Comments on: We Can Still Be Friends by Mawil

By: Sparky O’Hare – Tiny comedy, big laughs. | The Forbidden Planet International Blog Log

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:09:22 +0000

[...] his very impressive look at young life and relationships; We Can Still Be Friends was reviewed here). But Sparky O’Hare is a completely different book; a cute, charming and ever so funny series [...]

By: Mark Kardwell

Mark Kardwell — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:14:31 +0000

Love the Mawil. In fact, when I reviewed it, I remember thinking, “this is so much better than, ooh, let’s say, Joe Matt and Jeffrey Brown”. Then wham! I flip the book over and the cover blurbs are by the pair of ‘em. Funny that. Mawil’s got more raw humanity in his little finger than yer average mopey, self-obsessed, autobiographical cartoonist.

By: Kenny

Kenny — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:54:53 +0000

No Blutch planned for now, I don’t know his stuff to read although visually he is brilliant. Prado is just about my all time favourite cartoonist – not sure any of it is actually autobio tho’ – is it? Perhaps Streak of Chalk? Tangents is one of my top 5 comics EVER, and Crepescule just about the most quietly emotinally overwhelming story I can think of by a cartoonist. Why Prado is not hailed as one of comics greats has always eluded me.

I can see why some readers might find Mawil less involving than say Jeff Brown – but then I think he is focussed on it also being entertainment for a wider audience than the americans more intensely naval gazing style, which a lot of readers can’t stand (although I personally love Joe Matt especially). Trondheim’s Little Nothings is pretty spectacular – he’s an exceptional writer. Next 2 Euro books will be another Mawil – full on comedy this time – Meister Lampe, and then Sleepy Heads by Randall C. which i am just proofing the translation of right now. It’s a strange book – but the cartooning is just beautiful – once you get into it it is very involving, light, playful, lovely. I’m hoping it will get a good reaction. After that my main foreign targets would be French cartoonist Peggy Adam (I adore her art) and just maybe Frederick Peeters Lupus series. We’ll have to see. Sorry you didn’t take to “Trains” – personally i think it’s kind of a first step towards a mini masterpiece. Will never be to everyones tastes tho’.

By: Chris Rice

Chris Rice — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:46:47 +0000

Hmm, got to admit I’m not quite as taken with Mawil as you are, whilst I agree he’s a great artist, I’m not sure his writing’s quite as good. I never really connected with his character as much as I have some of his American counterparts, although that’s obviously a subjective thing (I’ve not really clicked with Trains Are…Mint, either).
If you’re looking for slightly more personal European comics, you’d do well to explore the catalogue of NBM, with the likes of Lewis Trondheim, Miguel Prado, Christophe Blain and others, plus Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics, both of whom have some nice European books. I’d especially recommend Trondheim’s Little Nothings as a good primer for French auto-bio books.
The one French creator who has been almost completely ignored in the English-speaking market is Blutch, I’d love to see Blank Slate reprint some of his stuff. Any chance, Kenny?