Comic Artists and their Graphic Novels Nos. 2-3: [warning - explicit content]

Click! & Indian summer

Country of Origin: Italy

The Master(s): Milo Manara (art & story except for Indian summer) & Hugo Pratt (story for Indian summer)

Original Titles and date of publication:

1. Il Gioco (transl. The Game) - 1983
2. Tutto ricomincio con un’estate Indiana (transl. All things begin with an Indian summer) - 1983
   Genre: Comedy, Erotica, Satire, Erotica, Western, Erotica, Adventure… oh and Erotica.

Click!

Synopsis

Claudia. A young, beautiful but, to quote Mr. Manara, “bigot and sexophobic” woman that is married to a businessman of stature. Enter the businessman’s acquaintance, a Dr. Fez, who is quite perturbed by Claudia’s puritanical reactions to any matter remotely related to sex.

Meanwhile, in another part of the world, a scientist invents a miraculous device to serve as a cure for sexual dysfunction: It comprises of two parts, a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver is grafted into the brain, is integrated into the nervous system and due to its making becomes completely untraceable. The transmitter is a plain micro-transistor that controls the intensity of the sensation… and impotence deriving from psychological factors is thereby obliterated.

Back in the main story strange coincidences occur: First the device is reported stolen and a day later Claudia is kidnapped…!

…but only for a short while, for she is found well but without any recollection of her whereabouts or actions in the time she disappeared. Just a dizzy feeling in her head…

Click!

The transistor is switched on by a mysterious somebody and produces a sound that will hereafter haunt Claudia, and transform her into a wild nymphomaniac. Extremely embarrassing situations follow and expose the protagonist both figuratively and literally to the public’s eyes.

Whether it’s masturbation inside the ladies’ changing room, fellatio at the cinema or the unorthodox use of candlesticks at a birthday party, Claudia is at the mercy of the transistor’s possessor, enduring sexual torment.

Or is she?

Pensieri personali

The comic book constitutes a comment on conservative society and its unwritten laws concerning propriety, ethics and of course sex. More satirical than erotic, the provocative artwork aims to challenge the reader’s own sense of decency rather than produce an effect similar to the aforementioned transistor. The danger, however, of the second being achieved is in fact great.

The perverse, tragicomic situations in which the sexy Claudia finds herself forced into are quite funny, and aptly serve as a statement against censorship, a procedure often practiced at the time of the comic’s first publication.

In Mr. Manara’s own words: “… total respect of the law, total rejection of censorship. …” and “…hoping that they (the readers) will welcome it for what it (Click!) is: a light little tale in the vein, once again, of Woody Allen – whom once when asked if sex was dirty, replied “only when done right.” ”

9Pack

• The artwork: Ok, you’re probably going to see the use of artwork as a comic’s strong point many times in these reviews but then again, if it’s not, there isn’t much point to the comic being featured on this blog.
  Having said that…
  All of Mr. Manara’s works feature the most beautiful, the most alluring and the most voluptuous female characters ever drawn in the history of the 9^th art form. So it is with Click! ‘Nuff said.
• Umm…
• Hmmmm…
• The comedic, sleazy actions of poor Claudia are both imaginative and entertaining.
• Let’s not kid ourselves. The erotic panels are fucking fabulous in every sense of the phrase.

Beer belly

• The story. Very weak on the verge of downright boring. It’s characterised by a fast-paced narration that simply serves as a transition from one wonderful page of steamy panels to the next.

Indian summer

Synopsis

Two young Native Americans (the remainder of this review will also include the term “Indian”, purely for the sake of the comic’s title. No disrespect or discrimination is intended) are walking by the beach.

One is the local tribe’s leader’s grandson, and the other a blonde adoptee that the natives call “the Dutch”. They approach a young Caucasian woman that happened by and rape her. When the deed is done, they swim in the sea.

Little do they know that the incident was witnessed by a young farmer, who shoots dead and scalps both Indians and carries the traumatized, confused woman to his home, to be treated by his mother and sister.

Investigating the woman’s disappearance, a young officer from the local colonist village arrives at scene of the crimes at the beach, and erroneously concludes that the girl was raped by the young Indians’ killer. A company of much cleverer Indians were examining the beach before the officer’s arrival. They deduct the true facts and agree betwixt themselves to avenge their own by attacking the Lewises.

The unfortunate girl at beach, Shevah, is the pilgrim Pastor Black’s niece and the reason for her presence, along with the fact of her being among the Lewises causes his wrath and jealousy. Upon hearing of her whereabouts, he immediately sets forth to retrieve her with a small company of soldiers.

The Indians attack at the same time as the Pastor’s arrival at the Lewis’s cottage. A ferocious battle ensues. Its aftermath procures many dead and paves the way for the confessions of a mother’s long repressed origins, a daughter’s promiscuous and incestuous deeds.

But was the punishment of death that awaited the carefree young Indians just? Was it worth the tragedies that followed? In Abner’s eyes, smitten as he is with Shevah, it was more than just. The Indians’ view on the matter however, differs greatly. After all, it is the season of the Indian summer…

Thus begins the tragic tale of the Lewises, a family ostracized and exiled from the village at the wish of the pilgrim Pastor Black, a devilish individual who is inseparably linked with the past, present and future of Abigail Lewis and her children.

Pensieri personali

This graphic novel is a “western” and a dark and sorrow one. Yet when I read it neither Clint Eastwood nor John Wayne comes to mind. There are no heroes and no archenemies, just people and their passions, which is brilliant and terrifying in a way. Hugo Pratt’s narratives are always so. They feature intriguing and developed characters whether they be protagonists or appear for a few panels. Following this tradition the Indians’ depictions do not show any use of the usual stereotypes. They are superior in intellect and spirit to the Colonists and while far from innocent, are the only characters that act with a certain purity.

Most of the colonists are wholly unpleasant but loyal to their beliefs and traditions. Evil is embodied by puritan pastors who sin more than they preach: Sins like the use of wealth and stature to enslave families, exploit their more sensitive members and satisfy disturbing pleasures. A vivid antithesis is thus created between the native and the priest, between the “savage” that protects his own and the “man of God” sent there to convert and save the savage. An antithesis beautifully depicted in the avant-garde panels of Mr. Manara.

The past eventually catches up with the ill-starred characters of this drama. In an Indian summer there is no escape of fate. Mr. Pratt makes sure of that. Victim or assailant, deserving or not, all face consequences. And all things begin again.

9Pack

• The artwork: See above… Enthralling panels, riveting colors and refreshing backgrounds. Ok,
• The story: Gripping narration, shocking at times, but I suppose those times have long passed.
• The native Americans: Loved them… Stupendous characters.
  
  

Beer belly

• The total length of the story. I remember being disappointed when I first read it because it ended too quickly for my taste. Maybe being a teenager had something to do with it but I believe there could be a bit more where that came from… Alas not from Mr. Pratt.

Selected comics by Milo Manara

HP and Giuseppe Bergman                   1978   

The Indian Adventures

of Giuseppe Bergman                             1980   

The Paper Man                                        1982   

Indian Summer                                       1983                with Hugo Pratt

Click                                                           1983   

Butterscotch                                            1986   

Click 2                                                       1991   

El Gaucho                                                 1991                with Hugo Pratt

Click 3                                                       1994   

Manara's Kama Sutra                          1997                based on text by Vatsyayana

Fatal Rendezvous                                  1997   

The Golden Ass                                       1999                based on text by Apuleius

www.                                                         2000   

Revolution                                               2000   

Click 4                                                       2001   

Butterscotch 2                                        2001   

Piranese: The Prison Planet                2002   

Aphrodite, Book 1                                  2003                written by Pierre Louÿs

Borgia 1: Blood for the Pope              2004                with Alejandro Jodorowsky

Borgia 2: Power and Incest                 2006                with Alejandro Jodorowsky

Borgia 3: Flames from Hell                 2008                with Alejandro Jodorowsky

X-Women                                                 2009                written by Chris Claremont

Pandora's Eyes                                       2009                written by Vincenzo Cerami

About the creators

Maurilio Manara, who later donned the pen name Milo Manara, was born September 12, 1945 in Luson, Italy. He followed his natural inclinations and studied art at a private school. After graduation Manara began working as an assistant of the sculptor Miguel Berrocal. He discovered comics, a medium non-existent in his childhood and adolescence, thanks to a friend and was instantly bewitched by them. His comic debut came in 1969, drawing for Genius, a Fumetti neri (a sub-genre of Italian comics) series of pocket books. His first erotic series was Jolanda de Almaviva in 1971. He soon became notorious for his comics that feature chic, dazzling women that end up in ridiculous, fantastic and rather steamy erotic scenarios. This reputation was solidified by works such as Click!, Butterscotch, and Hidden Camera. He penciled the Marvel Comics graphic novel X-Women in 2009 and as of 2013 works on variant covers for issues of Marvel comic books.

Official website: http://www.milomanara.it/

Hugo Pratt was born June 15, 1927 in Italy and died August 20, 1995. He was an exceptional comics creator combining strong storytelling with historical research. His most famous work is the series Corto Maltese which will of course feature in future posts in this blog, and so will further information about Hugo Pratt. Patience… Good things come to those who wait.

Official website: http://cortomaltese.com/about-the-author/

An unexpectedly long story in several short, easily digestible, parts. Day 1.

He was a troubled man with an enchanted reflection. She was a young psychiatrist trying to explain reality to him. They both failed at convincing each other of how things were otherwise than they had always perceived them. This was their third session that had bore no fruits. Once again she started talking about recommending visits to another psychiatrist. Once again he refused, as his reflection instructed him.

"No, it's her. It is her we need; no other", his reflection whispered with a sly smile.

He didn't object; he also enjoyed talking with her, even though they had still to see any results. She was a good psychiatrist, maybe even better than she gave herself credit for. She was also easy to talk to and fairly open minded; there were only few others he could so openly speak about his condition with. He would stick with her, he had decided it long ago. The fact that his reflection felt, for once, the same way, was a nice little bonus.

"It was a good talk, Myrina, but I think it's high time I went. Our time should be long over by now."  

Looking at her watch, she realized he was correct. Their sessions would always extent way past their appointed time but she never noticed it. Time flew by while in his company, as his descriptions of the world unraveled. Were she a successful, busy, big time psychiatrist that would have been a problem, but being on the job for less than half a year, she merely had seven regular and five occasional patients, so going overtime was never a problem. This allowed her to reserve the entirety of an afternoon for his sessions; every Wednesday from five to nine was marked only with his name on her agenda, although their sessions were only meant to last one hour and a half.

"It was time gladly passed, but I'm not sure if it was time well spend."

"Time happily passed is always time well spend."

"Not when you pay for it."

"Especially when you pay for it", his reflection whispered once again.

"In contrary, I find that to be one of the truest purposes of money; to have a nice time."

"You are right, but surely there are more efficient ways to have a nice time with the same amount of money."

"Yes, yes there are."

"Are there?"

Accompanied by a smile and a shallow bow, that was his closing statement before grabbing his black trilby hat and closing the door behind him. He never failed to make her feel charmed every time they met; she would always sit in her chair for a while after, leisurely spinning around, smiling to herself, starstruck, before closing her office and heading back home. Once again, as soon as he left, she did just that, as darkness coiled around him, bidding him a warm welcome to the night. 

Comic Artists and their Graphic Novels No.1:

WAKE

Country of Origin: France

The Master(s): Jean-David Morvan (story) & Philippe Buchet (art)

Original Title: Sillage

Synopsis:

Messrs Morvan and Buchet mix Bande dessinée, the Space Opera genre and a bit of Lara Croft to give birth to Navis: a sensitive, ill-tempered and sexy endling, i.e. the last surviving individual of an apparently extinct species: Humans!

It all began when an alien agent of WAKE (more about WAKE further on) lands on an Earth-like planet with the shady purpose of exploiting rather than exploring it, he is received by an (un)welcoming party: A topless, savage teenage girl called Navis and her pet tiger, or at least this planet’s version of a tiger. She lives in the wilderness, shelters in the ruins of an airship, considers the use of electric switches a great mystery, uses gears as slingshot projectiles and shouts “Poukram!” at the mishaps that befall her in the beautiful frames of Mr. Buchet.

What makes Navis interesting and challenging to the technologically superior agent (and all her future opponents for that matter), is the fact that her species isn’t listed in the databases of WAKE (just a little more patience) and her inability to emit or receive telepathic information, making her totally unpredictable.

But enough insight into the first issue. I’ll fast forward to the moment when, after much difficulty, our heroine is abducted from her home planet and is transported to the armada of spaceships that is WAKE (yes it’s time).

Practically, WAKE is a fleet (hence the name) of supernumery, varying spaceships  that orbit a black hole and which house and employ all sorts of extra-terrestrial forms of life, androids, A.I and a helluva lot of terabytes of data.

Romantically, WAKE can be viewed as a union of countless civilizations, on a mission to discover, explore preserve and protect every form of life and culture in the Universe.

But in reality, WAKE constitutes an intergalactic alliance of super developed species with the main objective of its own economic, political, military, scientific and cultural evolution (in that order). It’s governed by a committee consisting of representatives and headed by the Magister.

The most significant characteristic that every alien species has in common and developed to a certain degree is the ability of transmission, reception and detection of telepathic information.

Regarding sensitive diplomatic missions, WAKE has at its disposal a group of accordingly trained agents, which will sooner rather than later encompass the talents of the telepathically silent and therefore irreplaceable Navis.

Issue by issue, our heroine faces different, deadly and intelligent opponents, unravels great mysteries that envelop the world of WAKE, searches for her own peculiar origins and finds herself at odds with the nature of her missions, and the morality of the WAKE officials that assign them.

And so the adventure continues…

Pensées personnelles:

This graphic-novel loving blogger’s personal view is that WAKE seems to be (either deliberately or by coincidence) a space version of the European Union. There is obviously no direct reference but considering the nationality of the creators, one can’t help but wonder at the many similarities including but not limited to the vague pursuit of common interests and protection of the member countries in the EU and the member aliens in WAKE. The realistic and caustic way in which the code of ethics, actions and laws of this “Galactic Union” are presented is especially interesting.

The Characters:

        

Navis: The protagonist. ‘Nuff said.

     

   

Bobo: A dear friend to Navis. He belongs to the race of Migrolems, an almost non sentient species designed by the science staff of WAKE  with the sole purpose of labour. Bobo was the only one of his kind    that was able to develop independent thought thanks to Navis, and  since became her irreplaceable friend, colleague and advisor.

Snivel: A likeable robot that undertakes the duties of a household assistant for our heroine as well as those of a constant companion on her missions. On more than enough occasions Snivel’s fussiness helped Navis in tough situations. On the other hand, the occasions on which this fussiness was the cause of all the trouble are no less.

      The Magister: The head of the governing committee of WAKE and chief of the diplomatic missions.

Rib’wund: A general in the military corps of WAKE. He is Navis’ superior and friend.

Juaiz:A fellow colleague of Navis, a very capable and competent diplomatic agent in WAKE's service.

Enshu Atsukau: An consul with great political influence extending beyond WAKE that acts independently from the committee. Known to be a very gifted telepath with a shady reputation due mostly to his leisure activities. He is infatuated with Navis, and will go to extreme lengths to satisfy his desire.

9Pack:

• The artwork: As always in the franco-belgian fashion, well drawn, and extremely detailed with smooth edges and impressive spreads.
• The colours: Use of many shades, selectively. When appropriate, Mr. Morvan displays use of great colour diversity and when not, use of less bright palettes, as befit a modern metropolis.
• Characters with a certain ambiguity to them.
• The concept: An interesting sci-fi tale of the 9^th artform.
• The general plotline.

Beerbelly:

• Unfortunately not all issues are blessed by an airtight story or engaging new characters or thrilling plot twists. To (mis)quote U2: “Some issues are better than others”.
• Non-linear narration for the majority of the volumes.

Issues Published:

• 1: Fire and Ash (2000) ISBN 1-56163-267-8

• 2: Private Collection (2001) ISBN 1-56163-282-1

• 3: Gearing Up (2002) ISBN 1-56163-315-1

• 4: The sign of the demons (2003) ISBN 1-56163-341-0

• 5: (Alien Characters) (2003) ISBN 1-56163-341-0

• HS: Le collectionneur (2002) ISBN 2-84055-946-3

• 6: Artifice (2003) ISBN 1-56163-420-4

• 7: Maximum (In)Security (2004) ISBN 1-56163-420-4

• 8: Human Nature (2005) ISBN 2-84789-905-7

• 1+2+3+4 Premières Armes (2006) ISBN 2-7560-0451-0

• 9: Infiltration (2006) ISBN 2-7560-0303-4

• 10: Retour de Flammes (2007) ISBN 978-2-7560-0577-5

• 11: Monde Flottant (2008) ISBN 978-2-7560-1184-4

• 12: Zone Franche (2008) ISBN 978-2-7560-1592-7

• 13: Dérapage Contrôlé (2010) ISBN 978-2-7560-1997-0

• 14: Liquidation Totale (2011) ISBN 978-2-7560-2433-2

• 15. Chasse gardée (2012) ISBN 978-2-7560-2434-9

• 16. Liés par le sang (9/2013)ISBN 978-2-7560-3262-7
• 17. Grands froids (9/2014) ("Colder")

Available online: Hint-hint, nudge-nudge.

About the creators :

Philippe Buchet was born on May 7, 1962 in Juniville, Ardennes, France. He left school early and began his carreer working as a freelance illustrator in Paris and Reims, where he met Jean-David Morvan  and collaborated with him to produce his first B.D “Nomade” followed by the very popular and acclaimed “Sillage” (WAKE). His work on WAKE earned him multiple awards including:

·         1998: Best Colourist Award at the Solliès-Ville festival

·         2006: Youth Award (9-12 yrs)  for the 8^th issue of WAKE (with Jean- David Morvan) at the Angoulême festival

·         2008: The Essentiel Jeunesse award for the 10^th issue of WAKE at the Angoulême festival

Jean-David Morvan was born on November 28, 1969 in Reims, Marne, France. He studied arts at the Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels. He started reading B.D at the age of eleven, and published his first drawing in the reader’s letters section of the “Gomme!” magazine. While aspiring to become a B.D artist he soon realized that his gift lied with narration, and has since established his profession as a comics writer.

His main series include the very popular “Spirou et Fantasio”, which went on to be a successful animated cartoon series, “Sir Pyle” and “Merlin” all being collaborations with José Luis Munuera and "Sillage" (WAKE) with Philippe Buchet.

Awards

·         2002: Nominated for the Youth Award (9-12 years) at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, France

·         2004: Nominated for the Youth Award (9–12 years) at the Angoulême International Comics Festival

·         2006: Youth Award (9–12 years) at the Angoulême International Comics Festival

           Νominated for Best Youth Comic at the Prix Saint-Michel, Brussels, Belgium

·         2007: Best Youth Comic at the Prix Saint-Michel[1]

·         2008: Nominated for Best Story at the Prix Saint-Michel