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An Introduction to European Comics

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pcostabel

pcostabel

Gold Member
european_comics.jpg


Inspired by the comics suggestion thread, I decided to start a thread dedicated to the wonderful world of european comics. Since most of the people on this forum are from North America, I'll try to provide links to the US edition of these books when available.

France and Belgium

France is undoubtedly the most prolific country when it comes to comics (or Bande Dessinée in french, literally drawn strip). With upward of 3,000 books published every year (some of them in the hundred of thousand copies), the French market is second only to Manga.
Since Belgium is a French speaking country, it has historically shared the same approach to comics and is usually considered part of the same market, the so called franco-belgian school.
The prominent art style is Ligne Claire, a clean, shadowless line pioneered by the likes of Herge', Edgard P. Jacobs and embraced and extended by modern artists like Moebius, Juillard and many others.

Tintin




Created in 1929 by Belgian artist Herge (George remi), the young reporter has become an international celebrity. His adventures bring him to real and fictional places across the globe and even on the moon. he is surrounded by a cast of memorable characters and always accompanied by his dog Milou. Steven Spielberg is directing a movie adaptation.

Asterix



The little Gaul created by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo is one of the most popular French characters. His books have been translated in more than 100 languages including Latin, and have spawned several animated and live action movies.
Asterix and his friend Obelix live in a village surrounded by roman outposts, but they successfully resist the attacks Ceasar's legion thanks to the magic potion prepared by the druid Panoramix.

Blake & Mortimer


This series created by Edgar P. Jacobs follows the adventures of professor Philip Angus Mortimer and officer Francis Percy Blake, involved in defending the world from evil and improbable figures. The stories are old fashioned pulp fiction, but are so full of ideas and details that they keep the reader glued to the book. The art is the best example of the ligne claire style, with cases chock full of details, flat bright coloring and static camera angles.
After Jacob's death, several artists have worked on the series, with surprisingly good results.

Lieutenant Blueberry



The saga created by Jean Michel Charlier and Jean "Moebius" Giraud is one of the finest western comic ever created. The attention to detail in the art and story is astounding. Lieutenant Blueberry is a complex character, not hero nor outlaw, who witnesses some of the crucial moments of American history.

The Ical


This epic sci-fi saga written by Alejandro Jodorowsky and drawn by Moebius has spawned several spin-off series (The Metabarons) and prequels. It is a seminal series for anyone interested in Heavy Metal style science fiction. The Incal universe is more complex and more imaginative than Star Wars.

The Nikopol Trilogy


This cerebral sci-fi tale created by Enki Bilal is a fine example of comics as art.
Bilal's imagination produces stunning and disturbing pictures and his narrative is both depressing and surprising.

Peter Pan



Based on the classic children book, this adaptation by artist Regis Loisel is an adult take on the traumas of childhood. A gritty and fascinating window on an univerese far removed from the Disney movie, masterfully drawn by one of the greatest artists in french comics, whose other masterpiece (The Quest for the Time Bird, written by Le Tendre) is also a must read.

Cities of the Fantastic



This distopian saga centered on architectural and urbanistic themes is the result of the cooperation of François Schuiten and Benoît Peeters. It is most notable for the incredibly elaborate structures of the imaginary cities that are the real protagonists of the books.
An intriguing series that often breaks the fourth wall, a delight for the brain and for the eyes.

Gypsy



Swiss born artist Enrico Marini is a prolific creator that works in France. Among the series he realized Gypsy is probably the most popular. This science fiction comic tells the story of Tsagoi , a truck driver in a world afflicted by global cooling. Marini has a solid, evocative art style reminescent of Katsuhiro Otomo, and he is equally comfortable in representing the post apocaliptic future of Gypsy as he is in drawing historical series like The Scorpion or horror sagas like Raptors. His latest series, The Eagles of Rome is perhaps his most ambitious and interesting one.
 
pcostabel

pcostabel

Gold Member
Italy

Italy has a rich tradition of comics (fumetti), split between 'popular' comics (cheap black and withe pocket books targeted to a mainstream audience) and more sophisticated artists. there is also a very large production of Disney comics, which has spawned a school of artists with a
recognizable style (Cavazzano, Barbucci, Ziche etc.)

Tex


One of the longest running 'popular' comic book series, it is the pillar of Bonelli editor, a prominent publisher with a business model similar to american companies like Marvel and DC, i.e. a pool of writers and artists alternating on the various series. Tex Willer is a ranger who with his pards restore justice in the wild west. The series, which started in 1948, is still quite popular today. the series is not available in English, but a special issue with art by Joe Kubert is published by SAF comics.

Dylan Dog



The "detective of nightmares" Dylan Dog is a very popular horror series, that throws humor and sex into the mix. Created by writer Tiziano Sclavi, Dylan is a cynical character that often discovers the true monsters are human beings.
Dark Horse has published a miniseries collecting the first six issues of this long running series.

Corto Maltese



Perhaps the best known Italian character, Corto Maltese is the brainchild of the great artist Hugo Pratt, arguably the most influential italian comic artist.
The romantic Corto, son of a British sailor and an Andalusian prostiture, is a character that could have come out of a Conrad novel.in his trips around the world, he met several historical figures including Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, Herman Hesse, Butch Cassidyand many others. Pratt delicate art fits the romantic mood of his stories perfectly.

Giuseppe Bergman



Better known for his erotic works, Milo Manara created Giuseppe Bergman as a sort of alter-ego. His surreal and sexy adventures read like an imaginary autobiography, with a stream of consciousness approach that always intrigues and surprises the reader. Manara elegant art style is seductive in his own rights, even when is not drawing young sexy girls.

Max Friedman


Created by artist/writer Vittorio Giardino, Max Fridman is an ex-secret agent involved in the political struggle in 1930's Europe. Max Fridman adventures have been published in 18 countries, and are universally recognised as comic book classics.
Giardino style is influenced by Franco-Belgian ligne claire, but he adds his own twinst with a maniacal attention to detail and an hint of art nouveau. Other series by this author include A Jew in Communist Prague and the erotic strip Little Ego. Indispensable.

Druuna



Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri sexy heroine Druuna is a survival in a world devastated by a virus that turns people in disgusting monsters. The mix of horror and explicit sex has made this series a huge commercial success, but the elaborate art style is reason enough to add these books to your collection. Serpieri realized several western comics before striking gold with his erotic books, all of them well worth reading, but unfortunately not available in English.

Morgana



Mario Alberti worked on several Italian popular comics like Nathan Never and Legs Weaver before creating with Luca Enoch the futuristic fantasy series Morgana. Alberti's precise and elegant style and his elaborate page composition make him one of the prominent italian artists of this generation. His work on Redhand is also commendable.
 
K

Karakand

Member
Nikopol was... interesting. Not sure I really enjoyed it per se but there was some cool shit in them. Like chess boxing!

The movie was kinda cool too.
 
Goldrusher

Goldrusher

Member
Since Belgium is a French speaking country
Click to expand...
Brussels is. And there's woodlands and mountains in the south with a few big cities where people speak French as well.
60 percent of the population speaks Flemish though...which is written like Dutch, but pronounced properly. :lol

Anyway, it's not even a real country anymore, who cares.

Brussels is a very nice city to visit for the comic fan. Dozens of very nice, HUGE murals throughout the city, like these:

stripsmuurjeunealbert.jpg


450px-Cubitus_Fresque_Bruxelles.jpg
 
S

Salazar

Member
Excellent thread, though I speak as someone unfamiliar with vast swathes of the material outside Tintin (optimistic for the film, despite Indy) and Asterix+Obelix (which I've been rereading and rethinking in light of the anti-fascist stuff, which hadn't occurred to me on first encountering it - obviously, as a youngster).
 
M

Mistouze

user-friendly man-cashews
I hope you do not forget Blacksad for spanish comics!

As for french/belgium stuff, I'll add :

Laureline and Valerian : Old series about a couple of space bounty hunters (or is special agents) anyway when I was a kid I looooved it.
url]


Aldebaran/Beltegeuse/Antares : Sci-Fi saga, spanning on multiple planets across the galaxy and some period of time. It shows human pilgrims on new planet faced to the local flora & fauna and a mysterious life form...
Aldebaran_01.jpg
9782205056365.jpg
Antar_s.jpg


I can't tell if any of these are available in english but if you can read french and have, one day, the opportunity to check these out... Do it.

The Metabarons series is wicked!
 
K

Karakand

Member
I read Tintin as a kid. I used to have to crack open the Oxford-English dictionary to figure out what Captain Haddock was calling people. :lol
 
B

bjork

Member
Awesome, I will link to this in the OP of my comic thread.

That Blueberry western one looks incredible.
 
V

Visualante

Member
Wow, great thread.

Dargaud reminds me of XIII, perhaps they were the publisher of the original XIII comic. Either way that game was awful and it didn't appear to be based on a great universe.
nitewulf said:
please link to the first volumes in amazon or something, i'd love to buy the enki bilal and the western stuff.
Click to expand...
If you use the Shop link at the top the money goes straight into EviLore's pockets.
 
T

Teddman

Member
Mistouze said:
Aldebaran/Beltegeuse/Antares : Sci-Fi saga, spanning on multiple planets across the galaxy and some period of time. It shows human pilgrims on new planet faced to the local flora & fauna and a mysterious life form...
http://www.notembulles.info/public/images/nathalie/2007/Aldebaran_01.jpghttp://multimedia.fnac.com/multimedia/images_produits/ZoomPE/5/6/3/9782205056365.jpghttp://culture.froggytest.com/modules/xoopsgallery/cache/albums/albuo65/Antar_s.jpg
Click to expand...
Have they discovered the mysterious long-rumored-to-exist "Planet of the Women in Tank Tops"???
 
C

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
I read this last weekend (also Belgian)

de-chninkel.jpg


I usually read English/American stuff but this was recommended to me by a friend so I decided to read it (ironic, I'm a Belgian myself but I don't really read any Euro stuff :p). Good art and excellent drawings at places, but overall it didn't impress me that much. Ending kinda redeemed it, but I didn't see why this book got all the hyperbole.
 
F

Frenck

Banned
I'm a big fan of Spirou et Fantasio and the Marsupilami spin-offs. There is something magical about them that I didn't find in any other European comic. Maybe it's the way both of the leads interact with each other, I'm not sure.

I stopped following the series after the Tome & Janry era ended. Too bad because it'll be hard to catch up.

My favourite comics from this continuity still don't even feature Spirou and Fantasio:

Le Papillon des cimes

marsu1.jpg


You just have to fall in love with the human characters in this one. It strikes the perfect balance between completely silly and somehow believable. Marsupilami has some great moments too and I guarantee that it will leave you rolling on the floor laughing :lol

La Queue du Marsupilami

marsu2.jpg


I less than three faux documentaries. It's probably the purest Marsupilami centric issue in the entire series. The weird animals are the stars in this one and the three little Marsupilamis are incredibly cute. It's the perfect introduction to the series.

EDIT:

Actually, I think this might be my favourite one:

Le Pollen du Monte Urticando

marsupilami04.jpg


This one features even more weird animals and a story that centers around the three baby Marsupilamis as they learn how to survive without their parent's help. Once again this is presented in faux documentary style, perhaps even moreso than most other Marsupilami centric issues.
 
F

Fragamemnon

Member
Is there a decent source for these comics (specifically the Belgian ones, French is fine btw) here in the US? I've been importing them through my sister-in-law for years now, but I'd love to have an actual source that ships no hassle to the US so I can get them in piles on demand rather than once every six months.
 
J

Jasup

Member
Valerian_and_Laureline.jpg


Valerian & Laureline (or Valerian: Spatio-Temporal Agent)

French science fiction comics series, created by writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières. Started in 1967 and is still in production. It is one of the more influential sci-fi comics out there with great stories and art.
 
L

LazyLoki

Member
ahhh, the memories. as a child, i only read franco-belgian comics. i own every asterix comic and several lucky luke ones. i guess i have to spend quite a big amount of one of my next payckecks on comics... damn you!
 
S

Splatt

Member
I've only read Martin Mystère and Zagor (and some other comics but I don't remember their name :( ). Always wanted to read Dylan Dog but never did.
 
Alx

Alx

Member
You can't write about franco-belgian comics and not mention Franquin, one of the most popular authors. He worked on Spirou for a long time, but his chef-d'oeuvre is still Gaston Lagaffe. (and by the way his ideas and designs were shamelessly stolen by spanish authors...).

Greg is also one of the great writers of the last decades (not bad at drawing either). But his humour will probably be lost in translation, since most of it is in the way he tells thing with both sophisticated and absurd phrases. (look for Achille Talon if you want to find his main books).

And no Peyo ? He's famous for the Smurfs / Schtroumpfs, but his "Johan & Pirlouit" serie is also great (even better IMO)
 
R

Rei_Toei

Fclvat sbe Pnanqn, ru?
Jasup said:
Valerian_and_Laureline.jpg


Valerian & Laureline (or Valerian: Spatio-Temporal Agent)

French science fiction comics series, created by writer Pierre Christin and artist Jean-Claude Mézières. Started in 1967 and is still in production. It is one of the more influential sci-fi comics out there with great stories and art.
Click to expand...

You are my personal hero of the day for mentioning that comic series. My grandparents (!) used to have boatloads of those, probably previously owned by my father or uncle. I loved the shit out of those. Whenever I was at their place I would read these, amongst others.
 
1

1138

Member
Thorgal
 (adventure, fantasy)

15xoguv.jpg


This is my favorite comicbook series. It's written by the belgian writers Van Hamme(the first 29 volumes) and Yves Sente (the 2 most recent volumes), and illustrated by the polish graphic artist Grzegorz Rosinski. It's set in the early middle ages, and incorperates norse mythology, and various legends. The main charachter is Thorgal Aegirsson who was adopted as a baby by vikings. Because of this some of the vikings treat him as an outcast, and he eventually leaves the village in search of a place where he can live a peaceful life with his childhood girlfriend Aaricia. The series began in 1978, and 1 volume is released each year.

The series recently became available in english and can be ordered on amazon.com. Cinebook is publishing the series out of order, and starts with "Children of the stars" (volume7+8). If your going to pick it up i recommend that you start with "The three elders of Aran" (volume 3+4), and then "Beyond the shadows" (volume 5+6).

Some pics:

2zthwdj.jpg
qswkrb.png



The illustrator recently changed artstyle. I love the new look.
23iyyjo.png
2mrwutx.png
2ngvudd.png
 
G

GCX

Member
One of the more recent ones I've liked is Blacksad (I think it's made by two Spanish guys but the main target is the French audience):

9782205051995.jpg


The artwork is pretty damn impressive:

blacksad-t1-pl.jpg
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
I just want to say that I read a ton of Tintin and Asterix (I used to always call the books "Asterix and Obelix") comics when I was really young. I have no idea why, but my Mom had a ton of these comics and started out by reading them to me until I was able to read them by myself. They really provided a lot of good childhood memories and I was actually really surprised to later find out that they were from France. I thought they were American comics until I was like 18.
 
J

Jasup

Member
I had a faint memory that there was a Valerian comic translated in English that was published a few years back. The earlier translations are rare and scarse so this one's the one to go if other languages pose a problem:

 
T

Timbuktu

Member
just wondering, do americans usually think of the UK as part of Europe? How about Raymond Briggs and Posy Simmonds?

briggs1.jpg


posysimmonds_01.jpg
 
S

Scipius

Member
The whole concept of a "franco-belgian school" always seemed to me like an attempt of the French to be able to claim Tin Tin. There's a French school of comics and there is a Belgian one and frankly, considering its size, the Belgian school has been the more significant one.
 
A

Aegus

Member
Is that Aldebaran series really any good? I'm tempted, but it costs £10! Also the publishers say that the 2nd french volume is in the 1st English volume. What was the page count of the French version?
 
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