Courtesy of Graphic Mundi, we’re pleased to present a preview of Heartcore, the award-winning graphic novel by Štěpánka Jislová. Originally published in Czech in 2023, Graphic Mundi will publish an English version, translated by Martha Kuhlman, on May 13.
Heartcore delves into the psychology of romantic attachment by examining the author’s own troubled relationships. Through powerful visual storytelling, Jislová confronts toxic patterns, trauma, and societal influences on love while offering an inspiring journey toward healthier connections.
Jislová is an award-winning comics artist based in Prague and the cofounder of the Czech branch of Laydeez do Comics, an international organization that promotes female comic artists and their work. Jislová collaborated with Czech writer Tereza Čechová on the 2021 Muriel prize–winning Bez vlasů, later published by Graphic Mundi in English as Bald. Srdcovka (the original Czech edition of Heartcore) received the Muriel Award in three categories in 2024, including the main prize.
You can check out the publisher’s full description and the preview below.
Heartcore
by Štěpánka Jislová
translated by Martha Kuhlman
Where does love come from?
What is at the core of romantic attachment? Does our upbringing play a part, or is falling in love a magical, uncontrollable process? Are we doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over, or can we break unhealthy cycles and learn new ways to love?
These are the questions asked in Heartcore, an award-winning graphic memoir from comics creator Štěpánka Jislová. In this empowering story of self-discovery, the author reflects on her troubled experiences in dating and love and finally seeks to understand the reasons behind her many toxic relationships. She explores topics such as normative gender roles, online dating and casual sex, alcohol abuse, sexual violence, and the psychology behind interpersonal attachment, all in an engaging graphic-novel format. By confronting her unhealthy behaviors and seeking help to come to terms with her trauma, the author provides an inspiring example of how people can change for the better.
