#StandWithUkraine
bitcomics-home

This is us. The people behind the stories.

Who We Are

We are a small team of professionals in the publishing field, with love for everything we do. We take care of every aspect of our production: choosing the right idea; creating the worlds and writing screenplays; contracts and licensing; translations, editing, and proofreading; managing artists; lettering and graphics; printing, selling, and distribution; marketing and advertising; and promotion and presentations during exhibitions; digital rendering of our titles; as well as looking for collaborations and people we work with. Years of work have given us new goals and priceless experience. We have a lot to say and to show, and we know you’ll love the work that we’ve done!

Our History

  • June 2022 - We are introducing the Bits, our solution for digital comics, books for kids, literature and NFTs. We are also working on a secret exciting project, stay tuned!
  • February 2022 – War comes to our land. Russian military aggression against Ukraine ruins the lives of many. These are hard times, but we carry on.  #StandWithUkraine
  • 2020 – Due to the global pandemic of COVID-19, Fireclaw focuses on publishing digital comics, including its own productions and licensed manga, and starts making books for kids.
  • 2019 – Fireclaw continues working on its own projects along with the monthly production of licensed comics. Contracts with international publishers such as IDW, Dark Horse, BOOM!Studios, DUPUIS, and Penguin Random House are signed. Fireclaw becomes one of the biggest comic publishing houses in Ukraine.
  • September 2018 – Fireclaw starts publishing TPBs and hardcovers. Participates in ComicCons and book exhibitions all over Ukraine.
  • May 2018 – Contract with Sergio Bonelli Editore is signed, and the first Italian comics are published in Ukrainian – Dragonero Adventures and the Italian comic icon, Tex.
  • February 2018 – Spider-Man speaks Ukrainian in comics for the first time. Fireclaw becomes the only Marvel licensee in Ukraine. Singles are published monthly. At this time, only USA and Ukraine are distributing the 24 pages singles in kiosks.
  • Early 2018 - Fireclaw decides to put comics into kiosks and supermarkets, which was never done before in Ukraine. The first national distribution network for comics in Ukraine was created.
  • Late 2017 – Fireclaw signes a contract with Marvel and got licenses for the distribution of Marvel comics in Ukraine. Fireclaw is bringing back American comic superheroes to Ukraine after a long break.
  • May 2017 – Fireclaw publishes its first 4 pilot comics, among the first comics in the Ukrainian language, and presents them at ComicCon in Kyiv. If you are the lucky owner of one of these copies, hold them, they could make history! ;)
  • 2015–2017 – Production of the first pilot comics of Fireclaw and making of a team. In a market with few people with significant experience working in the comic business, we took our time to build up a team that can compete internationally.
  • February 2nd, 2015 – PE “Fireclaw Ukraine” is founded. Our Italian founder learned to read from comics. When he moved to Ukraine and found out that there was barely a Ukrainian comic market, he decided to start this adventure.

Our Team

member-portrait

Edoardo Lando

Founder & President

Born in Italy and raised with comics in his hands. Founder and President of Fireclaw Ukraine, and our trailblazer.

Superpower: inspiration. He follows every detail, and inspires us to make them perfect.

member-portrait

Maria Polegenka

Deputy Director

Joined the team in early 2016. Didn’t read any comics before, but can’t stop now. Maria takes care of contracts, agreements, and legal and financial issues.

Superpower: she can make any idea a reality. A lot of work goes into making a comic, but for you, the reader, it will seem like everything happened in a snap.

member-portrait

Anastasia Hladchenko

Graphic Designer

A translator by education, Nastya is the fastest letterist we’ve met so far. She joined us in 2018 and became an important member of our team. Everything you see in our comics, apart from the art itself, was put in by her.

Superpower: Tunnel vision. Anastasia doesn’t talk to you – she has lettering to finish and sound effects to draw.

member-portrait

Kate Klopenko

Editor

Got into our claws in early 2018. Has a degree in the publishing business, is a professional editor, and is a huge comic fan. She knows where to put a comma, and how to translate a poem.

Superpower: Kate can brief you about any comic you name, even if you wake her up in the middle of the night. We tried.

member-portrait

Olexander Vakarev

Distribution Manager

Alex has worked with us since late 2017. He made it possible to sell comics all over Ukraine. We call him “a veteran of press business” for the many years of work experience he has. He takes care of all our printing and distribution.

Superpower: there’s no situation that doesn’t have a solution – and Alex will always find one…or several.

Our Freelancers

member-portrait

Tess Loucka

Writer, Editor

Proofread, write, edit and make a review - that's all a piece of cake for Tess. Every comic and book and text on the website was checked by her watchful eye. Even this one.

Superpower: Imagination. Tess can cover any topic and write 10000 words story out of 3-sentence idea.

member-portrait

Saif Udin

UX/UI designer

Saif joined us for a one-page creation task in 2019, and here we are with a couple of websites and another big project in development.

Superpower: Enthusiasm. Whatever little task Saif is about to fulfill, he's definitely gonna study the issue head to toe. To be sure to provide the best solution.

member-portrait

Giovanni Pistilli

Artist, Designer

It was love from first artistic sight. You can see Giovanni's illustration all over the website, in the app, and in all our projects coming soon.

Superpower: Experimentator. Giovanni can make illustrations of any type and style - 3D or flat, fantasy or realistic, colorful or black'n'white, and it always will be stunning.

member-portrait

Megha Dhebariwala

Backend Programmer

Our life could be much more complicated without Megha. Website functionality, new features, correct database work - that's all her tasks to do.

Superpower: No limits. Megha can make live any crazy idea we have.