The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Last year we wrote about Het Jaar Van De Olifant (The Year Of The Elephant), the eight-part comic book by Flemish cartoonist Willy Linthout, in which he attempts to come to terms with his son’s suicide.  One year later, all eight books have been completed, and Linthout seems to have benefited from his self-imposed therapy.  Even though he probably never will get over the loss of his beloved son (really, how could anyone?), at least he seems to be able to more or less live with it.

(Flemish edition of Het Jaar van de Olifant volume 6, published Bries, (c) Willy Linthout)

The project even had some rather interesting extra benefits. As a mainstream cartoonist, Linthout was never a hit with the comics cognoscenti in Flanders. Even though Urbanus, the comic he has drawn for a quarter of a century now, is one of the most successful contemporary comics series in this country, critics have always labelled it as nothing more than a blatant example of crass commercialism; a badly drawn book about a media figure (Urbanus Van Anus, who also writes the stories). The commercial success and the longevity of the series are an achievement in their own right, but Linthout always felt uneasy that his work didn’t receive the critical acclaim that the classic newspaper comics, of which he is a great fan, can count on.  The Year of the Elephant, which is published by independent publisher Bries, at least opened the gate to that public.  It was received very well, and even his rather unsophisticated style was seen as an asset, rather than the proof of a lack of talent.

Strengthened by the positive response to his book, Linthout is currently discovering new markets for this most personal, and at once very universal, work.  A French translation will be published in 2009 by Les Editions Sarbacane, and Fanfare/Ponent Mon, best known for their editions of Jiro Taniguchi and Kan Takahama, will be publishing the book in English and Spanish (on which note Stephen from Fanfare was kind enough to say that it was Wim’s earlier post which was one of the things which drew Linthout’s work to his attention – Joe).  In an interview with the Flemish comics magazine Stripgids, Linthout tells how he single-handedly went to look for foreign publishers:

“Top Shelf was interested, Fanfare/Ponent Mon, Boom! Studios, as well as Fantagraphics (who, by the way, did a proposal with the worst conditions). At First Second they said, “If things don’t work out, be sure to come and talk with us.  After all, we also published Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa, a book about a similar subject that’s also quite different from your average graphic novel”. Ria [Schulpen, the one-woman powerhouse of Bries] thought publishers abroad would be discouraged by the art, which is done in the style and tradition of the Flemish newspaper cartoon, but that wasn’t the case. They even compared me to Robert Crumb.  In the end, I chose Fanfare/Ponent Mon [...].  The book will probably be published in 2009, as a collection of the eight comics. [...]”

(a page from the first volume of Het Jaar van de Olifant published by Bries, (c) Willy Linthout)

“When I was abroad, I really felt like I was starting all over again.  People don’t know Urbanus over there, naturally.  You can be dismayed by that, but on the other hand, it also never got in the way.  And it’s also a question of personal pride. I really get a kick out of the fact that my comics find their way abroad, especially since this is the most personal thing I have ever done. Suddenly I get invited to panels, exhibitions… And what’s more, foreign publishers pay very nice advances.  With all proceeds from these books going to charity, I’m not only able to help people emotionally, but also to contribute financially…”

(Quote & copy; via Strip Turnhout, used with permission; FPI would like to that Strip Turnhout for letting us use those sections and Wim for translating them; the Belgian Comic Strip Centre in Brussels is hosting an exhibition from Jaar van de Olifant throughout October)

Wim Lockefeer lives in Belgium, where he’s a little worried that perhaps his whole life is actually someone else’s comic strip…; you can read more of his work on his own Ephemerist blog.