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Recently, a book was made available to the public that can
be considered one of the most important volumes of comic art
of the decade. Comix 2000, published by French art
publisher L'association, is an international anthology (meaning
it features work from many different artists, hailing from
around the globe), weighing in at 2,000 pages, and featuring
literally hundreds of artists. To combat problems of translation
such a book would face, all the stories within the volume
contain no words. Pantomime is used instead, which is a trait
unique to comics. The following is my overall impression of
the book, along with short capsule reviews of three of my
favorite stories from within the book:
Perhaps what exhilarates me most about Comix 2000 is
the fact that such a book can exist. It always amazes me that
there are other people with the same enthusiasm and interest
in comics as myself, so when a book comes along featuring cartoonists
from all over the world, who all share the same knowledge and
love for this odd little medium, it floors me. The fact that
almost all the cartoonists in this volume think in radically
different terms about how comics can be done, and what the term
"comics" can encompass is even more fascinating.
Leafing through the pages, the sheer diversity of styles is
unmistakable, to the point that it becomes hard for your brain
cells to shift gears when digesting the material. The book is
massive, but the stories themselves are short--and wordless.
The quantity of these tales is what makes the book so gigantic.
All the stories are in black and white, and more important,
entirely wordless (some iconic symbols are present, and in some
cases titles for the stories). Thus, Comix 2000 is something
very special: a book that can be shown to anyone, anywhere,
regardless of country or language, and understood, and hopefully
enjoyed. The fact that it is wordless represents the power of
comics as a narrative form, and the uniqueness of almost every
story within represents the beauty of comics. It is the perfect
ambassador for the medium. People who rarely read comics were
completely captivated and shocked when I showed them this book.
But, all of what I've said means nothing if the stories within
are not good. In my opinion, they are. I've heard and read grumbling
that the stories are mediocre, and that many of the contributors
are amateurs. I too don't understand the absence of creators
like Robert Crumb, Dan Clowes, Chester Brown, Ben Katchor, and
the like. Of course, there are quite a few established English-language
creators, including Chris Ware, Tom Hart, Dylan Horrocks (a
marvelous piece, worthy of many re-readings), James Kolchalka,
Julie Doucet, Jessica Abel, and others. Still, I do share in
Bart Beaty's (European comics critic, as well as other things,
for The Comics Journal) puzzlement over why creators
like Crumb and Clowes are absent. Beaty asks the inevitable
question of the book: "If Comix 2000 is missing artists
of that caliber from countries we know well, imagine who they
might be missing from countries we know hardly of."
One wonders. Still, it's important to consider what Comix
2000 is supposed to be. I don't believe it should be a primer
of the best artists already established in the world of art
comics. I definitely would have liked to see more big names
in the book, but it was nice venturing into the complete unknown
with most of the creators. This doesn't excuse the book from
the notable absences, but I don't feel it lessens the greatness
and importance of the book. The pieces are solid overall, and
the book has an astonishing ratio of good to bad work. I could
read about 10 entries or so I really liked for every one I wasn't
so keen on. Can you think of a better hit-miss ration in any
anthology?
Comix 2000 is something I envision re-reading for a long
time, and I can't see how anyone who is serious about comics
could not want to read it and have it on their bookshelf. The
fact that it's something we can share with the rest of the world
is very special, in my opinion. I can't recommend it enough.
Anyway, on to the in-depth analysis of a few of my favorite
stories form the book. Let me first say that I had countless
favorites in the book, and the three that follow are not necessarily
my top picks. In a way, I stayed away from many of my favorites,
merely because I didn't know what I could say that would do
them justice. With that in mind, it was hard to make these following
decisions out of 2000 pages of (mostly) brilliant comics:
Olivier Josso, Trefieux, France (page 817): This is one of the
more striking pieces in the volume. Josso's art is painstakingly
detailed, while retaining a beautiful liveliness and expressiveness.
Much of the piece veers toward photo-realism, while the faces
remain much more iconic. The piece begins, appropriately enough,
with a birth. The first two panels deal with a woman in labor,
but the focus of the story changes abruptly in the next two
panels to show a baby within the womb. The backgrounds used
in this sequence feature so many lines it's a wonder Josso can
make it look as crisp and sharp as he does. Around the baby
in the womb we see countless rock type shapes, which fluctuate
in depth, texture, and variety from panel to panel. At the beginning
of page 3, we see a shimmering light, followed in the next panel
by the now-born baby being held upward. The serene expression
the infant wore in the womb is replaced by shock and misery,
it seems.
The next panel brings us about 10 years into the future, as
we see said child walking with his mother on the streets of
what appears to be a nameless major city at around the turn
of the century. The mother and child make their way to an artist's
house so that the mother may pose for him. While at the house,
the boy is fascinated by the realm of the artist, as images
of brushes and canvases dance before his eyes. Asleep that night,
the boy dreams, recalling images Josso showed us while the youth
was in the womb. The boy quickly awakes to record the images
he dreamed on paper.
Again, Josso fast-forwards us to the future, where a present-day
young man searches a bookstore for art books. A particular book
catches his attention. As he flips through it, he notices a
piece titled "Sandboy at Dawn," the same piece the boy jotted
down upon awakening. The piece concludes with the man happily
walking down the street, the book in his hand. In seven pages,
Josso has told an effective story about birth, inspiration,
the creative process, and the timelessness of art. A wonderful
piece in every way.
Thomas Ott, Zurich, Suisse (page 1345): A better establishment
of mood I have yet to see in any comic story I've read. Ott
takes his time, and every panel is deliciously wrapped in suspense
and mystery. Be forewarned as you read this that a lot of the
fun of this piece lies in the end of the story, so I'd recommend
skipping to the next review if you still want to be surprised
when you get a chance to read the book.
The art on this piece is also beautiful. It appears to be done
in etchings, which makes it even more impressive. The panels
are dark and become even darker since they're set against a
black paper. A man in a suit enters a motel, wearing a rather
disgruntled expression. He rings for service, to which he receives
no response. He slowly gives up, and walks down the hall. A
door at the end is slightly opened, and he enters, finding a
banquet waiting for him. He immediately digs in, his angry expression
replaced by one of joy. Satisfied with his meal, he yawns and
again attempts to get some service. He of course receives no
answer or human contact, but he cares less this time. He finds
a key, and enters one of the hotel rooms. He retires to bed,
and turns off the light. Ott then treats us to two completely
black panels, before the man abruptly turns on his light again,
wearing an expression of complete terror. He proceeds to the
toilet where he vomits violently. He frantically looks into
other rooms, hoping to find help. He is greeted not by fellow
boarders, but by lifeless bodies, wearing similar expressions
of shock as they lie in their beds. Now entirely frantic, he
runs out of the hotel, but falls down dead by the steps, despite
his best efforts. Ott then zooms away from the man, to show
us a gigantic cockroach cooking dinner, with the hotel portrayed
as a small "roach hotel" type box on the floor.
Perhaps a bit overly ironic, but the fact that mood was so expertly
created, the images so well rendered, and the fact that the
piece was high in entertainment and craftsmanship value makes
this one of the more memorable and original pieces I read.
David B., Paris, France (page 348): I'm told David B. is one
of the greatest cartoonists in the world. I am painfully ignorant
about European comics, but judging from this piece I see no
reason to doubt the status people assign to him. The story he
contributes to Comix 2000 is the longest in the book,
clocking in at 27 pages. While the two pieces I mentioned above
have some roots in reality, this story is firmly rooted in surrealism,
but the theme of the piece is bringing non-living things to
life. Two triangular sped head creatures start off the story
by pointing an odd sort of ray gun at some add. The mascot then
comes to life, which overjoys the two creatures. But as the
mascot becomes more forward with them, they become frightened
(or perhaps annoyed), and kick him to death. The obvious undertone
is that they create life and then destroy it. The creatures
continue through the city, using the gun for various purposes,
and getting various effects. It isn't made clear, but I suspect
that the results of what the gun does is unknown to the creatures
until they use it. Its main purpose is animation or re-animation,
but different variations present themselves. The genius of the
piece is the reactions that occur in the characters.
Again this was my first exposure to David B., and I couldn't
be more impressed. The man is obviously a master cartoonist,
as his images contain movement, effortless expressiveness, tone
variation, with writing that is inseparable from the art. A
true cartoonist, and an indispensable part of Comix 2000.
These are three pieces out of over 300. Again, they are not
necessarily the best in the book, but out of every comic I read
all year, they certainly rank with the most memorable and satisfying.
I hope these recommendations persuade you to give Comix 2000
a try. It's truly an experience.
Copyright © 2001 Austin English. All Rights
Reserved.
Austin English is *spark-online's regular
insight into the world of serial art.
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