Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Be like me, buy these books!

A couple of months ago I mentioned that
I. N. J. Culbard said...
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I. N. J. Culbard said...

I'm a big fan of Trondheim. I have his Dungeon books in French and have to bribe my wife to read them to me because I can't read French. I've worked with an all French animation crew who'd worked with Trondheim on an animation series called Tiny Tyrant (Le roi catastrophe). The first film I made, which I wrote and directed was called "Mon Frer Raoul La Tortue" or "My Brother Raoul the Turtle" and was entirely in French... and yet still, I don't speak a word of it.

Astronauts of the Future is beautiful stuff. sadly, I only have the MBM (is that the publisher?) black and white reprints which don't do it justice.

Garen said...

On the subject of Trondheim, I'm being very patient... Twice my order from Amazon for Dungeon: Twilight has been put back to 4-6 weeks, so I've cancelled and ordered it direct from NBM. It hurts waiting.

I. N. J. Culbard said...

Hot dang, they're in English now!!! Thanks! No bribery, no more having to learn another language! Fantastic.

paulhd said...

NBM have published four Dungeon books so far with fifth due out in a couple of months - they also did Astronauts of the Future and Ordinary Victories by Manu Larcenet. I believe Tiny Tyrant is due to be translated by First Second, can't remember when though.
Only got a couple of untranslated French books, I just tend to stare it them with a green glint in my eye.
I tend to order my books through work or a different 'new' supplier' through amazon (The Book Depository are very good) whenever they quote anything other than 24hours, because it's at that point than amazon become less reliable.
But, you know, Trondheim's worth the wait!
I.N.J got to meet Trondheim, wow! And makes cartoons?! Brilliant.

I. N. J. Culbard said...

Nope, didn't get to meet him. the people I worked with in Paris had worked with him, but I didn't get to meet. If I had, the world would know about it! I'd rent out one of those planes with the banners off the back saying I'd met him. But sadly, nay.

I recently acquired a book called Valarien by Mezieres

http://www.noosfere.com/mezieres/

His "Ambassador of the Shadows" was a book that came out in the mid eighties, a reprint and translation. That was the first time I came across it. Absolutely love his work and recommend at least a peak. You can see pages of his work over at his site.

Alongside Mike Ploog, Mezieres was a huge influence on me.

paulhd said...

Aw, well, you sort got within sniffing distance!
Totally agree, Mezieres is brilliant, I've got a couple of the 80's valerian reprints as well as the recent Ibooks collection, I had hoped there'd be more but Ibooks folding means it's pretty unlikely.
There's a realy good interview with Mezieres in The Comics Journal, can't remember the issue number but I think it's just over a year old - it's also got an interview with Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian which makes it pretty good buy. Did you ever spot TCJ with the Ploog interview?
....... I really am just a comics pimp aren't I.

I. N. J. Culbard said...

I think I may have that interview buried somewhere.

the ibooks edition opens with a promising introduction noting the attempts to print Mezieres books in English. Valerian was an awkward jumping on point for some though, because all that great stuff like in Ambassador of the Shadows was done by this point I think and the book had become something else. I just want the entire series in English and I wish to god someone would get a damn move on and do something about it (someone with money and commitment to see the whole damn thing through), because if its anything like the books I have read its a heck of an epic we're missing out on here!

paulhd said...

It seems to happen a lot. Obly a couple of volumes of Tardi's brilliant Adele Blanc Sec, Hermann's Towers of Bois Maury (and Jeremiah), Franquin's Spirou, etc. Humanoids didn't even get to bring out the 3rd Chaland volume (damnit!) after they split with DC. So I guess Trondheim and Mezieres are sadly in good company.
BTW I meant to say NBM went on to do the collected edition of Astronauts fo the Future, it's in full colour if you wanted to bask in it!

paul said...

ooo... alieen looks great, i'll be checking that out next time i make a random (as in i don't know much about comics) visit to page 45. i think i've got a few odds and sods of trondheim (in the mcsweeny's comic edition?), but i don't think i've even fully investigated it.

as for language difficulties, i picked up a couple of books in japan last month and have done the same goggle-eyed, beautific staring... anyone read japanese?

paul, i like these reviews, you'll make a comic buff of me yet.