IF YOU WERE ATTACKED, WOULD YOU FIGHT BACK?

What if your family, your hometown, your entire way of living were threatened by force? That's what the people of Ukraine faced when Putin's Russian army invaded their sovereign land, displacing millions of refugees and causing an international crisis threatening democracy across the globe. But the Ukrainian people refused to cave - and these 9 stories weave the greater tale of their resistance - and fight for Victory!

Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

When the full-scale invasion began, I was in Kyiv. I’ve lived in Kyiv for more than 20 years. The city is protected, we are calm. HAIL TO ZSU [note: Armed Forces of Ukraine]!!!

Were you working as an artist, or did you have another job and art was a passion or side job?

I have been painting since I was a child, and almost all professions that I have changed are related to painting: animator, designer, FX art director, illustrator, etc.

How long have you been drawing comics?

I created comics since I was a 10 year old boy, but I was first published in 2015.

Do you have an online portfolio or link you can share?

Behance
ArtStation
Vimeo
Website

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

When I created Among the Sheep, I was very inspired by Blacksad by Spanish authors Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido. In general, I am more impressed by manga and anime, their non-binary plots and cinematography.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

The war broke everything of course. The contracts that I had hoped for are gone, money is spent more quickly than in peacetime. But new orders are appearing, not only comics. I have been a freelancer for 11 years, and finding of new opportunities is a part of my life. It's so great to see people from all over the world coming to help Ukrainians and save a lot of lives. Help from the civilized world is very important for us. Because we are fighting now for our common values.

For the episode you drew for PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine, what inspired you to tell this story?

The Ghost of Kyiv has been a legend since the first hours of the invasion of the Russians. In one day he shoot down 6 (six!) enemy airplanes it is a real superhero! And when I was offered topics to choose from, I did not hesitate, I took the story of The Ghost of Kyiv. Only I took the courage to adapt it to 10 pages. I was fan of airplanes from my childhood.

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

It may look like boring from your side, but I need to correct it - the war has been going on for a long time. At least since 2014. On the 24th of February 2022, I was wake up nearly 5 a.m., because of glasses trembled in windows. I called everyone I knew and told them that the invasion had begun (if they didn't know it yet). It was scary to listen to the bombing for a whole day at first days. I wore street clothes and stayed in the corridor (the rule of 2 walls [note: there should be two walls between the street and a person; the first wall takes the force of the explosion and the second absorbs any shrapnel]). After reading more information I realized that it was necessary to separate in-out. It became easier because "outs" from our artillery were more than “in arrivals” to us. That's why the fires an artillery sounded like music already. After month of vain hopes that were inspired by different "experts" and we together with my brother went to Mykolayiv to pick up my wife and our mother. And it was one of the most important decisions in my life. Now they are safe.

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

I would like to say about the solidarity of the civilized world and so on, but it is more important to pass the following message: JUST BELIEVE, take ALL that comes from Russia as absolute nonsense. They are anti-Midas, everything they touch turns into shit, pain and death. They can buy everything, and in the end, they turn it into death.

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

Dreams... The disappearance of crazy and aggressive country in the neighborhood. Our cultural integration with Europe, which will lead to the domination of the institution of reputation. And the dreams will come true by themselves if they are not obstructed.

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Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

I was born and raised in Sumy, lived half my life in Kyiv and have been residing in Wroclaw, Poland for several years.

Were you working as an artist, or did you have another job and art was a passion or side job?

Though I come from a graphic design background, art has always been my passion, so about six years ago I switched completely to illustration.

How long have you been drawing comics?

I started my journey with sequential art four years ago, when I began working on my own story that fit no other format. Comics, along with worldbuilding, have since become the main focus of my work.

Do you have an online portfolio or link you can share?

Website (Mostly hosts my graphic novel)

Instagram (More illustrations/worldbuilding focused)

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

Pretty much every work of art I encounter inspires me to some degree in a sense that it jumpstarts the thought process, which ends up “creatively useful” in some way. But if I were to pick the biggest, “life changing” influence, it would be Alan Moore and his Watchmen. It was the first graphic novel I read as I would read traditional literature. It was with that work that I discovered how deep, versatile, and complex a story in a graphic novel can be.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

The focus of my work has shifted. Since February 24 I find it very difficult to work on anything not war related. On the other hand, the incredible valor of Ukrainian soldiers, the selfless, tireless work of volunteers and acts of courage by ordinary people, inspire me in a way that’s difficult to describe, and so this inspiration pours into works that are deeply Ukraine-centric, sometimes outside of my direct control. Most of the works, topics and notions that guided me before the war are put on the back burner until the Victory.

For the episode you drew for PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine, what inspired you to tell this story?

The Witch piece was inspired by my home region of Sumy and the town of Konotop in particular. There is this half-joking notion, that every other woman there is a witch (probably in greater part stemming from the novel The Witch of Konotop by Kvitka-Osnovianenko). And hearing the stories, watching the news, I thought that maybe this war has awakened something in my people, something ancient and fundamental, something better not be trifled with. I made a sketch trying to capture this raw force, a delicate woman dismantling a tank, and I was amazed when Denys Fadieiev managed to turn that illustration into a script that captured the essence of that story of resistance so perfectly.

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

People often say that some traumatic events split their lives into “before” and “after”, and despite the banality of the formulation, this is exactly how it felt. On February 23 I fell asleep over my personal work (literally), with a head filled with plans and ideas, only to wake up on February 24 to a reality where none of those things mattered anymore. My parents were stuck in Sumy, surrounded by Russian invaders, and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it from a 1000 km away. My parents are safe now and by a sheer stroke of luck and courage of many amazing people my hometown weathered the occupation better than most. Unfortunately, there are quite a few people I know who weren’t so lucky.

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

The past several years have demonstrated how fragile our civilization is. What is happening now in Ukraine has global significance, because right at this moment men and women with Ukrainian flags on their uniforms fight to shield and preserve civilization. The harsh truth is that this war is a model of things to come: civilization versus barbarians, truth versus lies, integrity versus corruption, with little place for moral relativism. There is no doubt in my mind that “the things good and proper” will prevail eventually, and I hope each and every one of us will have played our part, no matter how small, in making that Victory possible. My heartfelt thanks go to those who help and support Ukraine. Thank you!

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

I think my dream would be rather obvious: our Victory and Ukraine healed and rebuilt.

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Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

I was born in Dnieper and have lived here since the beginning of the war. I am staying in my native city and I have no plans to move.

Were you working as an artist, or did you have another job and art was a passion or side job?

I started to work as comics painter immediately after graduating from the art college. And I still do it. I wanted to create comics since childhood, it is my main desire and now it is my only way of earning money.

How long have you been drawing comics?

I started to work as comics painter immediately after graduating from the art college. And I still do it. I wanted to create comics since childhood, it is my main desire and now it is my only way of earning money.

Do you have an online portfolio or link you can share?

Behance
ArtStation

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

From all artists my main inspiration are Jorge Jimenez and Marcos Mateu-Mestre. They are huge artists of our time. Certainly, I am inspired by plenty of artists, but these two are the main for me right now. Also, I adore works of the Ukrainian painter and comic artist Ihor Baranko. Especially his detective comic, Maksym Osa. This comic became a start of my fascination of comics and the world of graphic stories.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

The war did not influence to my job - I am still working a lot, but I begin to work even more than before to feel less stress of air alarms and to reduce fear during explosions.

For the episode you drew for PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine, what inspired you to tell this story?

I really like the story I create about Zmiinyi Island. Because it is based on the real events that took place at the beginning of the war. This story became the legend already among Ukrainians. And this story about the courage of our troops, that is why I am proud to be the part of this story now.

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

The war strongly influenced on my relation to many things. I began to value and to admire Ukrainian content even more than before, I saw how our rich culture was portrayed by talented people: I began to listen more Ukrainian songs and to read Ukrainian literature, study Ukrainian history. I fully gave up Russian content from the internet.

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

It is a story that even in face of any threat it is necessary to be calm and to carry confidently the faith to this world to sure that the victory is always with the truth, and it is a main deal, even if you will not see this victory. I think, it is the main message to our readers!

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

I dream now about the creation of my own graphic novels and comics that I could publish in Ukraine and abroad. I have many ideas of plots of such stories for comics in my head, I would like to realize it. I want to develop the industry of comics in modern Ukraine very much. Certainly, I also dream to become one of the best comics artists in the world. It is just the beginning.

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Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

Originally, I come from a small town of Chernivtsi, Vinnytsia region. I have been living in Kyiv for almost four years and that is where I was when the War began.

Were you working as an artist, or did you have another job and art was a passion or side job?

I was working as an artist, but I had to quit my job because the company didn’t want to stop their cooperation with Russian artists and that was against my moral conviction.

How long have you been drawing comics?

I started to work as comics painter immediately after graduating from the art college. And I still do it. I wanted to create comics since childhood, it is my main desire and now it is my only way of earning money.

Do you have an online portfolio or link you can share?

Behance
ArtStation

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

From all artists my main inspiration are Jorge Jimenez and Marcos Mateu-Mestre. They are huge artists of our time. Certainly, I am inspired by plenty of artists, but these two are the main for me right now. Also, I adore works of the Ukrainian painter and comic artist Ihor Baranko. Especially his detective comic, Maksym Osa. This comic became a start of my fascination of comics and the world of graphic stories.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

The war did not influence to my job — I am still working a lot, but I begin to work even more than before to feel less stress of air alarms and to reduce fear during explosions.

For the episode you drew for PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine, what inspired you to tell this story?

I really like the story I create about Zmiinyi Island. Because it is based on the real events that took place at the beginning of the war. This story became the legend already among Ukrainians. And this story about the courage of our troops, that is why I am proud to be the part of this story now.

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

The war strongly influenced on my relation to many things. I began to value and to admire Ukrainian content even more than before, I saw how our rich culture was portrayed by talented people: I began to listen more Ukrainian songs and to read Ukrainian literature, study Ukrainian history. I fully gave up Russian content from the internet.

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

It is a story that even in face of any threat it is necessary to be calm and to carry confidently the faith to this world to sure that the victory is always with the truth, and it is a main deal, even if you will not see this victory. I think, it is the main message to our readers!

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

I dream now about the creation of my own graphic novels and comics that I could publish in Ukraine and abroad. I have many ideas of plots of such stories for comics in my head, I would like to realize it. I want to develop the industry of comics in modern Ukraine very much. Certainly, I also dream to become one of the best comics artists in the world. It is just the beginning.

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Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

I was born in Rivne Oblast and during the Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, I was living in the Western part of Ukraine. I haven't moved anywhere because in the Western part of Ukraine, there isn't any warfare, only air alarms.

Were you working as an artist, or did you have another job and art was a passion or side job?

I have been working as an artist for more than 6 years now and I mostly create art for computer and mobile games.

How long have you been drawing comics?

I started drawing comics approximately 2 years ago for the Ukrainian company The Will Production.

Do you have an online portfolio or link you can share?

I have an online portfolio at ArtStation. There, I upload my drawings which I create in my spare time.

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

I like many comics of different genres and I have a little collection at home, including Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc. My favorite comic artists are Joe Madureira and David Finch.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

In general, it was more difficult to work since February 24th, but I managed to get back to my usual pace of work and now I try to do my absolute best.

For the episode you drew for PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine, what inspired you to tell this story?

I've drawn this story because for me, the particularly sensitive situation happened in the city of Kherson, which suffers from Russian occupation from the early weeks of war. There, local people flooded the streets and shouted, "Kherson is Ukraine!” And I cannot wait till this city becomes free again!

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

This war evoked a great sense of patriotism in me, as well as anxiety for my family and country.

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

I would like to tell the readers this: do not forget that there's still war raging in Ukraine, and we need your help by any means possible. Talk about it, write about it. We can all die if you stay silent!

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

My biggest dream is the victory of Ukraine!

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Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

I met the first days of war in Kyiv, Ukraine, where I was born, raised, and lived my whole life. Whether I will stay here is difficult to say, because there are still some options in the near future and it's pretty hard to plan anything.

Were you working as an artist, or did you have another job and art was a passion or side job?

Art always was my main job, and I was working as a concept artist, illustrator and comics artist in different fields like game development, movie and TV production.

How long have you been drawing comics?

My very first comics project took place in 2018, while I was still a student, and I'm going back to comics production from time to time.

Do you have an online portfolio or link you can share?

You can find my portfolio at ArtStation and on my art-related Instagram page.

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

I like many comics of different genres and I have a little collection at home, including Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc. My favorite comic artists are Joe Madureira and David Finch.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

It became harder to plan any big projects, but today, more than ever, I want to create more and more stories and artworks to bring something good in this world, in the best way I know as an artist.

For the episode you drew for PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine, what inspired you to tell this story?

As I was only an illustrator of this story, I still wanted to add something personal. And it this particular project, It was a feeling of hope, and how through rage and bravery we are still heading to the sunrise at the end of this long night.

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

My family and I had to move from Kyiv, and despite how important it is, I think the most important thing that changed for me is the fact that I decided to not delay anything in my life what is possible to not delay, and my loved ones are sharing this philosophy now. I realized it standing near my house at February 24, 6am, listening the first air raid sirens and first explosions. You never know what happens, if you want to do something, say something, learn something, create something you always was thinking of — do it today, not tomorrow, not in a month.

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

Please support Ukraine and our struggle for the freedom.

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

My dream is pretty simple these days. As I recommended to our readers, I want  to stop hesitating and do something big, and share something beautiful with people, through art, music, cinema etc. I'm still curious about what exactly it will be.

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Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

I was in Kyiv then and now. I had no doubts that the enemy would not succeed in taking the capital. I am from a small city in the middle of Ukraine — Mykolaiv. We have already won the battle for Kyiv, but my native city Mykolaiv is suffering from constant shelling by the Russian army right now (beginning of June 2022), because it is close to the front line.

My family and I, we are still in Kyiv. It is more or less safe here now. The enemy is shelling the city with missiles after their defeats at the front or during some international summits, in order to draw attention to their atrocities and to assure themselves that the world community is not able to oppose them.

Were you working as a writer, or did you have another job and writing was a passion or side job?

I have changed a lot of professions. I produce creating of video games now. And scriptwriting is my passion since my childhood. I wrote my first "book" (5 pages only) when I was a 5 year old boy.

How long have you been writing comics?

The first full-format comic I created in 2015. It is called Battle for Ukraine (in Ukrainian Zvityaga. Savur Mogyla) and it is available on Amazon. Thanks to it I met the wonderful people Vyacheslav Buhaiov and Oleksandr Fylypovych, and together we created The Will Production in 2017. Our comics are read all over the world now. Our irreplaceable manager and historical consultant Olha Vozniuk joined our team later, when we were no longer able to proceed the huge number of requests, because The Will became a national bestseller.

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

My favorite narrative in comic books is The Watchmen by Alan Moore. It is a really great deconstruction of mainstream comic books.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

Our team continues to work on comics. Hopefully you are holding one of them in your hands right now. Creating content under the bombs it is unforgettable experience stepping out of your comfort zone, let me tell you. Moreover, the terrible war has increased the interest around the world to creative products from Ukraine and we were able to sell licenses for our titles in several territories. It helped us to stay afloat at the hardest time.

For the episodes you wrote for PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine, what inspired you to tell these stories?

From the moment I woke up to the explosions at 5:00 a.m. on 24th of February I had thousands of sources of inspiration. The information flow about heroism and smartness of Ukrainian soldiers was off the scales. Like the story about defenders of Zmiinyi Island, as they set the trend from the first day of occupation and created the meme that will live forever. Russian warship — go fuck yourself!

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

The war really caught me unexpectedly. As I am fan of battle themes, the history of military affairs and I am constantly collecting information about different military conflicts, I logically think that the war is impossible. First of all — no one in his own stupidity would start a war if he is not at least 85% sure that he can win. It is the basics of military science. Ukraine has a strong army right now, some modern types of armament and a highly motivated infantry that was almost equal in number to the Russians troops. But our enemy created their stupid their propaganda over the years and they trust in it themselves. The Russians are good at destroying civilian cities, but they are not very logical. Another thing is that it takes at least 6-7 days to prepare and deploy in combat orders for an offensive operation. The Russians simply marched in columns right from their bases. It cost them a lot of lives of soldiers and destroyed military equipment. But did the Russians consider the disturbance to their own or other people's lives, when the tsar called them to die?

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

Support Ukraine. Take care of our refugees. Even few dollars can break the spine of the Russian monster.

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

My dream is our victory against Russian militarism as soon as possible. We do everything possible for it and you can be involved too.

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Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

Kyiv; whether I stay here is impossible to predict and somehow calculate it right now.

Were you working as an artist, or did you have another job and art was a passion or side job?

I've been working in the dot-com industry since 2005. Also, now I am the owner of The Will Production and a project manager, producer, art director of comic projects.

How long have you been producing comics?

We’ve been creating comics since 2017.

Do you have an online portfolio or link you can share?

As for comics, here is our official site.

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

I like classic comics from the 60-80 years of last century. The Shadow, G.I. Combat, Batman etc.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

When you do something useful in hard times, it always helps. To stay useful for the community, for the country and for the world is what keeps you going further.

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

The war divided our family to different countries of Europe. We had a very hard stressful and psychological situation during the first month. But I was able to recover my emotions soon and to follow them into a new project — PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine. It is going to help our country and the army. We are also doing a lot as volunteers to buy ammunition for the troops.

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

This comic is about real, generous emotions of artists, screenwriters — all people who created it under dangerous circumstances. It is the cry of the soul of the Ukrainian people. A cry of anger, pain, but at the same time it is love for our motherland and the cry about the victory, which will definitely happen.

I would like to also address a message to foreign readers. Please never think of any war in the world as the one that bypasses you it is the biggest mistake in the world that makes it happen again and again. The atrocities of Russia have committed since the beginning of its existence — Abkhazia, Chechnya, Moldova, Ossetia, Syria, Ukraine there are a list of atrocities, violence and war crimes that the world closes their eyes in hope "not to fight" with a nuclear country. But it is led to the fact that Russia is ready to drown in blood not only Ukraine but all Europe.

But the world has the power to stop the aggressor, perhaps the cost with be hard, but we can stop him. Otherwise, a world of autocrats waits us, associated with decades of suffering and darkness. Please do not close your eyes, do not turn away from this war. Appreciate these moments when you see it only on the pages of this book. Only together, only by standing firmly by our side can we stop Putin's Russia.

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

The victory over Russia. The growth and development of Ukraine as a strong European country. I dream that our publishing house will be able to make hundreds of comics, books, games and finally make a full-length film based on our blockbuster, The Will.

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Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

I was born in Kyiv, but my family and I were in a rather safe place when the war started. We were in Lviv, but now I’m back in Kyiv. I don’t want to leave my native city anymore. Of course, if there will again be a serious threat to the city and to my family, we will relocate to a safer place, but we will try to stay here if possible.

Were you producing art and comics, or did you have another job and this was a passion or side job?

Creating comics is my hobby, that is now growing to more than “just a hobby”. My main job is a game developer, so as for me it’s not far away from the comics industry — both industries are entertainment industries.

How long have you been producing comics?

I started to create comics in 2016. It was some kind of experiment and it was successful, so I continued to create them.

Do you have an online portfolio or link you can share?

I’m creating comics in team with Denys Fadieiev and Vyacheslav Buhaiov at The Will Production so we have the same portfolio.

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

From Ukrainian artists I was really inspired by Igor Baranko comics. It's a unique combination, when the artist is good at drawing and in writing a plot as well. Igor Baranko is one of these unique people.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

Yes, it’s more difficult now to concentrate at work and not to check the news every time to know what is going on at the battlefront. But at the same time creating comics helps to clear your mind, stop to focus on current war and begin to act. When you have a lot of work to do, there are much less time left for the overthinking about current situation.

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

As we were far away from the frontline, we didn’t feel all the horrors of the war. But even in Lviv streets of the city were full of tension and fear. There were several rockets strikes that prove that there is no safe place in Ukraine, no matter how far away you are from the battlefield. Sounds of air alarms and hiding in the shelter at first affected me and my family very much. It was difficult to work, to create, to concentrate on something. After a while, when we have been used to this it was easier to carry on all these threats. But the first days were the hardest.

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

Yes. Never give up, no matter how bad your situation seems. Almost no one believed that Ukraine would be able to resist the Russian invasion. Some analysts predicted that we would fail in 5 days. So, don’t hear anyone — just do your job and never give up!

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

At this moment — to win this war. It is the main dream, the goal. All other old dreams now look so unimportant and naive. Now I realized what is most important in my life.

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Where were you living when the war first started, and where are you from originally?

I have been and continue to stay in Kyiv, the capital of our country, since the beginning of the war. I have never even considered the decision to move to another city. Kyiv is my city.

Were you producing art and comics, or did you have another job and this was a passion or side job?

I've been producing all my life. So as soon as the shock of the beginning of the war passed, I decided to create stories about the exploits of heroes of the Ukrainian-Russian war in 2022.

How long have you been producing comics?

I'm involved not only in the production of comics, but also in the production of animated cartoons. I headed the legendary Ukrainian studio Ukranimafilm for many years. I produced anime series, full-length and short animated films. They are available on our Youtube channel and gather millions of views both in Ukraine and abroad.

Do you have an online portfolio or link you can share?

Ukranimafilm
LinkedIn

Were you inspired by any comics or artist or writers in your career?

Yes, a series of comics about Batman. A hero who resists the dark forces that try to destroy the life of Gotham city. When I was young, I saw the first pages of the Dark Knight series and started to be fascinated by him and read everything about his inner struggle and his fight with evil in his native city.

Has it become more difficult to pursue your artwork and storytelling?  Or is it still possible for you?

Surely it became more difficult, because when you hear the sound of an air alarm, your mind shifts to getting to a safe place — it's hard to think about creativity at that moment.

For PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine, what inspired you to tell these stories?

The memorable events of the first few weeks of the Ukrainian-Russian war, the exploits of ordinary Ukrainians inspired us to combine them into several stories to immortalize the moments of resilience and courage of the Ukrainians.

When the war started, how did it affect you and your family personally?

My family and I experienced a lot of terrible moments due to the penetration of units of hard armored vehicles of the occupants into the city during the first days, shelling of residential areas by Russian artillery. I had to evacuate my family to the west part of the country so that they would be safer and less at risk during the numerous air alarms. I was forced to put my business on hold and close the office. Only in May I gradually started to return my employees to the office so the creative team could support the valiant heroes of our army at the east part of the country by our projects.

Do you have a message you would like to say to the readers of your work?

My personal slogan is "Create where you are"! Because of this we create the new works even during the war time. So, I ask American readers do not forget of our struggle against the dark forces from the past centuries.

What is your dream for the future, even in this difficult situation today?

My dream is in the title name of this comic — PEREMOHA: Victory for Ukraine!

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