Strip Art Features

Strip Art Features, commonly abbreviated SAF, is a comic-book publishing house and rights agency based in Celje, Slovenia. The company was founded in Sarajevo in 1971 by Ervin Rustemagić, who was 17 at the time. From its beginning, SAF operated across national and language boundaries, combining publishing with the representation and licensing of comic properties created by European and international artists. The company developed a broad library rather than concentrating exclusively on superhero material. Its activities included publishing comics and magazines, representing creators and publishers, and licensing rights for properties in different territories. This international orientation made SAF a link between European comics production and English-language publishing markets. Its magazine Strip Art received the Yellow Kid Award for Best Foreign Comics Publisher at the 1984 Lucca Comics & Games event, an important recognition of the company’s standing in the international comics field. By the early 1990s, SAF maintained offices in the Sarajevo suburb of Ilidža and in Doetinchem, the Netherlands. The Bosnian war had a severe effect on the business. In early 1992, the Ilidža offices were destroyed during Serbian bombardment, and more than 14,000 pieces of original comic art were lost. The destroyed archive reportedly included work by major American, Argentine, and European creators, making the event both a corporate disaster and a major loss for comics heritage. Rustemagić escaped Bosnia and Herzegovina and re-established SAF in Slovenia in late 1993. SAF’s rights-agency activities became particularly visible in the United States through its representation of Hermann Huppen’s Jeremiah. Earlier attempts to establish the property in the American market had involved publishers including Fantagraphics, Catalan Communications, and Malibu Comics. Beginning in the 2000s, SAF’s co-publishing relationship with Dark Horse Comics helped Jeremiah reach a wider American readership. SAF and Dark Horse also worked together on additional titles. The company’s catalog and licensing work consequently became known to American comics readers even though SAF remained rooted in the European publishing and rights-management environment. In 1997, Rustemagić partnered with former Malibu Comics publisher Scott Mitchell Rosenberg to co-found an American iteration of Platinum Studios. That venture acquired film and television rights to Jeremiah, which later became the basis for a science-fiction television series broadcast on Showtime from 2002 to 2004. Rustemagić left the Platinum Studios, Inc. partnership in 2000. SAF separately entered a distribution agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors in 2004, further connecting its publications and properties with the North American direct-market comics system. SAF’s principal significance lies in its combined role as publisher, rights representative, and international bridge for non-superhero comics. Its history is marked by the development of a cross-border catalog, the destruction and reconstruction of its Sarajevo operation, and later partnerships that brought European properties to American audiences. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about its current corporate ownership, management structure, financial performance, and detailed present-day publishing schedule.

Strip Art Features was established in Sarajevo in 1971 by Ervin Rustemagić, who founded the company at the age of 17. It developed as both a comics publisher and an agency representing publishing and licensing rights. Rather than limiting itself to one national market or to superhero comics, SAF built an internationally oriented library covering a wide range of genres and maintained relationships with European creators and publishers. A major early recognition came in 1984, when the company’s magazine Strip Art won the Yellow Kid Award for Best Foreign Comics Publisher at Lucca Comics & Games. The award reflected SAF’s role in bringing comics from different countries to readers and publishers beyond their original markets. By the early 1990s, the company operated from offices in Sarajevo’s Ilidža suburb and Doetinchem in the Netherlands, illustrating its cross-border structure. The Bosnian war caused a defining rupture in SAF’s history. In early 1992, the Ilidža offices were destroyed by Serbian bombardment. The fire consumed more than 14,000 original pieces of comic art, including material attributed to prominent American, Argentine, and European artists. The loss affected SAF’s archive and represented a substantial destruction of original comics artwork. Rustemagić left Bosnia and Herzegovina and rebuilt the company in Slovenia in late 1993. Following its re-establishment, SAF continued to work as a publisher and rights representative. One of its most important properties was Hermann Huppen’s Jeremiah, for which SAF held English-language rights. The property had previously struggled to find a durable American publishing audience through companies such as Fantagraphics, Catalan Communications, and Malibu Comics. Its subsequent relationship with Dark Horse Comics, beginning in the 2000s, gave Jeremiah greater visibility in the United States. SAF and Dark Horse also released other titles together, making the Slovenian company better known among American comics readers. Rustemagić expanded the company’s media-rights reach through a 1997 partnership with Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, a former Malibu Comics publisher. Together they co-founded an American version of Platinum Studios. That entity acquired film and television rights to Jeremiah. The property was later adapted into a science-fiction television series that aired on Showtime from 2002 through 2004. Rustemagić departed the Platinum Studios, Inc. partnership in 2000, while SAF continued its separate publishing and rights activities. In 2004, SAF signed a distribution agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors. The arrangement connected SAF’s output and associated properties with one of the principal distribution systems serving the North American comic-book market. Across these stages, SAF’s business model remained centered on publishing, rights management, international licensing, and the circulation of European comics in English-language markets. Reference material identifies Celje, Slovenia, as the company’s current base, but provides little detailed information about its contemporary ownership, executive team, financial results, or active publication list. Those aspects require further verification from current company or trade sources.

• 2004

  Diamond distribution agreement

  [1]Strip Art Featuresen.wikipedia.org

  SAF signed a distribution deal with Diamond Comic Distributors.

• 2002

  Jeremiah television adaptation begins

  [1]Strip Art Featuresen.wikipedia.org

  A Jeremiah science-fiction television series began its Showtime run, continuing through 2004.

• 2000

  Rustemagić leaves Platinum Studios partnership

  [1]Strip Art Featuresen.wikipedia.org

  Rustemagić ended his participation in the Platinum Studios, Inc. partnership.

• 1997

  Platinum Studios partnership formed

  [1]Strip Art Featuresen.wikipedia.org

  Rustemagić partnered with Scott Mitchell Rosenberg to co-found an American iteration of Platinum Studios.

• 1993

  Operations re-established in Slovenia

  [1]Strip Art Featuresen.wikipedia.org

  Rustemagić rebuilt SAF in Slovenia after leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• 1992

  Sarajevo-area office destroyed

  [1]Strip Art Featuresen.wikipedia.org

  The Ilidža office was destroyed during Serbian bombardment, and more than 14,000 original artworks were lost.

• 1984

  Strip Art wins the Yellow Kid Award

  [1]Strip Art Featuresen.wikipedia.org

  SAF's magazine Strip Art received the Lucca Comics & Games Yellow Kid Award for Best Foreign Comics Publisher.

• 1971

  Company founded in Sarajevo

  [1]Strip Art Featuresen.wikipedia.org

  Ervin Rustemagić founded Strip Art Features in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at age 17.

An internationally oriented European comics publisher and rights agency specializing in cross-border representation, licensing, and publication of creator-led comic properties.

• Comic magazine

  Strip Art

  Strip Art was SAF's magazine and an important showcase for the company's international comics orientation. Its recognition at Lucca Comics & Games in 1984, where it won the Yellow Kid Award for Best Foreign Comics Publisher, indicates the publication's prominence in the European comics publishing environment.

• Comic series and licensed property

  Jeremiah

  Jeremiah is a comic property created by Hermann Huppen for which SAF held English-language rights. After earlier American publishing attempts, the series gained wider exposure through SAF's relationship with Dark Horse Comics. Its rights were also connected to a television adaptation broadcast by Showtime from 2002 to 2004.

• Rights representation and licensing

  International comics rights library

  SAF developed a broad, internationally oriented library of non-superhero comic properties. Its rights-agency work involved representing creators and publishers and facilitating publication or adaptation in other territories, particularly English-language markets.

• 2004

  Enter a North American distribution agreementStrategy

  Background

  SAF's international publishing activities required access to established comics distribution channels in the United States.

  Action taken

  The company signed a distribution deal with Diamond Comic Distributors.

  Aftermath

  The agreement expanded SAF's connection to the North American direct-market comics system.

  Source

• 1997

  Co-found an American Platinum Studios ventureM&A

  Background

  SAF sought to extend its comics-rights activities into film and television licensing.

  Action taken

  Rustemagić partnered with Scott Mitchell Rosenberg to co-found an American iteration of Platinum Studios.

  Aftermath

  The venture acquired film and television rights to Jeremiah, leading to a later Showtime adaptation.

  Source

• 1993

  Rebuild the company in SloveniaStrategy

  Background

  The destruction of SAF's Ilidža office during the Bosnian war forced the company to leave its Sarajevo-area base.

  Action taken

  Ervin Rustemagić re-established Strip Art Features in Slovenia.

  Aftermath

  The company continued its publishing and rights-agency activities from Slovenia and later became associated with international partnerships.

  Source

1. 1Strip Art Featuresen.wikipedia.org