The Incal, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius’ classic ’80s series (originally published in French magazine Métal Hurlant), was very influential on movies as well as comics. In fact, it contains a number of the elements Jodorowsky had intended to put in a Dune film “adaptation” (which bore little resemblance to Frank Herbert’s novel) that never got made. Tim and Kumar discuss this insane, unconventional story.
Louie Hlad review on ComicsBeat
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This week Koom interviews Prabal Purkayastha, author of Flirting with Death, about how he tried to use the structure of a comic to communicate music, and how his next project is just the opposite of this one.
Then, what would you do if you found yourself on a park bench along a city street, and you knew where you were but you didn’t know who you were? Your home, friends, family, job, all forgotten. Tim and Eugenia review the French graphic novel Blank Slate
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 Sunset after the festival |
This week we wrap up Tim’s set of interviews from the floor of the International Manga Festival (Kaigai Manga Festa), held November 23 at Tokyo Big Sight. Highlights include familiar faces, a past DCP interview guest, sexy anime girls from France, poop from space, and more! |
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See photos and links below the jump…
In more than seven years of doing this podcast, our coverage of European comics has been, um… underwhelming. This week, Tim tries to change that, discussing two European comics with European co-reviewers!
First, Nemi, the overzealous goth girl from Norway, whose eponymous strip by Lise Myhre has become popular in numerous European countries. Norwegian Line Olsson (of the Boston Comics Roundtable) joins Tim to discuss.
Then, the second Blacksad installment, “Arctic Nation”, by animators Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido. Is racism the point of this noirish “furry” tale, or is it just the framing device for something else? Eugenia Koumaki in Athens co-reviews with Tim.
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Imagine a Disney movie with tons of cheesecake and commentary on how religion can be used to control a society. It would look an awful lot like Sky Doll, by Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa. Originally published by Soleil in France starting in 2000, it came out in English from Marvel in 2008. While there has been an anthology book and a sketchbook, the main series has apparently never been completed, but don’t let that dissuade you from reading this very compelling (not to mention gorgeously drawn) volume. Tim and Rashad explore.
Another take from Charley Parker
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The Israeli/Palestinian situation has been in the news for as long as any of us can remember, but how much do we really understand about it? Sarah Glidden, a secular Jew, went on a “Birthright Tour” expecting confirmation of all the negative things she believed about Israel, only to find that the reality was much more complex. Sarah talks to Tim about the experience and her next career steps, and Tim and Brandon review “How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less”, Sarah’s graphic novel/memoir of her Israel visit.
Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême
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Jacques Tardi writer and artist.
Fantagraphics Books, 2011.
This is a 64 page graphic novel that collects material that Tardi originally created and released in 1972 with the French title Le Démon des glaces. It was translated and released in early 2011.
The first thing an interested reader encountering this volume in a bookstore or library will notice is the art. Tardi’s draftsmanship is truly a wonderful thing to behold and this book features his work with scratchboard. This medium allows for a woodcut effect with an added dimension of shading and depth applied to the art and allows texture and shadow to be applied to the image. The result is a classic text illustration effect that pairs well with the Jules Verne/H. G. Wells inspired story.
Continue reading REVIEW: The Arctic Marauder by Jacques Tardi
L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published 109 years ago and still inspires attempts to adapt it to other media. While the 1939 MGM movie tends to define the story in the minds of many, subsequent adaptations do stick closer to the original book than to the movie, including the two we discuss this week: a French version adapted by David Chauvel and Enrique Fernandez (published in English by Image), and Marvel’s recent version, adapted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young.
Rashad Doucet, a published children’s book author in his own right, joins Tim in comparing the two adaptations, as well as discussing Yuko Osada‘s “Toto: The Wonderful Adventure” and, uh, “sexy Dorothys“.
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We dig for the deeper meanings embedded in Brian K. Vaughn’s Pride of Baghdad and French graphic novel Dead Memory!
Click the links above to save 30% on these books at ComicsNOW!
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