In the late 1950s, the publisher Dečje novine published an edition of historical comics entitled "Nikad robom" ("Never a Slave"). The edition featured heroic stories from the history of South Slavic people: stories from Croatian–Slovene peasant revolt, First and Second Serbian Uprising, World War I etc. In the late 1950s, Dečje novine decided to introduce a comic about Yugoslav Partisans. In 1958, Žižović created the first episode of "Mirko and Slavko" for the edition. The story initially featured only Mirko (who was, reputedly, modeled after Žižović's son), while Slavko was added to the story later. Žižović chose the names Mirko and Slavko because they were common in all parts of Yugoslavia.