“When I have jet lag the world seems a bit off, like you are entering a different dimension,” says Jan Buchczik, known for contributions to publications like The New York Times, Bloomberg Business Week and Vanity Fair. Now, the German illustrator has published his first zine called Of Coursica, which explores the weird state of mind you enter when jet lagged.
“It feels like you are not really there, yet. You are not able to concentrate and your mind wanders off,” Jan says.
And when you see the artist’s illustrations you immediately understand what he means. They are relatable, but just like a jet lagged mind, a little off.
For example, on the cover we see a car driving up the hill with a large bone strapped to its roof. There’s a pelican dunking a basketball, flamingos are turned into straws in a summer drink and a seal happily hangs out on a street light.
Once you’ve overcome their weirdness, these scenes will put a smile on your face. What’s more, the subjects in combination with the bright colors bring back memories of hot summer days.
“They are all scenes that remind me of holiday,” says Jan. “For me, the guy with the cigarette is a scene from a typical Italian cafe. Then I drew this towel hanging over a robe – they are everywhere in Italy.”
Fittingly, the publication’s name Of Coursica adds another twist to the story. It was a word Jan scribbled down after a trip to the French island. Now, he finally had a purpose for it. “With a name and everything it really states, this is Of Coursica, and it’s all coming together, one story under one roof.”
“Just like I did with the drawings – change them a bit and make them weird, funny or upside down – I thought it would be great to have a title that reflects that. And it has great letters.”
As the zine was riso-printed, Jan had a limited palette of three colors – blue, red and yellow, but he used them creatively. “I didn’t have to be realistic in colors; I don’t care the hair is blue.” And neither do we – if jet lag transfers us to a world in which pelicans join in for a game of basketball and where hair can be blue, sign us up.
