International comic art events in Veles

In August 2026, the Strip Center of Macedonia in Veles hosted a series of comic art events. The 8th International Comic Colony, ‘Veles 2026’, featured 14 female artists from Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania working under the mentorship of Professor Vladimir Vesovic. The colony aimed to bolster cultural tourism by utilizing local assets like street murals and the Strip Center’s library, which holds roughly 10,000 editions.

Concurrently, the 23rd International Comic Salon reported record-breaking participation. The ‘Golden Strip’ international competition received 497 entries from authors representing approximately thirty countries, including participants from the Balkans, Asia, Poland, and Nigeria. While Macedonian authors were prominent, the event maintained a strong international character.

The ‘Golden Strip’ awards were presented on August 19 at the European House in Veles. The first prize was awarded to ‘Vechno’ (Eternal), with a script by Marko Stojanović (Serbia), drawing by Milorad Vicanović Maza (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and coloring by Aljoša Tomić (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The second prize went to ‘Zimata na Arapahosite’ (The Winter of Arapahosites) by Kristijan Sekulić (Serbia), and the third prize to ‘Ljubovta e teska rabota’ (Love is Hard Work) by Duda Vukojev (Serbia) and Dragan Pavosović (Croatia).

Special awards included Best Scenario for Hulya Koluk (Turkey) for ‘Svetot ni pripaѓa na site nam’ (The World Belongs to All of Us) and Best Drawing for Aleksandar Tančovski (North Macedonia) for ‘Mečtaenje’ (Dreaming). The event was funded by the Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Veles.