The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Stephen: Sure! I started in comics in the late 70’s the same year as the first FP opened in 1978. I had known two of the partners since the 60’s but they were the comic fans, not me. But “it seemed like a good idea at the time” to pursue a career in selling comics so I went along for the ride and joined the then small distribution arm.

The medium of comics pleased me from the start but it wasn’t until the birth of the alternative and independent publishers like Fantagraphics and Kitchen Sink (hats off everyone) that I got into the actual output.

Nadia: I started Typocrat in 2004 with my husband, George South. Neither of us had a background in publishing; we were however big comics fans, and especially interested in the great scenes going on around Europe. Unfortunately, we couldn’t read most of these comics because of the language barrier. After the hundredth time bemoaning the fact that no publishers were translating the works we wanted to read, we had the idea that we could do it ourselves.

FPI: Cinemas, outside of the arthouse circuit have traditionally struggled to attract audiences to foreign language movies while good publishers like Harvill had to fight to bring us translations of foreign literature – what drives you to this uphill task in the face of the English-speaker’s famous reticence for other tongues?

Stephen: The sheer quality of the material I am finding from those sources. I was one of that audience in the arthouse cinemas of the 60’s and 70’s and am now enjoying that feeling anew. By the way, literature is a good word for what we do, graphic literature.

Nadia: I’m not really keen on forcing foreign works down English-speaker’s throats. I just want to publish the stuff I like, and hope that others will like it as well.

If anyone is reticent to foreign works, it’s often because they’re unfamiliar. And I think that will change, especially when more foreign works are translated.

FPI: Independent publishing in any field is always difficult, but can the fact that you are independent actually help you? I’m thinking here of how large companies would often ignore smaller markets like this on the advice of bean counters who would say it wasn’t cost-efficient, whereas a smaller, nimbler company may go by a mix of business sense and instinct for material worth putting out.

Stephen: I’m never one to comment on what other companies may wish to do but am happy if they do ignore what works for me! My only concern is the “band wagon” effect that so often occurs in the medium.

Nadia: I don’t think that just being independent automatically makes you have good ideas or makes you a good publisher. Pantheon, for example, has a fantastic line of comics and has enjoyed quite a lot of success (even if independent publishers did publish most of it first). They’re a large company and they will always have the upper edge. They have more money and better distribution.

For me, I guess one main appeal to running an independent company is that I can be involved in pretty much every aspect of publishing. I have editorial control, flexibility, and a much fuller picture of what’s going on. It’s great being an independent publisher!

Also, independent publishers are often more likely to take risks (even if it proves to be suicidal!). And that can definitely be interesting…

FPI: As a film fan I’ve noticed that foreign language movies do seem to be making some inroads into more mainstream cinema chains and DVD sales than before, while writers like Peter Hoeg have made the jump not only into English but into bestselling status. Do you think the comics world can do the same? And how do you go about building that audience?

Stephen: There are examples of such like “Maus” and “Persepolis” but I feel these will always be sporadic, at least in my lifetime. Of course, I would have no objection if I published one of them!

Nadia: I think that the comics world has already done the same – look at Manga!

As for European comics, I think there’s already an English-speaking audience for the type of work we’re publishing. Even more so for European “independent/alternative/art” comics than there is for the more mainstream, I think. And maybe that’s just because the idea of what is ‘mainstream’ diverges so drastically on the continent. There’s a widespread acceptance of comics as a literary and art form on the continent, which means they are sold quite differently and to different audiences. But I think the more indie art scenes in Europe have a lot in common with English-language ones (especially in North America).

Many publishers have already found extremely receptive audiences, even outside of the traditional comics readership (for example, Jonathan Cape/Random House had huge success with Satrapi’s Persepolis and David B.’s Epileptic). So I think that an audience is already there.

And I don’t think you can really compare it to movies. Often the reason foreign films are not as popular as English-language films is because most people don’t like reading subtitles. So far, our books have been re-lettered by the artist themselves. So it’s sort of comparable to dubbing a film, except instead of being horrible it’s actually really good (good point, never thought of it that way – Joe)!

FPI: As serious comics folks we’re very aware that there are some amazing works out there from overseas, with only a few publishers picking them up for the English-language market – what would you say differentiates you from someone like, for example, Fantagraphics, who also pick up some fascinating works from round the world?

Stephen: I have too much respect for Fantagraphics and other such publishers to draw a comparison.

Nadia: I think you’re very right. There are so many amazing foreign works just waiting to be translated! And more and more these works are appearing in English. After the explosion of English-translated manga in the last decade, I think that more publishers are willing to take a speculative punt at European comics (French in particular). Maybe in a hope that a similar phenomenon will occur. It’s hard to say whether this will happen, but there’s certainly enough quality stuff out there to sustain a mini-publishing boom.

And like you say, publishers like Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly are picking up some fantastic foreign works. They’re both in a great position to popularise European comics. Fantagraphics have been around for so long, their audience will probably trust their judgement. And as for D&Q, aside from being known to publish some of the most beautiful books around, they’re based in Montreal — so they’re in a great position to publish English editions of translated Francophone comics.

So what differentiates us from them? Well, there’s the obvious: they still mostly publish North American artists whereas we currently exclusively publish European artists. Other than that, I suppose we’re all just different publishers — we’ve each got our own tastes in artists and presentations. Ideally, at the end of the day all our books will be sold alongside one another. Each book should be recognised more for its own merits and not just by who published it. I think the more European artists translated, the better!

FPI: How do you approach the issue of translation? This must pose some problems both in financial terms to have the work translated and artistic in striving to maintain the flavour and style of the original in another tongue? Or are you offered works after they are translated?

Stephen: Translation is often the crucial element in the final package so we spend as long as it takes to get it right. You will notice that we often use two translators and I still personally edit every title – hence the lateness :>)

I always pay close attention to what’s happening in the image as many creators place the soul of the meaning there.

Nadia: So far, we’ve only published French-language books, and we work with a professional French translator. We work very closely with him but also with each artist to ensure we get a translation we’re all happy with.

FPI: What sort of response have you had from the comics seller and the comics readers?

Stephen: Both the fan and professional response has been great to date, thanks. It does give the extra encouragement to keep going when times are difficult.

Nadia: So far we’ve had a really good response from both retailers and readers. Both books were on multiple “Best of 2005″ lists, with Killoffer’s book getting nominated for an Eisner!

FPI: There are some excellent independent comics from UK and US creators already – what do you think these translated works can offer alongside those? Do you think it is important that readers can experience other viewpoints and cultures?

Stephen: Essential.

Nadia: I think it’s important that readers have the opportunity to read more foreign works. I can imagine how amazing it would be to one day walk into my local comic book store and discover TONS of incredible artists I had never read before. Like when I very first started reading comics, it was so exciting! And I sort of felt that same excitement again when I got into European comics. Another world of art had opened up, when I thought I had read most good published artists. With the mass of material coming out of France each year, I am always discovering new artists and books I’ve never seen before. This, to me, is really exciting.

FPI: Do you (or would you consider) translating works in English for the overseas market?

Stephen: I work with a Spanish partner (Ponent Mon) and we are always keen to bring good stories and art to a wider public.

Nadia: No, I don’t think so. For one, I wouldn’t be able to be half as involved in the translations as I am now.

Plus, there are plenty of European publishers who are already doing a great job of publishing English work into their own language.

FPI: Have you had any feedback from the original creators to the English-language editions of their work? I know some writer friends who have been quite pleased with seeing foreign language editions of their books and wondered what your creators thought?

Stephen: I have worked very closely with several of the creators on their translated works during the production. My inbox has almost melted at times! I think the fact that each of them has come back to us for more is testament to how they view our work.

Every time I see our books on sale somewhere new I am duty bound to take a picture. Last time was in Koln where our English language books were on sale in the main station!! (Shows just how reticent we can be about other languages in the UK – even here in tourist-packed Edinburgh you struggle to find a foreign newspaper let alone books in other languages – Joe)

Nadia: I think Baladi and Killoffer have been very happy with their work published in English. Both artists were very involved in their publications. Both were involved in their translation, both re-lettered all the English words, and both designed new covers for the Typocrat edition.

I’m very keen on working with both artists further. I’m currently helping to organise a joint art exhibition for Killoffer and Charles Burns in Montreal this October. And Typocrat will be publishing another Killoffer book in 2007 (ohhh, we like the sound of that – Joe).

I’m also hoping to bring Baladi and his Fabrique de Fanzine over to London soon.

FPI: Will you be sticking solely to bringing us interesting works from overseas or would you consider working with Indy creators from within the UK?

Stephen: There are other publishers better placed to produce UK creators in English…but go back two questions.

Nadia: For now we’re only publishing English editions of foreign work. But I wouldn’t rule out anything for the future.

FPI: What’s the next comics project for you?

Stephen: That would be telling.

Nadia: We’re currently working on a Stéphane Blanquet monograph, which will come out in early 2007. I think Blanquet’s among the best artists, not only in France but in the world. He’s incredibly prolific, producing well over 30 books since 1990. Aside from being a cartoonist, he’s an illustrator, painter, animator, photographer, sculptor and any other medium he can get his hands on. He’s designing the book, which will include not only his comics translated to English, but also his other various artistic mediums.

So far, Blanquet’s only English-translated comics have been limited to anthologies. He’s a regular contributor to Blab! and you can find him in the old Last Gasp Comics and Zero Zero . I think the English speaking world is ready for a Blanquet book. I know I am!

FPI: What are you reading at the moment?

Stephen: “Hokkaido Highway Blues” by Will Ferguson.

Nadia: Currently I’m reading Art out of Time by Dan Nadel and Sous les feuilles (Under the leaves) by Gabriella Giandelli.

FPI: Any suggestions for the reader who wants to try some work from foreign writers and artists but isn’t sure where to start?

Stephen: Anything that strikes their fancy. Maybe FPI could index translation works separately on their site? (That is a good idea and actually we have started adding some Foreign Language titles into special sections – Joe)

Nadia: Other than the Typocrat titles?!?!?

A good place to start might be David B’s Epileptic and possibly the new Dupuy & Berberian books (Get a Life and Maybe Later) which have just been translated to English by Drawn & Quarterly. They’re pretty accessible, I think. Also, Jason has had many books published in English (or silent) by Fantagraphics.

There are some good anthologies (new and old) which contain European comics: Raw (Joost Swarte, Tardi, Ever Meulen, Marti, Pascal Doury, Mattotti, Baru, Loustal, Bruno Richard, Marc Caro, Mariscal) ; Drawn & Quarterly (Dupuy & Berberian, Blutch, Nicolas Robel, Pentti Otsamo); Rosetta (Katja Tukianinen, MS Bastian, Stefan van Dinther, Tobias Shalken, Baudoin, Martin Tom Dieck, Anke Feuchtenberger, Max, Jason); Kramer’s Ergot (Xavier Robel, Helge Reumann, Fabio Viscogliosi); Blab (Stéphane Blanquet, Matti Hagelberg).

The new Ignatz series, which is being co-published in English and Italian by Fantagraphics and Coconino Press, has many European artists (David B., Gabriella Giandelli, Marco Corona, Mattotti, Gipi, Igort).

Some good European comics which are being published in English very soon by various publishers are: Elvis Road by Helge Reumann and Xavier Robel (Buenaventura Press), Bardín the Superrealist by Max (Fantagraphics) , Fallen Angel by Nicolas Robel (although he’s actually Canadian – Drawn & Quarterly), Shenzhen by Guy Delisle (although he’s also actually Canadian – D&Q).

Have I suggested enough artists? I could keep going…

We’ve got many European artists in the links section of our website, which we must have spent millions of OCD hours compiling. Hopefully, it can serve as some sort of resource for people who might be curious about European comics. It should be pretty easy for anyone to browse through and see what they like.

FPI: Guys, thank you very much for joining us.

Stephen: It’s been a pleasure. Keep up the good work.

Nadia: No problem. Thank you for inviting me!