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Never thought that writing about myself would be more difficult than drawing (even drawing about myself).
Well, here we go then...
Born and bred in the family of my very own parents in the small town of Kovrov, near the city of Vladimir. The only childhood toy I ever had was a lead pencil.
My favorite drawing theme back then was the never-ending struggle of the Great Russian People with any sort of Invaders (from the Golden Horde to space aliens). Desperate parents enrolled me into a Drawing School in the local Center for Children's Activities. However even there, all through elementary school, I faithfully kept to my favorite subject notwithstanding all the teacher's efforts to coax me into taking the likeness of alabaster heads of Complete Strangers or drawing pseudo-cucumbers from nature.
In high school I honestly produced several wall newspapers for our class in exchange for decent grades at term finals. Later various people (including the school principal) would contest each other's rights for possession of these precious artifacts.
Academia - here I come!
My art career took a new turn as I entered the Gorky State Teachers' Training Institute of Foreign Languages where, instead of taking lecture notes, I kept drawing in my notebooks anything and everything that came to mind. Five years of study allowed me to acquire enough Russian language skills to sign my name on the drawings.
Right before the graduation I discovered Photoshop, which totally flipped my whole world upside down (Flip Vertical without the Undo option) and instead of becoming a translator/interpreter I decided to become a cartoonist.
I brought my first youthful efforts to the office of "Nizhny Novgorod Times" (a popular newspaper of that time). Once I saw my very own drawings in print for the very first time, my fate was crystal clear: cartoonism (can't do without -isms, sorry!) was not just a living. It was a destiny!
At the present time I abide in the glorious city of St. Petersburg, the Mecca of all free arts in general and, certainly, cartoons in particular.
Being naturally lazy I've never bothered to hold an exhibition or take part in any art show either at home, or abroad, but from time to time I do publish my cartoons in Cartoon Parade. And, of course, yours truly is the humble author of my future book, featuring a full authorized collection of cartoons produced thus far.
Whew!!!....
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