Ever since the early 1990s, while living in a country that was facing crises of diverse kinds, many artists in Serbia have found their level in creating art that was cheap to produce and/or distribute. It resulted in the formation of an independent scene that was rather unpretentious, freewheeling and based on DIY principles. Homemade movies were shown in free access venues, independent music was played on improvisational podiums, fanzines and small magazines were starting and stopping publishing. In an environment where both economics and mainstream culture were devastated, it was perhaps a natural instinct to search for alternatives.

One of the most vital scenes was concentrated around the production of alternative comics. Among the projects in this field was a comics workshop called The Kitchen (Kuhinja), initiated by Aleksandar Zograf, in 1998. In order to prove that an initiative could function even if it is not relaying on any official institution, Zograf gathered a group of cartoonists that were meeting every Saturday in the space of his own kitchen. That is how Zograf's dining place, on the 5th floor of a tower in the suburbs of Pancevo (a town across the Danube from Belgrade), became a forum where lectures were held, and comics were discussed and drawn. "Kitchen" was formed by a diverse and ever-changing group of people - some of them with experience of creating and publishing comics, while some were just enthusiasts.

The group stopped their weekly meetings when the NATO bombing started, in 1999, but they continued to publish a Kitchen fanzine, organize exhibitions, film projections, concerts and other activities. The artistic aspect of the group was based on the premise that comics are a democratic medium, accessible and easily created by almost anyone. Another aspect was social - the group was trying to motivate people willing to express themselves (some amateurs, some professional artists), by encouraging them to exchange their art and their views with others. It was the way of CREATING a scene for yourself, rather then expecting somebody to produce and pack it for you. Kitchen is defined by its personalities:

Zoran Jovic, who is signing his comics with the pseudonym Flyer (Letac, in Serbian), lives in the tiny village of Banatsko Novo Selo. He is active as a musician, best known as the drummer of the legendary psychodelic-punk band NUP, and publisher of numerous self-produced comics. In one of his booklets, Flyer was describing his experiences during the NATO bombing, when he was drafted, and sent to the rather pathetic mission of protecting his native village from the mighty NATO stealth bombers.

Livius Pavlov aka Mr Spiral is another ex-member of the band called NUP, recently working as a salesman in a shoe store in Pancevo. For the Pancevo Comics Festival, called GRRR!, Mr Spiral was transforming the shoe store where he works into a gallery. Along with Mr Spiral's own works, an international selection of cartoonists was exhibiting their works inspired by shoes in the tiny space of the shop, amidst all the shoes which were on regular sale.

Gordana Basta is the author of some of the scripts of Aleksandar Zograf's comics, and his wife. She is creating embroidery based on Zograf's drawings, as an attempt to transpose cartoons into the warm and cozy textile background, later for use in the everyday environment as curtains, tablecloths, etc. All the idlework is done by hand.

Vuk Palibrk joined the Kitchen group at its beginning, when he was only 11 years old. Despite the fact that he is still a teenager, he is already a well-known name in the Serbian comics scene. Beside of publishing his comics in many of the magazines and fanzines at home and abroad, Vuk Palibrk is also creating animations and short films.

Other interesting characters who are involved with The Kitchen are Bozidar Golubovic - Krle, a self-taught cartoonist who works at a glass factory, Nandor Ljubanovic aka Kiklop, a taxi-driver and author of interesting collages, Vladimir Nedeljkovic - Nedelja - leader of a pop band and cartoonist, inspired by pop culture, and many others.