Skjól - a Gzhelverse story

Dima, a refugee from Ukraine, is desperate to get back to the Railway World, a magical space running underneath his home country. Living in Iceland as a tour guide might pay the bills, but it just doesn’t feel like home. When he starts looking online for others who have visited the Railway World, Dima starts getting stalked by a mysterious figure. Just who is he, and what is his connection to the world Dima is yearning for?

Skjól is a 40-page oneshot set in the shared universe, started in 2020 with the webcomic Gzhel Guardian. The story of Skjól is self-contained, but reading both can help you understand the full breadth of the world within.

Skjól is created by writer Atla Hrafney and artist Leo Joxaren.

Atla Hrafney is one of Iceland’s premier comics writers. Atla is also writer for Gzhel Guardian, and has been part of anthology projects like We’re Still Here and Escape from Bitch Mountain. In 2019 she co-founded the Icelandic Comics Society (TICS), a non-profit organization focused on increasing opportunities and infrastructure within Icelandic Comics. She served as chairman for the organization from 2019 to 2024.

Leo Joxaren studied traditional painting and filmmaking in Ukraine. Inspired by classic 2D animation, anime, indie comics, and manga, they proudly present their first full-length comic - a story imagined and brought to life in their new home in Iceland.