Basia Nikiforova
(Lithuanian Culture Research Institute, Department of Contemporary Philosophy)

Z mięty: Have narrative strategies exhausted themselves? The recipe for survival in troubled times

Review on the book: Borys Fiłonenko, Anton Reznik, Danył Sztanhejew. 2024. Z mięty. Translated from Ukrainian by Aleksandra Zińczuk. Lublin: Warsztaty Kultury.

“The biographical value can organize not only the narration about the life of the other, but also the experiencing of one’s own life.”
(Mikhail Bakhtin)

A little bit of comic theory

Comics are an undeniable part of popular culture. Today, comics as a product of modern mass media are experiencing a new golden age—not due to sheer quantity but because of their quality. Comic book theorist Scott McCloud (1993, p. 30) argues that by simplifying character details, comics encourage readers to focus on specific design features, amplifying the remaining visual information “in a way that realistic art can’t.”

Often rooted in the reader’s reality, comics can serve as essential tools for reflection and identity construction. They help individuals project and understand themselves within the context of the sociocultural conflicts of their daily life. This self-awareness and reflection allow readers to reconsider their roles in society. Both comic books and graphic novels are commonly referred to as genres; however, they are more of a format. Comics can encompass various genres, including horror, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, memoirs, or history.

One of the advantages of comics is their complete control over the temporal perception of events. The medium allows for the portrayal of simultaneous events in multiple locations without disrupting spatial and temporal flow. Comics have certain advantages over movies, games and television, particularly in their exceptional ability to direct the audience’s attention to detail and control pacing, while also enhancing emotional connections to the characters through stylization. Research shows that audiences find it significantly easier to connect with stylized characters than with live actors. Comics enable readers to project themselves onto characters, avoiding direct identification with concrete visual images.

Yet, we can find a counterargument to this statement. Its essence comes down to the following: not all readers might find a personal connection with comic characters, especially if the latters do not relate to their experiences or backgrounds. Hence, a reader refuses to identifypersonify him/herself with a hero who is distant from him/her and is satisfied with the perception of a specific living image, which most often appears to him/her as the Other.

Comics serve as a powerful medium that effectively transcends cultural barriers, making them exceptionally convenient for export to different cultures. An important aspect of creating a comic is the problem of translation into other languages. How do cultural differences impact the content and themes of translated comics? Are there any challenges in maintaining the original art style when translating comics? Comics offer a unique advantage: translating them into different languages is generally faster and more cost-effective than translating movies or video games. At least, a simple reason for their popularity is that young people love stories, but do not like thick books.

The recipe for survival in troubled times

Some words about the title of the comic book. The intricate and multi-layered nature of the book is strikingly apparent from its very title. The “mint” or “mint tea” referenced in the comic’s title acts serves as a powerful tool for exploring the profound truth of our existence. It facilitates the journey of discovering one’s unique place and time while embracing personal identity. Furthermore, it offers a soothing counterbalance to the relentless monotony of everyday life, inviting readers to experience a deeper connection to their realities.

The image of mint serves as a powerful catalyst in the lives of our heroes, who are deeply engaged in the ritual of drinking mint tea. They recognize that this connection complicates their interactions with the outside world, challenging their relationships in significant ways. At the same time, life immersed in mint establishes a distinctive realm of rituals, tea ceremony items, and an extraordinary atmosphere for communication between the two personalities.

What is the function of mint, and what does this drink symbolize for the heroes? Additionally, it is important to mention drugs, which for some modern youths have become a means of expanding consciousness, fostering deep communication, and enhancing creative potential. The theme of drugs seems to permeate the atmosphere of the events taking place, yet our heroes find themselves behind an invisible wall separating them from it. For them, drinking mint tea is a way to experience life’s joys, griefs and disasters through a safe and deeply meaningful ritual. The simple meme “we are here drinking tea” signals a condition for serious conversation. Vanya’s disappearance and his leap into the unknown might suggest a drug trip, but for me it is more associated with a possible violent death, aggression, and physical disappearance. It evokes a sense of danger and an unsettling feeling that something dark could be lurking beneath the surface of his sudden absence.

Vanya and Marichka exist in a delicate symphony of shared moments, their lives entwined in a comforting routine—until the day Vanya mysteriously vanishes under baffling circumstances. This narrative unfolds as a profound exploration of love and the mundane, examining the subtle nuances of human communication and the limitations of traditional storytelling, all revealed through the contrasting perspectives of its two protagonists. Engaging with this text requires deep concentration, as it is laced with many cultural references like hidden fissures and unexplored crevices in the cityscape, inviting readers to delve beneath the surface and uncover the rich layers of meaning woven throughout.

The comic is expertly crafted to resonate with its audience, allowing for a dynamic exchange of perceptions between the sender (author, designer) and the receiver (reader). This connection powerfully reflects the realities of everyday life. This process is known as intertextuality, where events and situations that interest authors are connected with the perspectives of readers. This establishes a communication channel that strengthens the relationship between the author and the reader, as well as the act of reading itself, over many years. The narrative’s subtlety and conciseness, paired with a thoughtful focus on people and places, transforms this artifact into an essential catalyst for the reader’s inner well-being and personal growth. The characters infect the narrative and, in a sense, nourish the reader with their remarkable intelligence and vast knowledge in various fields, including literature, cinema, and philosophy. This dynamic establishes a powerful engagement, where the heroes not only display their intellectual capabilities but compel the reader to elevate their understanding and emotional awareness. Through thought-provoking reflections and nuanced dialogues, these characters serve as catalysts for deeper thinking and feeling, driving the audience to explore complex ideas and challenge their own perspectives.

The authors of the comic clearly leverage the intellectual and cultural understanding of their readers. They enhance the experience by providing a dictionary of quotes from their sources, along with important background information about the authors cited. This dictionary is an invaluable addition that deepens the intertextual engagement for both readers and viewers. Therefore, I firmly believe that the inclusion of these textual references is one of the authors’ most significant achievements. It’s like a prominent sticker, with numerous references strategically scattered throughout the text. I see this as a strong expression of solidarity with young people facing the challenges of an increasingly difficult and contradictory world.

To write powerfully, one must harmonize with the currents of both authors and their heroes. This requires immersing oneself in their lives across parallel worlds, navigating the contrasts of the ideal and the mundane, the fleeting and the timeless, the tangible and the fantastical. Only then can one truly capture the essence of their comic story.

Narratively, the comic alighns with the postmodernist and countercultural approaches, and visually with a naïve style, simplicity and with its minimalism, allowing almost every reader to identify with or differentiate from the heroes.

They find themselves perpetually ensnared by two opposing longings: on the one hand, an incessant drive to escape the tedium and monotony of everyday life, yearning to transcend the mundane and embrace something extraordinary; on the other, the challenge of navigating this very routine and seeking strategies to adapt and mitigate its grip on their life. In this delicate balance, they strive to soften the weight of conformity while simultaneously reaching for a horizon that promises to open a new, as yet invisible path. In contrast to the brutality and aggression that have characterized the plots and comics of recent decades, here we witness the emergence of a remarkably different breed of heroes—marked by sophistication and complexity, quiet strength and modest ambitions. They display an unwavering commitment to exploring alternative paths and embodying profound symbols of their existence, inviting us to reflect on the deeper meanings behind their actions and the world around them. Their journeys are not just about physical battles, but also about introspection and the quest for understanding in an increasingly chaotic universe.

The phenomenon of comic book stickers represents an innovative technique employed by the authors. The vibrant events experienced by the heroes and the evolution of their relationships are evident in the richness of the texts and the frequent use of graphic techniques, one of which is the sticker. Stickers aim to merge the context of postmodern art with the simplicity and inherent mystery of the protagonists’ lives. They add depth to the characters’ thoughts and actions, striving to clarify their motivations and helping them navigate the troubled world. This method effectively designates objects, events, time, and sensations, frequently drawing from the authors’ favorite texts and quoted visual images. In addition to direct and indirect narrative elements, stickers play a crucial role in interpreting events. They guide us toward significant moments for the characters, as well as their moods and preferences. In most cases, the authorship of these stickers is attributed to representatives of elite culture who are recognized for their outstanding contributions—Werner Herzog, Roland Barthes, Francois Truffaut, Peter Greenaway, Terry Gilliam, and others.

Interestingly, the themes of mint tea, stickers, and travel by subway and plane reflect the heroes’ love. The urban landscape is deeply intertwined with their emotions. For them, a silent crowd on the platform, a clock showing the departure time of an absent train, and instructions for surviving a plane crash all symbolize the impossibility of happiness and the looming loss of a loved one. A simple definition of love can often feel abstract and distant from actual relationships and emotions. As a result, the characters handle the stickers from Barthes’s text very carefully, allowing them to move beyond the realm of banality and oversimplification. The comic book’s characters inhabit a nearly sterile world, centered on projects, exhibitions, travels and new book releases. Despite this seemingly calm environment, there is an underlying sense of an impending threat that could unexpectedly transform into a significant event at any moment.

The brief information about the Ukrainian authors of the comic is presented in the tone of the text itself:

Danyl Shtanheev – graphic designer, illustrator, comic book author. In 2019, his short stories were printed in the 11th and 12th issues of the comic book zine Gon. Two female rats live in Danyl’s apartment, which were scratching and eating persimmon while we were working on the comic book Near Mint in the next room.

Borys Filonenko writes about contemporary Ukrainian art and comics, teaches humanities at the Kharkiv School of Architecture and as an independent lecturer. He first told the plot of the comic book Near Mint in 2011 while standing in a queue for a cheeseburger and fries.

Anton Reznikov – painter, illustrator, comic book author. Lecturer and participant of collective exhibition projects of the Aza Nizi Maza studio (Kharkiv). Participated in the exhibition The Kiss – Darkness and Light (Different Gallery, London). During the summer and autumn, he paints landscapes in Heidelberg (Germany).

In conclusion

In my review, I excluded several plotlines from the comic book. Instead, I focused on the aspects that were clear to me and how they reinforced the overarching narrative strategy of the comic. Immersing myself in the lives of two young individuals deeply committed to their intense spiritual journey made it clear how they strive to escape the banality of everyday life. Their hermetic world is intricately intertwined with everything around them, highlighting the profound connections that shape their experiences.

I am curious about the intended audience for this book. Clearly, its primary readers will not be successful managers, affluent individuals, or bureaucrats. Potentially, this book is intended for the young generation living through this merciless war, many of whom make their daily jump from which there is no return. They hardly have time to read, but for those who do, this book offers hope for a return to a wonderful world of love, art and solidarity.

References

Vaida Nedzinskaitė-Mitkė. Historical Comic’s Superpowers: the creative power to communicate visually historical epics. Creativity studies 2022, 15/2. P. 577–589

Cohn, N. (2010). The limits of Ttime and Ttransitions: Challenges to theories of sequential image comprehension. Studies in Comics, 1(1), 127–147. https://doi.org/10.1386/stic.1.1.127/1

Sebastian Jakub Konefał, S. J. (2023). One hundred years of Polish comic books. A review of Ewa Stańczyk’s Comics and nation: power, pop culture, and political change in Poland. The Comics Grid: -Journal of Comics Scholarship Main. 2023., 13/, p., 1-7.

Vaida Nedzinskaitė-Mitkė. Historical Comic’s Superpowers: the creative power to communicate visually historical epics. Creativity studies 2022, 15/2. P. 577–589.

https://doi.org/10.3846/cs.2022.15325

Basia Nikiforova
(Lithuanian Culture Research Institute, Department of Contemporary Philosophy)
Edited by Andrij Saweneć

The comic book was published as part of the „Literary Eastern Express” project, carried out with the financial support of the European Union’s Creative Europe programme.

Kultura Enter
2025