Utopia comes with a price in this european cartoonists graphic novel debut inspired by his midcentury colonialist grandfather. Feel free to comment below if theres a comic youve read recently that you want to. All of which makes him more real than the swashbuckling hollywood heroes that grace most pirate narratives. Tom spurgeon, the comics reporter arsene schrauwen reads like conrad by way of kafka, as drawn in pen and ink by the douanier rousseau. Arsene schrauwen news, rumors and information bleeding. Alvin and his pals in merry christmas with clyde crashcup and leonardo. In this crackpot graphic novel from the historically minded and utterly original schrauwen, the belgian cartoonist imagines a fanciful history that slips the bonds of reality almost immediately. Arsene never fails to engage emotionally as well as intellectually. Arsene schrauwen comic read arsene schrauwen comic. Half of arsene schrauwens ink is blueprint blue, perhaps in the spirit of its titular characters architectural aims. Arsene schrauwen is one of the most thoroughly modern comics ive ever come across and it was published only a couple months ago so its appropriate that there isnt much history to it, or rather that the history it concerns itself with is all displayed on the page.
Announced with no fanfare whatsoever on its authors blogspot. Arsene schrauwen begins with author olivier schrauwen addressing the reader to say that this book is the story of his grandfather, and then he cedes the story to young arsene, alive in 1947, boarding a boat to embark on a colonialist adventure. Olivier schruawen, a belgiumborn, germanybased cartoonist, originally serialized arsene schrauwen in spanish before collecting it in a single volume at fantagraphics. This first fulllength graphic novel from olivier schrauwen manages to fold many of the artists obsessions found in his.
Schrauwen got his start in comics drawing for the francobelgian magazine spirou. See more ideas about comics, funny comics and history jokes. Arsene schrauwen by olivier schrauwen, hardcover barnes. The author even suggests taking a couple twoweek breaks over the course of his. This story kicked off a streak of schrauwen having the best comic in a number of very highquality anthologies. Guy is a mediocre mariner, able enough, but also a lazy, thieving, lying drunkard. Arsene schrauwen is one of the most complex, and simply best, comics released this year.
This first fulllength graphic novel from olivier schrauwen manages to fold many of the artists obsessions found in his short stories culture clash, lowbrow humor, colonialism. From the loopy narrative to the stylized drawings and creative page design, this book is a shock of newness that had me putting it down periodically over the months it took to read. Here it is, arsene schrauwen by olivier schrauwen, translated from the original flemish and published by fantagraphics books. Olivier schrauwen on his grandfather, werner herzog, and. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Together they would build something deemed impossible. Harris smith recommends arsene schrauwen ollie schrauwens new graphic novel arsene schrauwen, from fantagraphics, is rich and fantastical, yet at the same. Comic books 19733 original artwork 93 antiquarian books 65 magazines 3.
The story involves a forbidden love affair, themes of isolation and madness, and a truly nightmarish scene involving wereleopards. This newer book collects selfpublished work printed on a risograph machine, and primarily sticks to blue and a complementary orange. Not weird in the way that most weird comics are weird, in which the events and characters within the comic are weird. In 1947, the authors grandfather, arsene schrauwen, traveled across the ocean to a mysterious, dangerous jungle colony at the behest of his cousin. Ollie schrauwens new graphic novel arsene schrauwen, from fantagraphics, is rich and fantastical, yet at the same time resolutely physical and sensual. A tiny little boy and his single father are the heroes of these unpredictable adventures that soon take a disastrous turn. In arsene schrauwen, a modernist vision that could never have been successfully projected onto the world may be alive and well. Honestly, theres nothing else in comics like arsene schrauwen, at least not yet. Seeking more artistic freedom, he soon left the magazine and published his work in a variety of alternative smallpress zines. Olivier schrauwen on his grandfather, werner herzog, and creating one of the best graphic novels of the year. Strongly reminiscent of early american colour comic strips winsor mccay. Every week i write about the most interesting new comics hitting comic shops, bookstores, digital, and the web. As in todays wider comics marketplace, schrauwens contributions felt a little outside of the space everyone else was working to carve. The new olivier schrauwen collection has arrived, hot off the press.
The comic sees schrauwen, whose drawing in past projects has encompassed everything from expert winsor mccay pastiches to rawdog edvard munchian artcomix, settled into a refined, streamlined style that takes equal parts from the resplendent technicalmanual rigidity of yuichi yokoyama, the clean, blunt markmaking of cf, and the oldworld elegance of early newspaper comics. In 1947, the authors grandfather, arsene, traveled across the ocean to a mysterious jungle colony in hopes of building something deemed impossible. We begin with the author, olivier schrauwen, introducing himself byway of his connection to his grandfather. I mean, yes, there are plenty of weird events and characters within the comici was dead serious about those wereleopardsbut even without that, schrauwens way of telling this story is strange. It uses simplified drawings, collagelike text and two colors red and blue to convey a narrative that moves between the real and the fantastic with grace and facility. Schrauwen the author, not arsene previously explored colonialism in his short story congo chromo, found in the 2011 collection the man who grew his beard, and did so with a much wilder color palette. Featuring the long out of print cult classic, greys which is a strong contender for the crown of greatest alien abduction story ever produced, in any medium along with five, new science fiction stories, which have either not ever been published in english, or only in extremely limited edition and now very. Shop the finest comics, books, graphic novels, zines, and more. Olivier schrauwen in 1947, the authors grandfather, arsene, traveled across the ocean to a mysterious, dangerous jungle colony at the behest of his cousin. Yet, he is already a key player on the international alternative scene. Whether delirious from love or a feverinducing jungle virus, arsenes loosening grip on reality is mirrored by the readers uncertainty of what is imagined or real by arsene. This first fulllength graphic novel from the criticallyacclaimed olivier schrauwen is an engrossing, sometimes funny, slightly surreal and often beautiful narrative. Matt seneca i dont know much about olivier schrauwen, but i know that hes some sort of postmodern comics genius.
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