🌐 6 AUTHORS FROM RUSSIA AND THE RUSSIAN-SPEAKING WORLD WHO REACHED THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

1️⃣ Svetlana Shmakova — Berrybrook Middle School / Dramacon / Nightschool
Works: yenpress.com/series/berrybrook-middle-school
Website: svetlania.com

Svetlana was born in Russia, grew up in Canada, and became one of the most prominent authors of OEL manga and middle-grade graphic novels in North America.

Path: first OEL manga and web/magazine formats, then Tokyopop, Yen Press, and the Berrybrook Middle School series, which hit the strongest niche — school graphic novels for teens.

Metrics: “Awkward” sold 250K+ copies by 2017; “Brave” had a first print run of 150K.
Next: in Q4 2026, the sixth Berrybrook book — “Fight” — comes out.

2️⃣ Vera Brosgol — Anya’s Ghost / Be Prepared / Plain Jane and the Mermaid
Website: verabee.com
Books: us.macmillan.com/author/verabrosgol

Vera was born in Moscow, moved to the US as a child, worked in animation, and then became an author of graphic novels and picture books.

Path: through animation experience, Flight anthologies, an agent, and a strong debut graphic novel “Anya’s Ghost”.

Metrics: “Anya’s Ghost” won Eisner, Harvey, and Cybils; “Leave Me Alone!” — Caldecott Honor.
Next: Vera continues to release major author-driven graphic novels; her latest major work is “Plain Jane and the Mermaid”.

3️⃣Artyom Trakhanov — Undertow / First Knife / Slavic Nihilism
Image Profile: imagecomics.com/creators/artyom-trakhanov
Works: bio.site/ohotnig

Artyom is a Siberian comic artist who broke into the North American industry through Image Comics and his distinctive style: dense, strange, and energetic.

Path: debuted in North America with “Undertow” at Image, then worked on “Turncoat”, “The 7 Deadly Sins”, “Protector / First Knife”.

Metrics: Image lists him as the author of “First Knife”; in 2025, new releases featuring him came out, including “Nullhunter”.
Next: zines, games, and self-published digital editions.

🔤 Anna Morozova — 2000 AD / Judge Anderson / Lowborn High
Website: annamorozova.uk
2000 AD Profile: 2000ad.com/news/2000-ad-creator-files-anna-morozova/

Anna was born in Russia, grew up in Estonia, studied in Scotland, and entered the British comics market.

Path: earned a specialized degree in comics and graphic novels at the University of Dundee, then joined 2000 AD — one of the major British comic platforms.

Metrics: work for 2000 AD, Treasury of British Comics, and Glarien; in 2022, she received a Tripwire Award as one of the strong young artists in the British market.
Next: continued work with British and international publishers.

5️⃣ Ilya Kuvshinov — Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 / The Wonderland / Momentary
Books: pie.co.jp/book/i/5235/?lang=asia&paged=1
Artbook: amazon.com/MOMENTARY-Art-Ilya-K…shinov/dp/4756248756

Ilya was born in Penza, moved to Japan, and became a notable illustrator in the anime industry.

Path: through a recognizable digital art style, Japanese artbooks, and work as a character designer for major anime projects.

Metrics: PIE International lists 1.6M+ followers and positions him as character designer for “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045” and “The Wonderland”.
Next: artbooks, anime design, prints, and international art projects.

6️⃣ Stepan Razoryonov — Sander’s Second Life / The Nomad Tales
Book: hollow-press.net/products/sanders-second-life-book-2
New Series: hollow-press.net/products/the-n…hill-of-skitashohlyv

Stepan is a young Russian author published by the Italian indie publisher Hollow Press.

Path: made a thesis comic that turned into a foreign edition in English and Italian.

Metrics: “Sander’s Second Life” — 336 pages, full color, €20; Hollow Press writes that the author, at 23, won the Gran Guinigi Award at Lucca Comics & Games 2025 for Best Script.
Next: a series of 3 books, volume 2 in 2026, plus a new series “The Nomad Tales” based on legends.

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