Jul

12

A Visit from Raule, Spanish Comics Writer

Filed Under Comics Artists, Philippine Comics, Video Blogs | 24 Comments

Raule began by sending me messages right in this very blog several months ago, expressing an interest to meet me here in San Pablo. Ever since that time I’ve been looking him up, and I learned that he’s a pretty successful comic book creator in Spain, having comics written comics in his native country and France.

His most popular creation is probably Jazz Maynard, done in collaboration with his friend, artist Roger. I suppose it’s a common practice to go by only one name professionally in comics in those parts. I’ve insisted on going by the name Gerardót but my wife would disown me if I did.

Raule spoke very little English or Tagalog, and I spoke no Spanish but it was no matter. Comics is a universal language after all. Although we had an interpreter which made conversation easy.

As I understand it, the comics industry is not doing so good in Spain as well, so much so that creators have to go to France to have their comics published in full color hardcover format, the format of choice for high profile European comics.

Like many who have been following Philippine comics for decades, Raule has wondered why there are no longer komiks being sold on the streets. I explained to him the numerous reasons why we find ourselves in this state, and that the only comics of note are those that have been self published by the creators themselves. Or self publishers whose efforts resulted in them being published by book publishers.

Speaking to him made me so envious of the comics industry in France, and how much respected comics is as legitimate art form over there. In France, comics is NOT cheap entertainment. It is medium in which stories of substance are told, in the same level as books and film. There are those here in the Philippines who think of comics in that way, and I can only hope our tribe would increase.

The inevitable video, albeit short.

Thanks to Raule for his visit (I know he visits this blog from time to time and puts it through the Google translator to understand it). He left me with more than 2 gigs worth of Spanish comics artwork that are just absolutely gorgeous. I haven’t fully gone through it yet, but I will probably write a post about it next.

Raule’s websites:
http://eltebeonauta.blogspot.com
http://jazzmaynard.blogspot.com

Comments

24 Responses to “A Visit from Raule, Spanish Comics Writer”

  1. Karl on July 12th, 2009 5:46 pm

    Ayos sir ah, dinayo pa talaga kayo diyan sa San Pablo.

    Question lang sir: The first page of the second Jazz Maynard book opens with a well-used Tagalog expletive (Is ‘ina’ Spanish in origin? Isn’t the Spanish word for mother ‘madre’?) so I was wondering if there’s a Pinoy connection with Raule i.e. Does he have relatives or friends here?

    Mukhang serious literature (and business?) nga ang mga BDs (Bandes Desinee=French comics)sa France dahil nakakainggit ang dami ng mga French publishers i.e. Soleil, Dargaud, Delcourt, Casterman to name a few.

    Napaka-diverse din ng stories sa French comics; different genres, different art styles. Not like U.S. publishers na for a long time mostly superhero comics lang ang inilabas.

    Posible kaya sa future na may mga Pinoy writers and artists na maka-penetrate sa European comics? Go Sir Gerry!

  2. Gerry Alanguilan on July 12th, 2009 5:50 pm

    Karl, Filipina ang wife ni Raule. :) And yes, “Putang Ina Mo!” resounds in huge letters in one panel of a high profile European comics album. I think it’s hysterical.

    Anything can happen. There was a European publisher who seemed interested in Humanis Rex! a while back. Who knows, some of the art I’ve been doing seems to get a bit of attention in that area.

  3. Karl on July 12th, 2009 6:12 pm

    Oooh… Sabi na nga ba eh!

    IMHO, “The Adventures of Dr. Rizal” has the makings of a crossover hit. Rizal did spend time in France and Sci-Fi pioneer Jules Verne was French.

  4. Carlo P on July 12th, 2009 8:00 pm

    ger, matutuwa ka lalo dun sa isang street na karamihan ng stores e for popular culture, meron pa nga isang art gallery na puro comic book pages ang nakadisplay (for sale yata, di kasi namin napasok).

  5. Gerry Alanguilan on July 12th, 2009 8:04 pm

    Carlo, trip ko pumunta ng Angouleme minsan. :)

  6. auggie on July 12th, 2009 10:36 pm

    Gerry,

    Jazz fanboy ba itong si Raule ? Idol ba niya si MAYNARD FERGUSON, a Canadian, trumpet player & big band leader ? iba talaga ang mga European Komikeros ano, masyadong sophisticated ? sana nga, gawing model ng mga Pinoy ang European example kesa US at Japan na puro Superheroes at Manga lang respectively. Mas may diversity sa Europe. Sana mi mga translations yung Spanish/French/Italian/Belgian comics para magkaroon naman tayong wide exposure, at hindi puro superheroes lang.

  7. Reno on July 12th, 2009 11:02 pm

    Mas mahirap mag-break in sa European market kesa sa American market as a creator. Nasubukan ko na noon pero usually kasi hindi property ng publishers ang pina-publish nila, it remains with the creators. Kaya kung magpapadala ka ng samples sa publishers, deadma lang. Siguro ang maigi for an artist to get a break in that part of the world is to contact the writer mismo and see if you can get him interested in getting you to draw his comics.

    Sayang nga at walang translations masyado ng mga European works, kung meron man, yung mga fantasy or SF works lang ang tina-translate (parang sa Heavy Metal o yung Humanoids imprint ng DC). Sobrang limited. Ang maigi siguro mag-aral na lang ng French. :)

  8. Ed on July 12th, 2009 11:22 pm

    Magnifico, Gerardót! :P

  9. Pinoy Comics USA on July 13th, 2009 12:15 am

    Gerry,
    I hope you post the comics that Raule gave you.
    Hmmm, looking at the art of Jazz Maynard, it seems to me Manga has a world-wide impact. Many of the illustrations are Manga-influenced.
    There was a time during the Warren Comics days the the best artists from Spain, and the best from the Philippines competed head-to-head in its pages.
    Raule, tiene un excelente e interesante caracter en Jazz Maynard. Yo vivo en Los Estados Unidos, pero que le gustaría encontrar copias de sus publicaciones. Espero que hayas tenido una gran estancia en Filipinas.

  10. Pinoy Comics USA on July 13th, 2009 1:56 am

    Ed,
    Shouldn’t it be Magnifique, Gerardót!
    Sorry, couldn’t help it, hehehe.
    Rod

  11. Jose Mari Lee on July 13th, 2009 5:17 am

    Reno:

    Mon ami, celui est la meilleure chose une peut faire. Apprenez le français.

    The only problem is: you might end up having POUTING LIPS afterwards. Can you imagine a Reno Maniquis speaking like MOBIUS? Iyon nga lang, kailangang alisin mo na ang iyong humility. Goodbye, sweet Reno. Welcome Nasty, arrogant, self-centered… Mo… este… Reno pala. He-he.

    Grabe kasi sa arrogance ang unang nabanggit. Ang daming inis sa kanya sa north America, at saka maski doon sa sarili niyang bansa.

    The common perception of Europe as a place where the public treats comic books seriously, is, I think, an exaggeration. Although some significant differences exist between the comics culture of Europe and that of north America. The most visible is: American publishers tend to do their publication in magazine format; while in Europe, they do a collections of hard cover books (called albums). It’s also obvious that European comic books remain almost in print FOREVER! It’s easy to find old books, say a 1940 Tintin. This is one big difference: in terms of longevity, availability, and the way the artists are regarded as public figures ( and mind you, some of them can be really “swell-headed”) He-he.

    Doon sa Europe, mataas ang regard. Pagpunta sa America, kapag nainis ang isang fan, bibigyan ng middle finger salute si Mobius. HHHHHHHHH.

    Another thing, comics publishers in Europe have the support of their government. You can avail of government grants, and other things like that to help you out, plus they have lavish comics festivals, especially in Angoulême.

    Though the US graphic novels are beginning to look like European (in terms of content and physical appearance), the bulk of comics are still treated like magazines that can be thrown away after reading them; while in Europe, comics are something that should be collected, to be kept in your library, just like the way one will treat a real book.

  12. Kat on July 13th, 2009 6:46 am

    Now I wish I paid more serious mind to my French and Spanish lessons.

    Nung high school, may binabasa akong book about Japanese manga, and na mention ng author na mas diverse nga and mas serious ang comics sa France and some parts of Europe, vs. sa U.S. na, gaya ng na mention ni Karl, nag focus mostly on superheroes for a time. My uncle had a lot of old foreign comics before but it’s all gone now. :( The last few ones he has left are by Hergé (Tintin).

  13. Gerry Alanguilan on July 13th, 2009 9:03 am

    The amazing thing about Tintin is, there are only 24 or so volumes, and the last complete one came out around the late 70’s. And those volumes are always available at National Book Store, even now. I wonder who are reading them now. Because when I was a kid, I was crazy for them (still am). I was so thin when I was a child that my parents made a deal with me that for every 5 pounds I gained I’d get a new Tintin volume.

  14. Jose Mari Lee on July 13th, 2009 9:18 am

    Gerry:

    Kids still read them today here in north America.
    In Greece, a lot of young kids are Tintin fans. One of my best friends is Greek and he’s about my age (2 years younger), and until now he reads Tintin.
    :)

    Yet, there are no kids (or if there’s any, are very few)in north America today who still remembers Prince Valiant.

    But, of course, north America is a continent of throwaway societies and need we say more?

  15. auggie on July 13th, 2009 10:42 am

    JM,

    Consumer-driven society nga ang US, still, mi mga na preserved pa rin silang comics from the past. Example yung mi cult following na EC comics ni William Gaines, meron pang available collection on the market. But the amazing thing is JAZZ & BLUES, strictly, American art-form , pero welcome sa buong mundo. Mi mga Jazz artists na mas respetado pa sa Europe kesa sa US. Another EGREGIOUS example, yung jazz DeeJay sa VOA Jazz Hour eh mas kilala pa sa Russia, Asia, Europe, pero hindi sa America ( nakalimutan ko ang pangalan). doon ako unang na expose sa Jazz . during late hours sa Short wave radio at gumagawa ako ng plates sa Fine Arts. Palagay ko doon din ito na expose si Raule.

  16. Pinoy Comics USA on July 13th, 2009 10:51 am

    JM,
    Speaking of throwaways. I wonder if this is available in Canada? DC just put one over Marvel in a comics series called Wednesday Comics. Wow, I actually love it. A huge format comics the size of a newspaper, in full color, but just like a newspaper it’s printed on newsprint. It’s 16 pages, each page with a continuing story of Batman, Superman, Metalmen, Supergirl, Deadman, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, etc. and illustrated by DC’s top illustators, Joe Kubert, Ryan Sook, Lee Bermejo, Garcia-Lopez,etc, and writers that include Neal Gaiman. Our local comics store ordered 200 copies of the first issue that came out last Wednesday and was sold-out in 2 days before I could buy a copy. I had to scrounged around to find a copy. It will come out every Wednesday for 16 weeks. Price is $3.99. Marvel execs must be scratching their heads on how to counter this, hehehe. Check out this link: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/afterword/archive/2009/07/08/wednesday-comics-neil-gaiman-helps-dc-comics-evoke-classic-weekly-newspaper-funny-pages.aspx
    Rod

  17. Jose Mari Lee on July 13th, 2009 2:15 pm

    Rod:

    I haven’t gone to the comics shops for a month now, but I’m sure we have it here. I’ll check it out tomorrow.

    Auggie:
    Doon ka pala nagkaroon ng interest sa Jazz. Pero alam mo, Jazz is very relaxing. Kapag ayokong mag-isip, ito ang pinakikinggan ko.
    It feels like kind of re-living William Wordsworth’s poem, DAFFODILS:

    “For oft, when on my couch I lie
    In vacant or in pensive mood,
    They flash upon that inward eye
    Which is the bliss of solitude;
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils”

    I think young people should discover Jazz as well, it’s good for their blood pressure and mental health.
    :)

  18. raipo on July 13th, 2009 2:27 pm

    Katuwa yang si Raule’ ah! reminds me of that French guy nung isnag miting natin.

  19. auggie on July 13th, 2009 5:44 pm

    JM,

    That’s right, pampababa ng blood pressure. To the KOMIKEROS, who wants a sample of this theraphy, check out, MILES DAVIS album, KIND OF BLUE, tunay na pampa -relax, or any album of ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM, or STAN GETZ.

    Rod,

    Padalhan mo nga kami ng sample niyan ?

  20. Ed on July 13th, 2009 7:38 pm

    Magnifique, Gerardót!

    Haha! There ya go, sago. :P

  21. Pinoy Comics USA on July 13th, 2009 9:40 pm

    Auggie,
    I’m really into Spanish music, especially guitar music, and Flamenco. To that end, I like Jobim, and Stan Getz, and Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis. I love also a Portuguese music called Fado. I wondered if you’ve heard of it. The leading performer right now I think is Mariza watch her in YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzrUs08-SWs&eurl=http://www.chordstrike.com/2009/04/fado-the-expression-of-the-portuguese-soul.html&feature=player_embedded
    I watched her perform the same song at the Disney Hall here in Los Angeles.
    Rod

  22. auggie on July 13th, 2009 11:01 pm

    Rod,

    Fado ? I think that’s new. The only Portuguese I hear are those of Bebel Gilberto, Flora Purim, Airto Moriera, Oscar Castro Nieves, Deodato. I also like Cuban Music with the likes of Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Willy Bobo, Arturo Sandoval etc…

  23. powil on July 15th, 2009 1:43 pm

    Hi Gerry,

    Nice to hear na may Spanish artist na bumisita sa inyo.

    Why not visit France during their Angouleme international comics festival. There you can promote your comics.

    I think ELMER will be well received. I showed it to some comics artist from other countries last year and they liked it more than superheroes.

    But I only brought book3 and that time book4 was still on the works and I didn’t have 1 and 2 with me then.

  24. Gerry Alanguilan on July 15th, 2009 7:24 pm

    Hey Powil, I’ll definitely go to Angouleme once I can afford it. :)