Play Catch up.

I haven't blogged in a while.

This is because lots of cool stuff has been happening, I've been working on some heavy projects, my mac exploded, and I've moved house (twice). Anyway!

First things first, it's Angouleme baby!

Yes, it's that time of year when me ( and mum) run off to france to spend more money than we make in four months on beautiful comic books, drink our body-weight in bad lager and have slurred and pointless arguments with someone we later find out was the editor of Dargaud, or something. As usual, it's impossible to really explain Angouleme, so i'll stick with the highlights.

Cent Pour Cent:

In the new(ish) museum space the Cent pour Cent exhibition pitted 100 current masters against 100 greats, in continuing or accompanying a single page of comic artwork. I didn't really take it all in, as they had originals by Vaughn Bode, Posy Simmonds, Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Chick Young, Moebius, Hérge

, Uderzo, Frank Frazetta, Winsor McCay (winsor McCay!

!) and loads more i've forgotten. Seriously, Winsor McCay! Outside was the statue of Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese. I didn't even know this existed, but apparently it was there last time. He stands on the bridge connecting the old and new BD museums, defiant face to the wind. Awesome.

Also, me and mum got papped outside for a street style mag in Paris called "The Glam Attitude". Win.

One Piece /Makoto Yukimura:

I'm sure there are other places to see original manga artwork in Europe, but Angouleme is mine. It's always great to see real manga artwork up close as, unlike originals from US or Uk publications, I imagine they're pretty hard to come by. I missed seeing Makoto Yukimura talk by about five minutes. On the other hand I then wandered up the hill to one of the main areas and bumped into...

Barbara (goddamn) Canepa!:

When you're actually in Angouleme, you have to pretend you don't like things like SkyDoll. Otherwise the Art-comics aficionados peer over their reading glasses at you with barely concealed scorn. "Soleil!? A Quoi?" Don't really have much to add to this other than it was awesome, and that I saw her painting and you didn't. Ha Ha Ha.

Brits abroad:

Of course, the chatting to your friends and a million inspirational artists is really what the convention is all about, and it was fantastict to see the B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S represent'in. Angouleme is like a yearly shot in the arm as you're surrounded by great people who.... nope, can't keep this up, it's all about the Canepa.

Tomorrow I shall be talking about my scary new house.

~John~