Some of us have been hoping that STGCC would bring in indie comics creators like Chris Ware or Adrian Tomine. But the chances of that happening are higher with SWF. Thanks to Guy Delisle who made the intro, this year we managed to invite Lewis Trondheim and his wife, Brigitte Findarly for the writers fest. If you have been reading comics seriously, especially the BDs from Europe, you might know the the voluminous work by Lewis. A pioneer in the contemporary French comics scene, Lewis has been working with Brigitte for a long time - she is the colourist for his books. Last year, they did a book together, Poppies of Iraq, which is about Brigitte's childhood in Iraq. It is critically acclaimed and has been translated into English by Drawn and Quarterly.
Lewis' bio reads: Born in France in 1964, Lewis Trondheim is the co-founder of the French publisher L’Association in 1990. He is also a comics author, writer and illustrator.
Brigitte's: Born in Iraq in 1959, Brigitte Findakly has been a colourist since 1982 for many cartoonists (like Manu Larcenet and Joann Sfar). She has co-written, with Lewis Trondheim, her biography entitled Poppies of Iraq.
Their panels:
https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Lewis-Trondheim-and-Brigitte-Findakly--Drawn-to-Each-Other.html
https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/What-Makes-a-Strong-Comic-Industry.html
https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Drawing-for-Peace-.html
https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Drawing-a-Blank---and-How-to-Overcome-It.html
https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Navigating-Emotional-Pitfalls.html
Lewis is also conducting a comics workshop with the Singapore Book Council on 12 Nov. A rare opportunity to learn from a master.
https://academy.bookcouncil.sg/courses/detail/crafting-for-comics-with-lewis-trondheim
I'm looking forward to meeting them when they are here in Singapore.
(thank again to Cheryl for the translation!)
Lewis, you have worked on so many different types of comics. So what are comics to you?
C’est un moyen de m’exprimer et de m’amuser. Imagine-t-on jouer au même jeu toute sa vie ? Il existe des milliers et des milliers de jeux. En bande dessinée, c’est pareil, il existe encore mille façons de s’exprimer, de jouer avec le dessin et le texte, de créer des surprises pour le lecteur, et pour moi-même.
It is a way of expressing and entertaining myself. Can you imagine playing the same game throughout one’s life? There are thousands of games out there. Similarly in comics, there are thousands of ways of expressing and playing with illustrations and text to create unexpected surprises for the reader and for myself.
Is it schizophrenic to do so many different things - ie. hard to keep track of the different genres/ series and characters, story lines? (I supposed the same can be said for Joann Sfar...)
J’ai un cerveau qui fonctionne très bien en mode multitâche. Il est même fait pour ça. Donc ce n’est pas un effort mais c’est naturel. Je pourrais dire que c’est beaucoup de travail pour me vanter mais ce serait un mensonge. C’est du travail, si. Mais je peux aisément passer d’un projet à l’autre en 2 secondes.
My brain thrives on and is built for multi-tasking, hence, instead of being an effort, the ability to multi-task comes naturally. I could have easily said it is really tough juggling so many different things but that would be a lie. True, it is a bit of work, but in reality I can switch easily from one project to another.
What's with all the funny animals in your comics?
C’était une façon pour moi d’éviter de dessiner les humains. Parce que les humains sont plus difficiles à faire. Et comme je suis assez paresseux, et qu’au début de ma carrière, je n’étais pas dessinateur du tout, il fallait que je trouve un système graphique simple pour pouvoir raconter mes histoires. Et puis j’ai aussi l’influence de mes lectures d’enfance avec le Mickey de Floyd Gottfredson est le Donald de Carl Barks. Sans doute que j’ai voulu continuer à faire des pseudo-histoires de Disney, mais pour des enfants qui auraient grandis.
It’s a strategy to avoid drawing humans because humans are complicated subjects. Since I’m rather lazy in nature and was not an illustrator at the start of my career, I had to find a graphically simple vehicle for telling my stories. I was also influenced by my childhood reads of Mickey Mouse by Floyd Gottfredson and Donald Duck by Carl Barks. Beyond doubt I wanted to continue with Disney-like stories for children who have grown up into adults.
You even did a Mickey Mouse book - was it very tedious working with Disney? Did they want to vet everything?
Quand on a lu Disney enfant, on connait les codes et les contraintes. On sait ce que Donald, Dingo et Mickey peuvent faire et dire intuitivement. Donc les contraintes ne sont pas énormes.
When one has read Disney as a child, one is familiar with all the codes and constraints of each character. One already knows instinctively what Donald, Goofy and Mickey are capable of doing and saying hence, I did not find the constraints too daunting.
You started drawing comics late in life and learned how to draw in full view of the public. Would you recommend this pathway to be a comic book creator?
Il n’y a pas de méthode universelle pour devenir auteur de bande dessinée. Chacun doit trouver son mode personnel. Par contre, il faut beaucoup écrire et dessiner. C’est une gymnastique. Moins on en fait, moins on y arrive.
There is no one fixed ( universal ) way of becoming a comic strip writer. Everyone has to find his own way. However, one has to write a lot and draw a lot. It is like a gymnastic act, which comes easier with practice.
What would you say to someone who want to do comics but they are not sure if they are good at it?
Le principal est d’avoir quelque chose à dire. Puis d’écrire les textes proprement. Si les dessins sont faibles, peu importe tant que l’histoire tient en haleine, est intrigante, ou fait rire.
Fundamentally, one must have something to say. Then pen it out succinctly. Even if the illustrations are weak, so long as the story catches your breath and is intriguing or makes you laugh, it will capture your readers.
Are you acclaimed in Europe?
Je ne suis pas acclamé en Europe, non… J’ai un petit public fidèle mais je ne suis pas un auteur mainstream.
No, I’m not ‘ acclaimed’ in Europe. I have a small loyal following but I am not a mainstream author.
Do you want to 'make it big' in America?
Pas du tout. L’Europe est l’endroit dans le monde où il y a le plus de diversité de bande dessinée. Dans les formats, les styles graphiques, les styles narratifs. Il y a plein d’auteurs américains qui aimeraient « make it big in Europe ». Par exemple, Robert Crump vit en France depuis plus de 30 ans. Je pense qu’il s’y sent mieux qu’entouré de super-héros en sous-vêtements et en collants.
Not at all. Europe is the place in the world that has the most diversity for comics in terms of format, graphic styles and narrative styles. On the contrary, there are many Americans who dream of “making it big in Europe”- For example Robert Crumb who has been living in France for more than 30 years. I think he must feel better in France than being surrounded by super-heroes in underwear and tights (back in the US).
Brigitte, how did you feel when Lewis started to draw you into his comics all those years ago? (Approximate Continuum Comics, 1998) And then the children too? (Monster Mess, 2012)
J’aime particulièrement Approximate Continuum Comics parce que Lewis y raconte entre autre nos premières années ensemble et beaucoup de moments qui y sont liés. Pour Monster Mess, même si c’est une fiction, cela me touche d’y retrouver nos enfants et certains de leurs dessins. Dans tous les cas, je n’ai jamais été gênée que Lewis me dessine ou dessine nos enfants (comme dans Littel Nothings) ce sont des souvenirs qui resteront pour toujours.
I particularly liked Approximate Continuum Comics because Lewis recounted, besides other subjects, many moments closely-tied with our first few years together. For Monster Mess, even though it is fiction, it touched me deeply because you find the drawings of our children in there. In any case, I was never troubled by the fact that Lewis drew me or our children and included our family in his stories such as Little Nothings. These are our souvenirs (memories) that will stay forever.
.
You colored most of Lewis' books. How was the collaboration for Poppies of Iraq different? Do you still have relatives there? Have you gone back recently?
La différence pour Poppies of Iraq est que j’ai participé au scénario puisque j’y raconte mon enfance. Lewis m’a beaucoup aidé à mettre en forme chaque souvenir, chaque anecdote. Il me reste 3 cousins à Bagdad. Tous les autres membres de ma famille ont émigré un peu partout à travers le monde. Je ne suis pas retournée en Iraq depuis 1989.
The difference for Poppies of Iraq is that I participated in the scenario-making as I was recounting my childhood. Lewis helped me a lot in putting into form every souvenir and anecdote. I still have 3 cousins in Bagdad. The rest of my family members have migrated here and there all over the world. I have not returned to Iraq since 1989.
Poppies of Iraq taps into the current trend of graphic memoirs. Why do you think there is such a demand for such comics?
Heureusement que Lewis a fait parti du renouveau de la bande dessinée autobiographique en France dans les années 90, sinon, on aurait pu croire qu’il voulait juste exploiter cette mode.
Je ne pense pas qu’il y ait une demande particulière pour ce genre de récit, par contre, nous avons affaire à une génération d’auteur qui, plus jeune, a lu de la bande dessinée provenant de l’Association, cornélien, Ego comme X, tout le mouvement indépendant des années 90. Ils écrivent naturellement sous forme de band dessinée, et toutes sortes de récits, reportage, autobiographie, biographie, autofiction… Donc le type de récit s’élargie, le nombre d’ouvrage augmente, ainsi que le nombre de lecteurs.
Fortunately, Lewis was part of the rebirth / renewal of autobiographic comics in France during the 90s, otherwise the public will assume he was trying to exploit this trend of graphic memoirs. I do not think there is a particular demand for this type of story-telling. However, we do have at hand a generation of authors who have, in their youth, read comics originating from L’Association, Cornelien, Ego Comme X; all the various independent movements from the 90s. They all write naturally under the genre of comics all kinds of stories: documentary, autobiography, biography, autofiction. Hence, with the diverse range of stories, the scope of work expands as a result, along with the number of readers.
What's next? - will there be such future collaborations? Eg. Bryan Talbot and Mary Talbot have formed a very successful team.
Il n’y a rien de prévu pour l’instant.
Nothing planned for the moment..
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