'Khan Kotrag' (2017).
Veselin Chakarov is a Bulgarian comic book artist, watercolor painter and illustrator, whose work is inspired by mythology, symbolism and Bulgarian history. Active as a comic book artist since 2007, his work has covered genres like sci-fi, fantasy and history, and includes the epic 'Katana' series (2021-2023) and a series of educational comic books about famous figures from Bulgarian history.
Early life and education
Veselin Chakarov (Веселин Чакъров) was born in 1972 in the Bulgarian harbor city of Varna. His interest in comic books originated during his childhood, when he read the adventures of André Chéret's caveman 'Rahan' and issues of the Bulgarian comic magazine Daga. Among the artists that have influenced him most in his own art are Paul Gillon, Ken Niimura, Jean-Pierre Gibrat and Libico Maraja. Topically, much of Chakarov's inspiration comes from music, history and literature. He graduated with a Master's degree in painting from the St. Cyril and Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, under the guidance of Professor Alexander Terziev, himself a noted painter and woodcarver.
'The Door', painting by Veselin Chakarov.
Painter and illustrator
Since graduation, Chakarov has spent his professional life dividing his time between comic books and painting. His oil and watercolor paintings have been exhibited during several solo and group shows, and the artist has participated in many watercolor and graphic art biennials. His philosophically-themed paintings often have a fairy-tale atmosphere and explore the connections between truth, symbols, and beauty. Some of his paintings are based on the poetry of William Blake and the works of Kenneth White, the thinker who created the concept of geopetics. Chakarov's watercolor illustrations have graced the pages of novels, historical books and encyclopedias. Much of his illustration work has been in service of the preservation of Bulgaria's history and cultural heritage, often made in collaboration with the Vazdigane Foundation and the Historical Park near Varna.
'A Quarter of Infinity' (2016).
Comic artist
As a cartoonist, Chakarov is a member of the Comics Section of the Union of Bulgarian Artists (UBA). In 2007, his first comic book work appeared in the horror anthology series 'Stories from the Limbus Region' of the EECC Comics imprint by Scott Coulter. In the following year, and for the same imprint, Chakarov made his first comics based on historical figures from national history, for instance dealing with King Ivan-Aleksandar and King Simeon. In 2012, he participated in a local comic book exhibition with a story based on a 1990 science fiction script by Asen Kozhuharov, 'A Quarter of Infinity'. The original comic story was published in black-and-white in the Varna magazine Magika, at the time with artwork by Dimitar Hristozov. After exhibiting his version of the story, Chakarov turned 'A Quarter of Infinity' into a full-blown graphic novel, published in 2016 by Terra Balkanica.
'Katana'.
Since 2016, Chakarov has been in a steady collaboration with scriptwriter Miroslav Petrov, starting with the samurai adventure graphic novel 'Shino' for publisher Terra Balkanica. From 2017 on, they subsequently created a series of educational comic books for the Historical Park, based on historical figures like Ivaylo, Khan Kubrat, Khan Krum, Khan Tervel, Khan Omurtag, Spartacus, King Teres, King Rez and Khan Kotrag. Almost every year, several of these titles have been distributed freely to third-grade pupils in Bulgarian primary schools. In 2021, Chakarov and Petrov launched their epic fantasy series 'Katana' with the London-based publisher Markosia Enterprises, about a little girl raised by mystical creatures who returns to the human world to seek her origins. In 2024, his comic 'Katana: The Battle for Valokaan' was awarded the the prize for "Best Comic or Graphic Novel" by the European Science Fiction Society during the Eurocon event in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
'Shino' (2016).