For my latest Nexus Graphica column, I explore my new found interested in the works of Jacques Tardi.
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| Initially set in pre-WWI Paris, Les Aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec relates the unusual escapades of the novelist title character as she uncovers plots involving a recently hatched pterodactyl, demonic cults, seedy underworld characters, and murder. First appearing in the 1971 issues of the anthology Pilote, the quick-witted, inquisitive Adèle Blanc-Sec quickly emerged as Tardi most popular creation. She has starred in nine albums, five of which have English-language editions, and the 2010 Luc Besson film, Les aventures extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec. Originally translated by Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier for Dark Horse’s Cheval Noir, NBM eventually collected the quintet of stories into four graphic novels. I vaguely remember looking at the NBM editions, but nothing clicked. Apparently, I wasn’t alone as the books didn’t sell well and went out of print. The same holds true for nearly every previous attempt to offer English editions of Tardi work. |
I discuss the reasons why the new Fantagraphics edition worked for me and how Tardi "managed to worm his way into my consciousness."
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| What changed between the Tardi exposures? His masterful handling of the difficult crime genre revealed a new depth of his artistic talents, which were further re-enforced by the radically different You Are There. Another factor may have been the Fantagraphics approach to the material. "Ninety-eight percent of the lettering will be done using a Tardi font we’re creating — actually, two Tardi fonts, one for his earlier work and one for his later, looser work," says Thompson. "The other two percent, ‘effects’ lettering, people yelling, longhand correspondence (a chunk of You Are Here‘s narration is done that way) which can’t be done convincingly using fonts, will be hand lettered by Rich Tommaso." Unlike previous translation attempts, the lettering compliments the art and appears organic, making for a far more pleasurable reading experience. |
Check it all out at SF Site.
(The title of the piece comes from a Kim Thompson quote about Tardi. "I’d almost have to go outside the world of comics and say he’s maybe like the Martin Scorsese of European comics. ")