Angouleme 2009...the return. Great Experience!

Well, well, well.....we're back ( Christian G. Marra and Carmelo Calderone ) from great and hardous days in Angouleme for "Le Festival de la BD": it went very good!

Driving for more than 1000 km from Milano to Angouleme we arrived in a dark city by night...

...dreamed very few for the great opening, we found a shiny city full of mistery and embracing...french people are very professional and precise with BD. The organization was excellent and we met a lot of interesting comics realities from all the world and also some friends. The pavillion of Alternative Press was in New York Place, on the left side of Hotel de Ville Castle...the exploit of presences was in the second and third day, friday and saturday.

Again the main readers and buyers of The Passenger were women, again Women like The Passenger. I couldn't visit the other places 'cause i was alone at the stand and Carmelo went to show portfolio and shot pictures.

With the french editors is hard and Carmelo will be back again in Angouleme. I saw his new works and we're preparing exiticing books for the 2010. And a limited edition surprise for the next spring.

The Alternative Comics Prize
When a publication wins the award, the following year it will have a free stand and a member of his staff in the official jury. The past year won Turkey Comics published by the Hoochie Coochie and this year the magazine DMPP auto-published by Gérald Auclin. Congratulation and thanx a lot to Philippe Morin for explanation about the award votes.

www.chilicomcarne.com

Chili Com Carne : it's a great independent reality in Portugal, a free comics association that publishes and distribuites books in portuguese and english. They also publish international projects and organize artistic events.
Great persons and great artists, starting with frontmen Marcos Ferrajota and big El Pep Pepe DelRey, Jorge Coelho( keep an eye on his works, a talented one!), Rui Gamito, Ricardo Venacio.

Defier N°1 by Ricardo Venacio :
A brossured american size comic book in b/w tells a story about end of world and other beginnings...the storytelling is great and very plastic anatomic drawns....great inkink! At the end of volume a dossier about the creation of this independent comic.
For who like Conan and Kenshiro Fist of Nothern Star. Mad Max rules in an primitives new era.

Mocifao written by Nuno Duarte, Unxtura and Nuno Silva - all present!- and drawn by Nuno Duarte....a punch in stomach by short stories about a monkey bald man who farts, vomits and puts children into freezer...wide laughing and an useful toilet paper accluded with this very funny volume.

Prison Story by Igor Hofbauer published by Mmmnnnrrrg by Marcos Farrajota : great antologic volume of short stories in the same nocturnal world printed in grey, black and some red touches...ipnotic, magical and intriguing...must to buy it!

Mutate and Survive - Coleccao CCC #2 : anthologic collection of portoguese and international comics and illustrator authors...don't close your eyes in front of the world!

www.imprensacanalha.blogspot.com
Cabeca De Ferro - Una antologia grafica de Revolucao Industrial published by Impresa Canalha production: black cover and a lot of beautiful black and white illustration....power to iron and independent graphic.With a music cd...great industrial sound for original soundtrack for disturbing reading!

www.cestbonkultur.com
Piracy is Liberation from Sweden.
Mathias Elftorp organizes and supervisions international comics Cestbon anthologic magazine. Clear graphic and good shiny paper for black and white drawns with colorful cover- on number 3 by James Jean ...your synaptic overlord! Follow it!

They made trading album with us, sign of open mind to other realities...go to visit their site!

www.bellesillustrations.com

Great artistic size for a great hand print volume. Double hand silk cover print for a book that every comics and illustrations collector should have in his library...in my modest opinion the real Alternative Comics Prize Winner. Buy their very exclusive editions. I love to open the volume 2 with great b/w illustrations and a color great size print....i must have also the #1!

www.lagrandeourse.be
L'inedite - les dessins que vous n'auriez sans doute jamais vus!
From Belgium a sketchbooks magazine that collects unpublished studies and sketches by international authors...great number 25 with a rich dossier art by Alex Toth.

www.pluspluscomics.net
Plus Plus Comics from Germany is a fresh group with many nice girls full of talents and naif taste for illustration...you should know all of them...another great anthology with a personal line project....i made a trading album with the handsome Andreas Bertschi...i like them a lot! I mention #3 for great drawns ....how many talents from so differents countries!
A kiss also a Two Fast Colour.

www.animalpublic.fr
They are two fucking funny guys with a lot of entusiasm and happiness...it's contagious and I love Didier and Ferielle!

www.buenaventurapress.com
Great books from a young and already great house of publishing.
To mention Kramers Ergot #6. it's powerfull! At their stand for dedicaces Daniel Clowes, Chris Ware and Adrian Tomine (I gave him a The Passenger Magazine copy).

www.tabou-editions.com

www.giunchiglia.it

Les 5 sens d'Eros by Giuseppe Manunta
He's a great artist, a friend and a teacher...if you wanna stimulate your senses go to the site of this new french publisher.


Place to go to take a snack many bistrot and boulangeries around Angouleme, in particular a delicate Cafè Restaurant Kekab Le Cappadoce - www.cappadoce.fr..the boss is gentle and funny.

Place to sleep a beautiful bed & breakfast 12 km far from Angouleme in a nice little village called St. Saturnin Clos Caillet www.clos-caillet.fr. Nice place, nice homekeepers, the teacher Catherine and François Chardavoine who prepares sweet breakfasts.What else more?

I wanna thanx Philippe Morin, director of Alternative Comic area, Caroline Brasseur of Organization, all the people who stopped to our boot, Cristina Portolano ( below you can see her nice little comic self published -from rich underground italian scene!), Animal Public for interview( soon on line!), all guys from other comics realities, Alessandro Cremonesi e Michele Duch, Giacomo Nanni, Riccardo Secchi from Walt Disney, Giuseppe Manunta with Atilio Gambedotti from Barcelona and Andrea Camic, Michele Ginevra, Francesco Acquaviva, Barbara Vetturini and Edo Chieregato of Bilbolbul, Paul Gravett, Jean-Francois Gallion of Louis Vuitton Libraries, Giuseppe Peruzzo di Q Press, Latino Imparato of Rackam Edition and great french distributor ( thanx for suggestions ) and last but not least Antonio Scuzzarella and Cinzia Gianfelice ( an embrace for the support and their friendship).

We're also studying new projects...so keep in touch with our blog. Thanx for supporting The Passenger...power on and straight to the sky!

Photo by Carmelo Calderone.

Ps Here's a very detailed article about le Festival
written by Paul Gravett.