Andrzej Janicki

• born 1966
• born in Bydgoszcz
• he lives and creates his works in Bydgoszcz
• he specializes in comics, illustrations and graphic design

“Comics appeared in my head in the early childhood. I could not imagine that I would be doing anything else. A motto for the younger generation: you do not have to be a master to begin, you have to begin to become a master”.

He graduated from the Secondary School of Fine Arts in Bydgoszcz, specialization: decoration, in 1986. He has taken part in many comics exhibitions, including in France, Italy, Portugal and Poland. He has published his works in many magazines and anthologies. He is recognized as one of Bydgoszcz classics of the Polish comics, together with Roman Maciejewski, Jacek Michalski, Andrzej Nowakowski, Krzysztof Różański, Michał Śledziński and Jerzy Wróblewski.

The most important publications: comics magazine titled “Awantura” (story, art and cover), Horus, 1990/1991; “Świat Gier Komputerowych” (story and art), Egmont, 1993/1994; “Antologia Komiksu Polskiego” (art), Egmont, 2000; “1981: Kopalnia Wujek” (art), story by M. Jasiński, Zin Zin Press, 2006; “Red” (story and art), Ongrys, 2017; “Andrzej Janicki – Napalony na komiks” (story and art), Ongrys, 2017.

The most important awards and distinctions: distinction in the competition for an economic comic, Fundacja Forum Obywatelskiego Rozwoju, Warsaw, 2008; subsequent distinctions in the same competition in 2015 and 2018.

The techniques used by Andrzej Janicki have changed over the years. At first, he drew his works using a pencil and put in colour with tempera or colour ink; after some time, he started drawing with ink or felt pens and add colour only digitally.
What has remained unchanged is bold and strong strokes giving his characters expressive faces, sometimes bringing them close to the convention of a poster.
Owing to his masterful use of light and shadows, his characters placed against a relatively flat background are given an exceptional effect of roundness and, as a result, resemble reliefs.
Janicki uses page geometry in an extreme manner by choosing an unusual composition, where certain panels seem to be thrown onto a page one after another, like photos onto a table.
What is also present are borders and diagonal panels; sometimes, a single image can be trapezoid instead of traditionally rectangular. His frequent tricks include putting speech balloons or onomatopoeias outside a panel, in borders, which is an area that does not belong to the presented story according to the cartoon convention. All those graphic solutions increase the dynamics of the story.
Janicki’s recognizable style fits well both the grotesque and the realistic convention. Although the artist seems to be created for science fiction albums, in particular drawing of cosmos, strange creatures and technical achievements, he has also worked on historic cartoons and created a series for children.

Andrzej Janicki Gallery

More information about the artist: ajanicki.blogspot.com