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scans_dailyI picked up a graphic novel recently, not a new one as it turns out, but new to me, and it's gorgeous in a way that I don't normally warm to.
"Paris" by Andi Watson and Simon Gane, is a story of two women in 1950's Paris.
We first meet Juliet, an American studying art in Paris... The following is a prime example of the sort of rich, textured full page panels that pepper the story.
The people, the... textures, the life going on all around is wonderful. Though there's no doubt who the main character is, there could be stories spun out from just about anyone here, unlike many crowd scenes, these don't feel like characters created as filler, they feel like people who just wandered into shot.
(This art is a style that isn't be to my usual tastes, but here it works superbly, Simon Gane is perhaps better known now for "Northlanders")
Juliet is a "starving artist" who shares a grotty apartment with Paulette, her French, and somewhat radicalised, flatmate who will insist on drying her culottes indoors, dripping all over the floor. They get on well enough though, and we discover how Juliet augments her income. Her professor assists in getting her commissions;
One feels that Juliet doesn't really mean it, but Paulette?
This is our other protagonist...
Deborah is visiting Paris in the company of "Chap" her professional chaperone. Deborah herself is from a wealthy English family and is rather reserved not given to much in the way of emotional display.
Chap is also one hell of a killjoy; She thinks that the French are completely barbaric since they print, not engrave, their visitors cards, and as for the food... as far as she's concerned the only reason they haven't starved to death is the hand-made wholemeal loaves that Deborah's mother sends them. One suspects that analysis of her DNA would show at least one strand to be pure tweed.
Oh, and guess who Juliet's new subject is...
As you might imagine (as this is a graphic novel, not a short story) a friendship blossoms between the two. Deborah has a wider and more respectable knowledge of art than Juliet expects, and Juliet is a freer spirit, of the sort Deborah aspires to be.
But how far can that friendship go? Well, there's a sort of clue in this one scene, where Juliet shows Deborah how to apply expensive lipstick so you don't waste any of it.
This is a love story in the most rewarding sense of the word, and it's well named, because Paris, one of my favourite cities in the world, is very much a character in the story, it's beautiful, varied, and though doubtless somewhat idealised has a warmth to it... if I had to pick an analogy it would be that this is the comic book equivalent of the movie "Amelie". I'm not overly fond of the plot of Amelie, but it's evocation of a city in a way that is better than true is marvellous.
Here's another random full page, just for atmosphere, again, the life of these unimportant characters is more than many comics main characters achieve.
I wish I could scan more of this 128 story but the GN format makes scanning tricky, and this deserves the best. These are pages culled from a google search. Trust me if you've never trusted me before, to see a tender, evocative, gentle love story seek out this book (Which was originally released as a four part comic series)
And on a much sadder note...
One of the most gifted fantasy authors of her generation has passed away after a 2 year battle with cancer.
Though she's never had anything to do with comics directly, I'd be very, very surprised if there weren't a significant number of fans of the author Diana Wynne Jones in the community.
For over 30 years she produced some of the best, most imaginative and truly creative work in the genre. JK Rowling had better PR, but Diana deserved a lot more recognition, and a much more varied and enjoyable repertoire.
She studied with Tolkein and CS Lewis when she was at Oxford, so certainly had a good grounding in fantasy, but went places with her work neither of those two worthies ever dreamed of.
Her fans include not just many readers, but many, many other authors, notably Neil Gaiman (Ms Jones is one of the "Four Witches" that "The Books of Magic" are dedicated to) as seen in his tribute to her here.
A brief summation of her work doesn't to justice to it, but ones worthy of mention might include
The Chrestomanci series - Featuring the many and varied adventures experienced by, and confronted with Chrestomanci, the nine-lived enchanter, responsible for maintaining order throughout many worlds.
Howl's Moving Castle - Now perhaps better known as a Miyazaki anime, but the book has a different, and IMHO much better, plot.
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland - The definitive, and exhaustive fantasy cliché buster (but always affectionately)
Archer's Goon - A family's life is turned upside down when they are opposed by a group of what can only be described as "urban" elementals.
Eight Days of Luke - To say anything would spoil a rather wonderful plot.
RIP Ms Jones, there's a lot more magic in the world because of your books, and a lot less because of your passing.
"Paris" by Andi Watson and Simon Gane, is a story of two women in 1950's Paris.
We first meet Juliet, an American studying art in Paris... The following is a prime example of the sort of rich, textured full page panels that pepper the story.
The people, the... textures, the life going on all around is wonderful. Though there's no doubt who the main character is, there could be stories spun out from just about anyone here, unlike many crowd scenes, these don't feel like characters created as filler, they feel like people who just wandered into shot.
(This art is a style that isn't be to my usual tastes, but here it works superbly, Simon Gane is perhaps better known now for "Northlanders")
Juliet is a "starving artist" who shares a grotty apartment with Paulette, her French, and somewhat radicalised, flatmate who will insist on drying her culottes indoors, dripping all over the floor. They get on well enough though, and we discover how Juliet augments her income. Her professor assists in getting her commissions;
One feels that Juliet doesn't really mean it, but Paulette?
This is our other protagonist...
Deborah is visiting Paris in the company of "Chap" her professional chaperone. Deborah herself is from a wealthy English family and is rather reserved not given to much in the way of emotional display.
Chap is also one hell of a killjoy; She thinks that the French are completely barbaric since they print, not engrave, their visitors cards, and as for the food... as far as she's concerned the only reason they haven't starved to death is the hand-made wholemeal loaves that Deborah's mother sends them. One suspects that analysis of her DNA would show at least one strand to be pure tweed.
Oh, and guess who Juliet's new subject is...
As you might imagine (as this is a graphic novel, not a short story) a friendship blossoms between the two. Deborah has a wider and more respectable knowledge of art than Juliet expects, and Juliet is a freer spirit, of the sort Deborah aspires to be.
But how far can that friendship go? Well, there's a sort of clue in this one scene, where Juliet shows Deborah how to apply expensive lipstick so you don't waste any of it.
This is a love story in the most rewarding sense of the word, and it's well named, because Paris, one of my favourite cities in the world, is very much a character in the story, it's beautiful, varied, and though doubtless somewhat idealised has a warmth to it... if I had to pick an analogy it would be that this is the comic book equivalent of the movie "Amelie". I'm not overly fond of the plot of Amelie, but it's evocation of a city in a way that is better than true is marvellous.
Here's another random full page, just for atmosphere, again, the life of these unimportant characters is more than many comics main characters achieve.
I wish I could scan more of this 128 story but the GN format makes scanning tricky, and this deserves the best. These are pages culled from a google search. Trust me if you've never trusted me before, to see a tender, evocative, gentle love story seek out this book (Which was originally released as a four part comic series)
And on a much sadder note...
One of the most gifted fantasy authors of her generation has passed away after a 2 year battle with cancer.
Though she's never had anything to do with comics directly, I'd be very, very surprised if there weren't a significant number of fans of the author Diana Wynne Jones in the community.
For over 30 years she produced some of the best, most imaginative and truly creative work in the genre. JK Rowling had better PR, but Diana deserved a lot more recognition, and a much more varied and enjoyable repertoire.
She studied with Tolkein and CS Lewis when she was at Oxford, so certainly had a good grounding in fantasy, but went places with her work neither of those two worthies ever dreamed of.
Her fans include not just many readers, but many, many other authors, notably Neil Gaiman (Ms Jones is one of the "Four Witches" that "The Books of Magic" are dedicated to) as seen in his tribute to her here.
A brief summation of her work doesn't to justice to it, but ones worthy of mention might include
The Chrestomanci series - Featuring the many and varied adventures experienced by, and confronted with Chrestomanci, the nine-lived enchanter, responsible for maintaining order throughout many worlds.
Howl's Moving Castle - Now perhaps better known as a Miyazaki anime, but the book has a different, and IMHO much better, plot.
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland - The definitive, and exhaustive fantasy cliché buster (but always affectionately)
Archer's Goon - A family's life is turned upside down when they are opposed by a group of what can only be described as "urban" elementals.
Eight Days of Luke - To say anything would spoil a rather wonderful plot.
RIP Ms Jones, there's a lot more magic in the world because of your books, and a lot less because of your passing.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-27 07:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-27 07:38 pm (UTC)Howl's Moving Castle is good Miyazaki-style, but perfect as the novel. When it went to Wales I was sold forever.
The comic you've posted looks full of feeling, too.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-27 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-27 07:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-27 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-27 10:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-27 10:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-27 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-28 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-28 12:40 am (UTC)Thank you for making this post, and for sharing this lovely comic as well.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-28 01:20 am (UTC)And oh my god Diana Wynne Jones?
Oh my god.
I was just in the process of rereading my "Fire and Hemlock" copy. I read it when I was ten years old (a signed copy, oh wow) and didn't understand it, and vowed to read it again when I was old enough to.
Damn.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-28 03:14 am (UTC)Everyone needs to read A Tough Guide to Fantasyland.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-28 08:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 11:15 pm (UTC)