David Meadows
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Registered: 09-2003
Posts: 693
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Bryan Talbot
Bryan Talbot is one of my favourite comic creators (best known for The Adventures of Luthor Arkwright, Nemesis the Warlock, and recently Alice in Sunderland) and happens to live in the same town as me (though I've never knowingly seen him in the street).
Last night he was giving a talk to promote his new graphic novel Grandville.
Grandville is set in a steampunk 1890s populated by anthropomorphic animals. The lead character is a gun-toting, hard-as-nails Badger who works for Scotland Yard.
(Blitzen -- you would love this book. I haven't even read it yet and I know you would love it )
Talbot talked for about an hour and a quarter about the history of anthropomorphic animals in art and literature. He talked without notes and knew the subject inside out -- when he showed a slide he knew who painted it and when and why and everything about their career, and then he explained how it had influenced his book. (Some examples: in the English village the bear clipping his hedge in the background is Rupert Bear's father and in a Paris opium den the dog the badger questions is Snowy from Tintin, rambling about walking on the Moon and visiting the Congo).
The impression I got is that this wasn't just something Talbot had just crammed so he could plug his new book for an hour, it was obviously something he really cared about, and that made me even more interested to read the book.
He also explained all the historical and artistic references he used -- one panel is a copy of a Toulouse-Lautrec with animals in place of the people. Another is taken from Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergèr but Talbot pointed out that Manet got the perspective wrong and Talbot fixed it in Grandville
At the end I bought a copy of the book and he not only signed it, he also sketched a illustration of the main character on the title page! It's an expensive hardcover that I would probably have put on my wish list and never got around to buying normally, so the promotion actually worked!
Last edited by David Meadows, 2/4/2010, 12:22 pm
--- "Music begins where words end."
Jean Sibelius
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2/4/2010, 12:12 pm
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Firlefanz
Lady of the Land
Registered: 05-2003
Location: Germany
Posts: 6984
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Re: Bryan Talbot
David, that sounds simply lovely.
I think an author who really cares about what he writes about puts in some heartblood that can be sensed in the tale, and in how he speaks about it.
I'm glad you enjoyed it so much and got a wonderful signed copy!
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2/4/2010, 1:13 pm
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QS2
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Registered: 03-2006
Posts: 2138
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Re: Bryan Talbot
That does sound quite interesting, yes.
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2/4/2010, 1:26 pm
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Queenyforever
Troll in Chains
Registered: 01-2007
Location: Just north of the clouds...
Posts: 306
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Re: Bryan Talbot
How very fascinating! So glad you enjoyed the Promotional Talk....sounds like he really loves his work.
And LUCKY YOU...getting his book and a signed and sketched one to boot!
---
“Freedom and democracy are dreams you never give up.”
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2/4/2010, 3:39 pm
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Reythia
Knight of Honor
Registered: 11-2005
Posts: 1883
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Re: Bryan Talbot
THANK YOU! I remember having to memorize that painting in 9th grade English/history class. The perspective always drove me crazy! Glad to hear it bothered someone else, too.
I can't say I've ever heard of this author, Meadows (sorry!). But I'm glad you had such a great time going to hear him. Sounds like an interesting talk.
--- -- YAR!
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2/4/2010, 5:01 pm
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