#497 Peter Kuper: Demonstrating what comics can do

Ruins by Peter KuperPeter Kuper has been pushing the boundaries of comics for over two decades, using media like linoleum prints, scratchboard, and stencils & spray paint (including in The System) to make a wide variety of comics, from those with political or environmental messages to autobiography, adaptations of Franz Kafka’s writings, and (since 1997) Spy vs. Spy.

In this episode, Peter talks with Tim about the varied media; his youthful encounters with Harvey Pekar, R. Crumb, and Howard Chaykin; his ambitious graphic novel Ruins; the importance of getting out of your comfort zone; and much more.

REVIEW: The Arctic Marauder by Jacques Tardi

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.

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