Now that my comic book love is made public (well, that's not really big news - I tend to write about comics in my "home blog") I should take the opportunity to mention that I'm very interested in Balkan comics (Slavic comics?) as well. I'm aware of Stripburger and I just bumped into Tonci Zonjic's blog, so obviously there's much more out there.My first foray into European comics, much like many other North Americans, was TinTin and Asterix. I wouldn't really count the Smurfs: I found them irritating and I didn't even know they were based on a European comic: Belgian, I believe. I was heavily invested in Heavy Metal, which introduced me to French, Spanish and Italian artists.
Anyway, about a couple of years ago I finally got around to reading more bande dessinée and presently I'm hunting for more. The techniques used in European comics are markedly different from their North American counterparts, such as pacing, line work (I find European artists aim for cleaner lines, I could be proven wrong if someone showed me an example) and overall format.
I'm still on the lookout for anything relevant - feel free to post suggestions or recommendations!
6 comments:
I've always liked Uderzo's style. The early Asterix books were quite sloppy, but started improving exponentially from 1967 onwards.
I still think that books like Asterix and the Soothsayer hold up well after all these years even if a lot of the racial stereotypes don't.
OMG...slamming the Smurfs, How could you? ;)
Michael M.: Uderzo, eh? I'll check out that name. Thanks!
Michael: I always wondered if Smurfs were edible.
And apparently they were used in a short film by UNICEF.
As far as Slovene comics go, you already noted Striburger...There's the legendary Magna Purga by Kostja Gatnik which quickly acquired cult status.
My favourite author is Tomaž Lavrič, who won international acclaim with his "Tales from Bosnia", but my favourite is "Ratman" a half-rat, half-man superhero of Ljubljaba who unclogs seweage, saves cats, chases submarines in the river Ljubljanica and reads "Of Mice And Men"
Unfortunately his adventures lasted only one season...
And of course, one must never forget Alan Ford - it still is a classic in these parts of the world.
Pengovsky: Awesome! Thanks for the heads up!
I second the mention of Alan Ford! I got a few in Croatia, they are pretty fun!
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