Plavi Vjesnik (which translates to Blue Herald) is a magazine published by Vjesnik Publishing House in Zagreb, Yugoslavia from October 1954 through till 1973. Plavi Vjesnik was primarily a comic book magazine but also included various other content such as adventure and detective stories, science fiction stories, educational articles, movie and pop culture news and interviews with artists and writers. Approximately 923 editions were published, initially released on a weekly basis and later biweekly.
Vjesnik was one of the most influential publishing and media organizations in Yugoslavia, headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia. Established in the 1940s, it initially served as a government-affiliated news agency and newspaper publisher (releasing the Politički vjesnik newspaper in 1940), playing a key role in shaping the media landscape of socialist Yugoslavia. Over time, Vjesnik expanded its operations to include magazines, books, and comics, making it one of the largest and most recognizable publishers in the region. Its most famous newspaper, Vjesnik, was a daily political publication that had a strong readership throughout Yugoslavia.
In addition to newspapers, Vjesnik became well known for publishing comic magazines and entertainment periodicals. One of its most famous publications was Plavi Vjesnik (1954–1973), which introduced American, European, and domestic Yugoslav comics to a broad audience. This magazine featured characters like the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, and Flash Gordon, alongside comics from Yugoslav artists such as Jules Radilović and Walter Neugebauer. Vjesnik also published Eks Almanah, Stripoteka, and other comic-related magazines, significantly shaping comic book culture in Yugoslavia.
By the 1990s, following the breakup of Yugoslavia and Croatia’s transition to a market economy, Vjesnik faced financial struggles. The once-dominant publisher saw a decline in circulation and influence as private media companies emerged. While its flagship newspaper continued for some time, Vjesnik eventually ceased operations in 2012, marking the end of an era for one of the most important media houses in the former Yugoslavia. However, its legacy remains strong, particularly in the comic book and publishing industry, where its contributions helped define generations of readers.
The comic strip stories published in Plavi Vjesnik included a mix of foreign and domestic comics, introducing European, American and Yugoslav comics to local readers, containing approximately 24 color and black and white pages per edition, measuring 27cm x 33cm.
Notable foreign comics included:
- The Phantom by Lee Falk
- Mandrake the Magician by Lee Falk
- Flash Gordon by Alex Raymond
- Prince Valiant by Hal Foster
- Italian comics like Tex Willer
- French/Belgian comics such as Lucky Luke and Asterix
One of Plavi Vjesnik’s greatest contributions was promoting local comic book creators from Yugoslavia. While the magazine primarily featured American and European comics, it also provided space for homegrown artists and writers to showcase their talent, helping to develop a strong Yugoslav comic book scene, publishing around 180 comics by local authors.
Some of these local comics include:
- Kroz minula stoljeća (Through the Past Centuries) by Jules Radilović
- Buffalo Bill by Walter Neugebauer
- Trojica u mraku (Three in the Dark) by Andrija Maurović
- Crni Jahač (The Black Rider) by Žarko Beker
- Astro i Dora by Frano Gotovac
The Phantom first appeared in Plavi Vjesnik in 1967 in edition number 679 commencing with the Phantom story ‘Rex King’. The stories were translated into Croatian with the Phantom titled under his local name of ‘Fantom’. The Phantom stories published were reprints of the original newspaper comic strips written by Lee Falk and illustrated by Sy Barry at the time, which also included ‘The Golden Sands of Keela-Wee’ and ‘The Lions of Kukhan’.
The Phantom’s adventures in Plavi Vjesnik were published in weekly serialized format, meaning a few strips or pages per issue, with the publisher often edited the story titles to fit with Yugoslav audience tastes. Three Phantom stories were published in total, found in editions from number 679 thru to 735.
The Phantom makes an appearance on 2 front covers of Plavi Vjesnik, edition numbers 683 and 687 both published in 1967. The Phantoms is seen with other comic book characters also featured in the series, including Lee Falk’s other creation, Mandrake the Magician. The images are taken from comic strip panels illustrated by Sy Barry.
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