mix extremely black humour with tragedy and, in the case of the final piece, an almost poetic/elegiac tone. Bunjevac may sympathize with her characters, but she is not sentimental about them. Her style is simultaneously both unique and reminiscent of various underground/alternative figures--whether this is a result of influence or happenstance I do not know, but as she received her early art training in Yugoslavia, it's a fair bet that there influences and traditions of which I am ignorant that also (or perhaps instead) inform her work. The most intriguing pieces here are the Zorka Petrovich ones, which seem to imply a larger world in which the action unfolds, but which focus tightly, and with a darkly comic/satiric tone, on Zorka's futile quest for love. Might be read as an allegory for an immigrant/outsider experience; Zorka apparently lives in a "settlement" reserved for her kind, and another of the stories is expicitly about a young female immigrant who is sexually abused, and all the other stories about humans also deal with immigrant communities. Regardless, recommended to anyone intersted in daring, dark comics work.

[Zorana Mitrović · Rating 3 out of 5]

Da mogu da ocenim samo ilustracije bila bi petica, ovako ću je dati "Bezimenoj" jer mi je znatno bolja i efektnija.

[Kaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointing read after Bezimena RTC

[Annabelle Berthiaume · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

Fuck you, love! [Snnnnnnif]. Care to share some of that ? - p.74

[Rex Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illustrated in the exhausting pointalist realism style of Drew Friedman, this book is a collection of short stories dealing with alienation and nationalism. Her chain-smoking, slightly alcoholic and manically depressed character Zorka may just be todays ultimate antiheroine. This is an excellent book, masterfully done in both art and prose. I wish I could find more work from her. Hopefully it will come out soon. Highly recommended.

[Dana Jerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has TONS of heART. Blown away by the art and all the sweet subversions.

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read Bunjevac's "Bezimena" first, I felt a little let down that this isn't quite as good. It's still a fairly strong set of comics that lean heavy into the dark comedy and twisted irony. The stories all have a tragic element to them, but have a significant infusion of humor to somewhat lighten them up. There are some heavy themes relating to sexual abuse and alienation, and come from the perspective of recently immigrated women. The stories are quite well done, though somewhat lacking in depth that I'd largely brush off as being due to their brevity (though I do think Bunjevac is more than capable of economical storytelling based off "Bezimena"). Bunjevac's signature pointilism artstyle is on full display with each story and is really the main reason I'd recommend checking out this book.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent comic book done beautifully in art and story. The stories, though short, are hilariously sad or absurdly hilarious. Nina Bunjevac is a talented story teller and brilliant artist who creates gripping plots with a combination of her pictures and sentences.

Overall I think this book is extremely underrated!

[Vesko Jovović · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nula prekrižena, neopjevano smeće.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing!!!!!!!

[Ian Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, pointed, so funny - I've not read anything like it. Bunjevac brings a knowing edge to all the big pains and aches of life. And the art, is out of this world good.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non chiarissime le intenzioni dell'autrice con questo volume che riprende una serie di sue storie vecchie e alcune vicende autobiografiche oltre a storie brevi di filosof3.

[Jody Banman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird, well illustrated and original. I enjoyed the Zorka character the most, I wish the whole book centered on that character.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Canadian cartoonist by way of the former Yugoslavia, Bunjevac delivers emotional, beautifully-striking stories in the mode of a deranged O'Henry/Burns/Crumb cross pollination. Each of these five tales delivers a unique, both graphically and story-wise, perspective into these darkly abusive male realities. Bunjevac's often submissive women suffer, survive, and at times thrive. Nothing typifies this more than the volume's excellent centerpiece "Bitter Tears of Zorka Petrovic," which chronicles the lead character's obsession with a male prostitute. Complete with a gallery of illustrations, Heartless, Bunjevac's first collection, successfully introduces this unusual artist's work to the masses.

[Irene Polini · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐
Ma solo perché io sono completamente ignorante e forse non capisco lo stile psichedelico della Bunjevac 🤷🏻‍♀️
Si tratta di racconti: alcuni collegati tra loro, altri stanno in piedi da soli. Ma proprio non ho capito certe scelte stilistiche: SPOILER, il capitolo finale sono nomi e piante in latino. SPOILER, una dozzina di pagine sono dedicate a figure balcaniche.
La prefazione è ancor meno comprensibile: questo graphic novel mi era stato spacciato come la storia famigliare di Nina Bunjevac, ma della sua famiglia si racconta solo alla fine, e nemmeno tutta la storia.
È semplicemente una raccolta di storie: forse qualche booktuber dovrebbe rivedere i titoli che consiglia. Su questo aspetto, grande delusione.
Il volume si salva SOLO ED UNICAMENTE grazie ai disegni che sono favolosi.

[Sasha Boersma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have been blitzing on graphic novels throughout 2012 and 2013. I have not been pulled into the work of a new-to-me artist/storyteller the way I was pulled into this title in come some time. Nina uses a fantastic "old school print" graphic style that I haven't seen much of in what I've read to date. The stories also take a female perspective, but with quite a bit of brashness to them, even though they're quite touching. It's a quick read, give it a shot :) Note: Mature Content warning on the back cover is not an exaggeration. It's tasteful/relevant to the stories through.

[Lisa Macklem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars is probably unfair to this, but it was just not my cup of tea. None of the stories felt like they had any real depth and were just an excuse to write some very soft core porn. It felt more like half-baked ramblings. The art is lovely and the production values on the book are excellent, but after reading Fatherland and then this, I won't be looking to read anything else by her. The final pages of life drawing are beautiful and had it been an entire book of that I would have given it 4 stars...

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of short pieces, most of which are humorous...yet with an undertone of melancholy. The stories collected under "Bitter Tears of Zorka Petrovic" are my favorite. I'm going on to read Bunjevac's new book, Fatherland, for the next review episode of the podcast.

[Daniel Burton-Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly illustrated darkly comic tales. Like a female R. Crumb, from the Balkans.

[Serhan Gok · Rating 5 out of 5]

A relentless masterpiece.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously bleak vibes.