Bogusław Polch

• born 1941
• born in Brześ nad Bugiem
• died on 2 January 2020
• he specialized in comics, advertising and graphic works

“Bogusław, thank you for your contribution to the Polish comics and the Polish art and for the joy your works gave to many generations” (SLOW editorial team and readers))

Having completed the Secondary School of Fine Arts in Warsaw (at present Wojciech Gerson Secondary School of Fine Arts in Warsaw), he started working at the age of 17. His career in comics started in 1970, when Polch’s first official comics titled “Złoty” Mauritius from the “Kapitan Żbik” series was published by Sport i Turystyka.

The most important publications: “Kapitan Żbik” (art), various story writers, 8 volumes, Sport i Turystyka, 1971‒1975, Kultura Gniewu, 2013; “Według Ericha von Dänikena” series (art), story: A. Mostowicz, A. Górny, KAW, 1982‒1990, then Muza, 2003, Prószyński Media 2015; “Funky Koval” (art), story by M. Parowski, J. Rodek, Egmont Polska, 2002, Prószyński Media, 2014; “Wiedźmin” series (art), story by M. Parowski based on A. Sapkowski’s prose, Prószyński i S-ka, 1993‒1995.

The most important awards and recognitions: Bronze Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis, 2009.

Bogusław Polch is one of the classics of the Polish science fiction comics. He is famous for elegant, precise strokes and drawings full of details. His comics are created using a classic and realistic style, which is not devoid of panache. Although the similarity to Paul Gillon, whom he likes, and also to Moebius or Philippe Druillet, is mentioned in the context of the artist’s works, Polch developed his own style. His recognizable manner is close to a cool and precise technical drawing.
What decides about the exceptionality of that artist is refined, carefully drawn and concrete diverse worlds, which remain consistent despite many innovative details. Great imagination enables Polch to draw many original architectonic, geographic, technological or even anatomical solutions.
What also distinguishes Polch is the fact that he works on the layer of a page composition rather than of a single panel. His comics owe their great dynamics not only to visual effects, such as multiple representations of laser beams, which are often diagonal, but also to other non-typical formal solutions, e.g. frequent use of diagonal perspective, change of viewpoints, panels with diverse shapes, frames dividing panels only seemingly or a complete resignation from frames.
Polch’s comics contain many references not only to real life at the time but also to legends or past beliefs and religions.

Bogusław Polch Gallery