Category — Comic Books

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Well, l was somewhere on a corner of Boulevard St Michel and lost, I was heading for Rue Dante a comic book precinct in the Latin quarter of Paris. I couldn’t find it. I was only a block away, apparently, when I caught sight of a scruffy little shop, down Serpente called Aaapoum Bapoum. Foot sore and weary I went in.

Ah, if I never found Rue Dante I would have been happy with this. A little shop shoved in a back alley with every conceivable comic book in the French language you could imagine. I found a few things I wanted and a few I hadn’t thought about at very reasonable prices and bought them. Then had a chat to Stephan one of the comic book chiefs there who sent me off in the right direction to find Rue Dante. Just happens that he has another establishment there. “It has all my best stuff. Its a mess.” he said shrugging with a smile, “You’ll have to search through things to find what you want.” Shrugging apologetically again.

Rue Dante is a smallish street at an angle between St Germain and St Jacques. It is home to about seven or more comic book shops including numerous specialist, from Manga to BD, branches of the Album shops. And the delightful Librairie Rackam at 2 Rue Dante where I bought a 1987 “La Queue Du Marsumilami” and “Gedeon en Afrique” both hard covers.

Here at 8 Rue Dante,

is Aapoum Bapoum’s second shop where you can find Franco-Belgian comics as manga or comics, but almost always in French. It is according to Stephan the better of the two that they own. There is a sense of permanent pandemonium, the proud result of patient and consistent effort on behalf of disorganizers in chief.

But back at the junction of Rue Dante, Boulavard St Germain and St Jacques is one of the shops owned by Album.

Whoops, same stuff you’ll find in any comic store in the U.S of A or Australia, Wolverine figurines, posters, souvenirs of every description Marvel, DC as well as Dark Horse and Image comics. Directly opposite the shop pictured is another of their shops and it covers two jam packed floors of BD, bande dessinée, where you’ll find Franco_Belgian works such as Pixi, Leblon, Arroutchef, Moulinsart & Espace Tintin. Then as you continue down the street you come across Album Manga and two other establishments owned by them in the same area Rue Dante. Talk about creating a presence or dominance.

Its a feast for the comic book lover, French or other wise, you walk out of one shop and move straight into another and another picking up speed almost running. It’s nearly dusk and closing time. Different shops specialise in different things some focus on the art work some on toys but what ever you are looking for you’ll probably find it here. Other shops along the street are;Pulp, Galerie Slomka, Manga Shop Little Tokyo.

And on the weekend not far from Rue Dante when you are shopping for baguettes, fromage and wine there is a book market where you can buy books, comics and collectors tomes. I bought a hard copy of 120 RUE DE LA GARE by Leo Malet illustrated by Tardi for 10eur. You can buy books here individually or by the kilo. Don’t get me started on that.

The Atomium Exhibition

Ok this is a quickie.

This year, 2009, The Year of the Comic Book will be celebrated in Brussels you really must go if love comics, cherry beer or Belgian waffles.

The Atomium, has fourteen renowned European comic strip artists pay homage to one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. Running from 4th June to 20th September, this will run with another exhibition In Search of Atomic Style. My take on the way.

The Belgian Centre of Comic Strip Art, is celebrating its 20th birthday, this year with three themed exhibitions including 20 years of Mangas in Europe an exploration of Japanese Mangakas. I did hear a few comikers refer to a style called Frangas, could it be French manga? I will be posting my experience on the centre soon.

It was a wet Sunday, I turned south and drove towards Louvain-la-Neuve and the museum, Musee Hergé designed as a focal point for one of the best loved creators of the twentieth century.

It’s a long way. I can’t imagine why the museum is located way out here. What were they thinking I keep thinking, Hergé was born in Brussels not this university town of Louvain-la-Neuve? As the miles slip by I keep asking myself, “Why so far from his birth place? Why?” I was never able to give myself an answer so I gave up.

More than forty minutes later, at 10 in the morning, I was lost on a cross road not standing at the opening door of the museum. A stranger, with a quizzical face like a cute puppy appeared at the window of the van. There are many of these delightful creatures in Belgium! She took pity on me and guided my cantankerous motor home towards an oak-wooded museum site.

Another twenty minutes later, she directed me into a free car park jumped out of her car, wished me the best jumped back in her car did a u-turn and headed back the way she came! Finally I looked up to…

A container ship moored in time and space, a labyrinth contained in the strong clean lines reminiscent of Hergé’s drawing style, Musee Hergé.

Christian de Portzamparc, architect for the project, tells us “Louvain-la-Neuve is built on a straight-edged concrete slab with a car park underneath. It immediately seemed like a good idea to disengage the museum from the town, better to move it away a little towards the woods.”

Musee Hergé has been in the works for a long time, a collaboration of like minds dedicated to creating an exhibition space suitable for a life’s work and where fans may visit and feel just a little of Hergé.
More of a monument than a museum.

Christian de Portzamparc, “I said to myself, from this point on, that the museum was obviously a tribute to Hergé, but also as much a game played with Hergé, or a letter to Hergé.”

Once inside the magic continues, bathed in light streaming through the large bays, I encounter “four landscape objects”, which correspond Joost Swarte’s scenography and the layout.

After I paid my entry fee a jolly gallery attendant handed me a audio-aid and directed me to a lift behind the admissions desk. Another jolly attendant put me in the lift and instructed me to hit play precisely when the lift door closed. Does anyone here have issues with control? Curiosity made me do exactly that. The lift took me to the top floor where I stepped out into the labyrinth and began my journey, steadily descending through eight rooms joined by walkways to the ground floor.

Ready set go, room 1 and the display begins by presenting Hergé’s career in chronological order. The treat in this room is the original plates of stories familiar and loved with the blue lines, the rubbings and marks of a work in progress. The first plate of ‘Tintin in the Land of the Soviets’, the original cover of “Landing on the Moon’ and the wonderfully energetic sketches for ‘Tintin and Alph-Art’.

On to room 2, where we find Hergé the designer and graphic artist working on newspaper column layouts, heading design, lettering and illustration during his time with Father Wallez.

Walking out room 2 I stepped into the light from the dark receptacle of the mind. On a walkway between the two rooms I stood looking through the enormous glass expanse, stunned suspended, silent watching the oak trees shift gently in the breeze, movement on the floor below, ahead a door and gently shifting colours. I’m still not sure of how to describe it to you, was I in a comic book panel or trespassing in the mind of a man or was it a little of both. I don’t know but it was a grand moment in time.

Moving from the walkway into room 3 character development is the focus of this room. The evolution and inspiration of various characters including Snowys’ character from foxie to sidekick is depicted here. Mmmm, I thought to myself that’s not like any fox terrier I’ve ever seen but if Hergé said it’s a foxie I’ll accept it, maybe! Sketches of other favourites are there including Bianca Castafiore, Captain Haddock, and Professor Calculus.

Zoom out to room 4. Ok I raced through this room, I apologise to anyone who is offended, how ever it didn’t have much to keep me there to be honest. The influence of film from King Kong (which inspired the gorilla in The Black Island) to Marx Brothers in the Tintin comics is the focus of this room. The weakest of the displays, it contains a lot of still and moving visuals but the connections drawn between the source material and the final product are thin and feel rushed as does a lot of the exhibition. There is a quote in the catalogue by Hergé regarding the role of the artist as akin to scriptwriter and director rolled into one, but it is still some-what unsatisfying.

Room 5. Blast off! Was Tintin the first man on the moon? Hergé, deeply inquisitive, interviewed many experts on the technical and scientific aspects of his imaginings. By focusing, for example on Destination Moon and artefacts such as the shark submarine and rocket models this room dubbed and decorated as the Calculus’ lab, endeavours to show the relationship between Tintin science and fiction.

Cast off to room 6 and travel as Hergé did by proxy to the lands of the great ancient civilizations that influenced Tintin. I warn you don’t leave without checking out the great 3D display using 3D glasses that are fabulous in them selves’ I love those glasses.

Down into room 7 where we get a glimpse and it is only a glimpse of Hergé’s Studio where he collaborated in later life with many other talented artists. There are model sheets and other bits and pieces of interest but I would have liked to see a production pipeline of the studio operation.

Last but not least room 8. Here speak others of Hergé. There is no shortage of praise for the man down here. The legendary, celebrated and illustrious tell of how they were influenced by Hergé. Here be portraits of some of his fans and the man himself some good some not. Don’t get me wrong I’m all for the Dali llama but the picture of him reading from Tintin in Tibet is naff, naff, naff. Sorry naff!

Exit stage right to the restaurant and the gift shop.

My final 2c. About 80% of Hergé’s original work is available to the gallery. At the time I was there were around 300 items on display including 150 original plates the intention is to rotate these approximately every four months.

One of museums team is Sophie Tchang, daughter of Chang Chong-jen who influenced Hergé and whose fictional counterpart Tintin rescued in ‘Tintin au Tibet’ so it’s a surprise that the influence, and it is an important one, in the artists’ evolution isn’t addressed.

Having said that, I like the museum. It achieves what it sets out to do. It is not a research centre for students doing a Doctorate in Tintin it is a monument to a man and his work. It is early days yet and there will be much tweaking over the months and years but over all I think it works.
Christian de Portzamparc, architect for the project, Fanny and Nick Rodwell, Joost Swarte scenography, and Walter de Toffol, building contractor have over thirteen years worked towards a common purpose and it shows. They have aright to be proud.

The Tintin story is far from over so get ready, buckle up there is more Hergé mania on the way folks with Spielberg’s Tintin movie hitting the screens next year with Daniel Craig and Jamie Bell the man and his work will be big news then again,still.

GETTING THERE FROM AUSTRALIA:

How I did it.

Booked Korean Air, Sydney to Paris. AUD$1777 through
Escape Travel, Broadway, Sydney, Australia.

Europcar AUD388.05 (5 days)

Musée Hergé
Opening hours:
From Tuesday to Sunday: from 10:00 to 18:00
Monday,you know it: closed
Admission
General: 9.50 €, AUD16.50
Families and students: 7.00 € AUD 12.15
Between (7 and 14): 5.00 €; AUD 8.70

Belgian Tourist Office
Comic Strip Year Brussels

It is so very hard to find alternatives to the deluge of comics that come from the U.S.A. It’s not that I don’t like them, I do it’s just that I also like the different sensibility that comes from Europe primarily, for me, French language ones. So the purpose of my following posts will be a primer to lift the awareness of French language comics with Australian readers or indeed any other English speakers and to show the vast talent of European comic book artists.

I’m going to start with Moebius not because he is the greatest but because I like his art work and the way he can float between styles.

During his career, long long career, he has produced graphics under three different names.

Moebius, Gir and Jean Giraud.

You have probably been exposed to his work through these films,

• Alien (1979)
• The Time Masters (1982)
• Tron (1982)
• Masters of the Universe (1987)
• Willow (1988)
• The Abyss (1989)
• The Fifth Element (1997)

and not realised that he had created these comics amongst many others.

• Blueberry” (29 volumes, English translation, 1965 - ), “artist”
• Jim Cutlass (7 volumes, 1979 - 1999), “artist”
• XIII (volume 18, “La Version irlandaise” in 2007), “artist”

As Moebius

• Les Yeux du Chat (1978), “artist”
• Tueur de monde (1979), “writer & artist”
• l’Incal” (”The Incal”, 6 volumes, English translation, 1981-1988), “artist”
• The Long Tomorrow (Originally in English, 1989), “artist”
• Les Vacances du Major (1992), “writer & artist”
• Les Histoires de Monsieur Mouche (1994), “artist”
• Little Nemo(1994), “writer”

To kick this off here is a documentary produced by Avanti Media Productions featuring comments by Stan Lee and others.

One of my favourite comic book series is Une aventure de John Difool. This is the source that director Luc Besson borrowed heavily from to make one of my also favourite (coincidently) movies The Fifth Element.

One of the creators of John Difool and the L’Incal series was Jodorowsky, a great visual director took the production to court however it was thrown out. The action was complicated in part I believe because Mœbius had worked on the film with Besson.

Jodorowsky almost made DUNE . He assembled an impressive crew to realise Dune before the budget blew out Jean Giraud, Chris Foss, HR Giger, Dan O’Bannon, Pink Floyd and Salvador Dali. When Dune was canned he incorporated many of the ideas that he had for the movie into the comic book series he wrote with comic book artist Mœbius.

In this post I plan to introduce the series to those who have not encountered it and hopefully increase readership of European comics.

I have the six volumes below to share with you.

The INCAL (Jodorowsky & Moebius)
• Tome 1 - L’Incal noir Volume 1 - The Black Incal
• Tome 2 - L’Incal lumière Volume 2 - The light Incal
• Tome 3 - Ce qui est en bas Volume 3 - What is the bottom
• Tome 4 - Ce qui est en haut Volume 4 - What is up
• Tome 5 - La cinquième essence 1 - Galaxie qui songe Volume 5 - The fifth essence 1 - Galaxie who dream
• Tome 6 - La cinquième essence 2 - La planète Difool Volume 6 - The fifth essence 2 - The planet Difool

Volume One

THE ADVENTURES OF JOHN DIFOOL

BRIEF SYNOPSIS
The future of the universe lies on the shoulders of one John Difool, a R class detective, a character of dubious integrity. He is joined by seven others and after locating Animah they travel to a temple in another dimension where in the heart of a forest of crystal, he recreates the Incal around Solune.
He is then entrusted with a mission, he must join with the Queen of the photo-bergs to save the world!

JOHN DIFOOL ANTI-HERO AND BUM
John Difool is a bum, a self absorbed character who spends most of his time trying to avoid responsibility. He appears childish and whimsical but his behavior is often reprehensible and he appears cowardly in spite of the urgings of a higher voice, I’Incal. You don’t feel that you should buy a used car off him let alone trust the fate of the universe to him. He is always tempted to go to the dark side, but when motivated by fear or by love he can commits acts of bravery.
Serendipity though is always on his side and amazingly he always manages to overcome even the worst of situations. At the end of the cycle, he also escapes the collective sacrifice that leads to the victory over the Incal Ténèbre. He is a bum but he is lucky, he is the perfect anti-hero.
The Tarot deck is the inspiration for L’Incal and John Difool, who strikes a resemblance to Crispin Glover, is modeled on the major arcane card The Fool, zero, the card represents folly mania, extravagance, frenzy, betrayal and carelessness.

DEEPO
Deepo, the instrument of comic situations is the companion of John Difool, a large seagull like bird who gained the gift of speech after he “swallowed” the Incal light . Deepo is a capricious creature with attitude he saves Difool at least twice. He bears some resentment to Difool, yeah some!.

TO BE CONTINUED.