Nightmares and Daydreams: A.C. 2020

Visual explorations inspired by Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Winsor McCay and others to reflect the anxieties, uncertainties, and daily observations from the distinct imagination of Mirko Ilić PRINT Magazine Design Awards 2026: FIRST PLACE, Graphic Novels Visual explorations inspired by Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Winsor McCay and others to reflect the anxieties, uncertainties, and daily observations from the distinct imagination of Mirko Ilić. In 2020, New York-based artist and designer Mirko Ilić started drawing self-contained single-page stories created to reflect the mood of an unprecedented time. He called this collection “After Covid 2020” or “A.C. 2020”. Ilić continued to create these visual essays even as the lockdowns slowly lifted, channelling his anxieties and observations into striking and surreal images that combine personal imagination with motifs and inspiration from music, fine art, comics, and more. Shocking and provocative, captivating and meditative, this sequence of illustrations paints a unique picture of a man’s inner turmoil amidst a crumbling world. Nightmares and Daydreams: A.C. 2020 is a testament to both a period of unprecedented upheaval and the stunning talent of its award-winning author.