October 2009 Archives

Thorgal: City of the Lost God
By Gzregorz Rosinski & Jean Van Hamme
Published by Cinebook

Cinebook's sixth Thorgal collection moves at a frantic pace, with events unfolding every couple of pages and tripping the unsuspecting reader into a false sense of security, but pleasantly so because the story is more often than not quite riveting.

Again Cinebook has collected two previous Thorgal books together, this time City of the Lost God and Between Earth and Sun.

They conclude the story began in the previous The Land of Qa collection, but this time each of the two books reaches its own satisfactory conclusion, while still being part of the greater saga.

City of the Lost God pulls few punches as it reveals the harrowing sacrifices made in honour of Ogotai. But not all of his worshippers embrace his bloodlust, and Hog, commander in chief of the Mayaxatl flying squadron is soon plotting with Thorgal and Kriss.

A plan is hatched and although things do not all go according to plan and Tjal pays with his life for his folly in the last book with, at least Aaricia doesn't end up having her heart cut out! While all, this going on, with Thorgal leaping into action here there and everywhere, he's also having flashbacks to his childhood and visitations by the nameless goddess.

Kriss tries to take a knife to the bloodied man-god that is Ogotai but his powers age her into an old woman. He then grabs Aaricia to take her into his flying vessel as witness for him conquering the world but Thorgal stops him, and the fact that they are space-travelling father and son is met with Ogotai, born Varth, going even more insane in his utter disbelief.

The aged man is finally defeated by an older looking Kriss, and the three survivors escape on the flying vessel intended for world domination.

An incredibly action-packed adventure, that slows down slightly where you might expect it to fail during the, not-too-unexpected, revelations concerning Ogotai and Thorgal's relationship, but still works exceedingly well. A pretty satisfying read to say the least.

Events continue to shift in the Between Earth and Sun book in this collection, but at a slower more philosophical though not leisurely pace.

Their deed now complete, Thorgal wishes to return home. Unfortunately with Tanatloc also now dead the Xinjin want to replace Thorgal's son, Jolan, as their own living god.

Backstabbing inner politics are found to have always been present in what at first seemed something of a South American Eden, our heroes are made to suffer a slow death under the burning sun and little Jolan is deceived into thinking his parents have left him.

An angered magic helmet thrown at a wall, a dark cave and an aged Kriss counting her gold prove to be the unexpected cavalry that help turn about fortunes, albeit only for a while. Still, the evil are vanquished and the good survive, and it makes a fitting extended epilogue to the previous book, while adding subtle subplots that I'm sure further books will expound upon.

In all, the Thorgal series feels like the epic adventures that were so popular in American and the occasional English strip in comics during the 70s, Rosinski's art certainly has some of that great flavor, and there's many who will enjoy seeing such work in print that they can read again.

For more on Thorgal visit: www.cinebook.com

CLICK ON Episode 12 of The Princess of Tsyzac below and it will expand to fill your screen.

For further information on the creators visit:

For Paul H Birch: www.myspace.com/paulhbirch

For John Robbins: www.mylifeinshorts.blogspot.com

For John Royle: www.johnroyleart.com

For Mats Engesten: www.go.to/engesten

Make sure you don't miss out next Sunday as we feature some behind-the-scenes information on our new Carter's Column saga and other Speech Balloons exclusives during the week by subscribing free via the RSS feed!

Created by a Belgian writer and a Polish artist, Thorgal is one of the most popular comic book stories published in Europe, with some thirty albums published.

A few collections were previously been translated and published in English a few years back, but it's only recently with Cinebook that a concentrated effort is being made to make them more accessible to the general book purchaser.

Thorgal is the title character of the series, one that initially appears to be set squarely in Viking territory, then our Scandinavian cousins' legends come to life, science fiction rears its head in a curious new age way alien visitation way, but always seems to keep its feet squarely on the ground.

To give him his full name, and hint at some of the aspects behind the story, Thorgal Aegirsson has been raised as a Viking but is out of sorts with many of their ideals. He wants only peace and quiet for himself and his family, but fate works against him, as if the gods themselves have cursed him. Not good for Thorgal, but reason enough to keep his adventures entertaining literally thousands for the last couple of decades.

As one can imagine, with a series that's gone as long as the term saga is more than appropriate to describe it, it has its soap opera characteristics too with long gone characters returning, but whereas with UFOs taking Colbeys up into space or a supposedly dead Bobby Ewing stepping lively out of a shower, in Thorgal the antics tend to strike true. That stated, I admit to being a relative novice to the series, and even armed with my research, I'm wondering where we're heading, but, hey, that's part of the adventure!

Cinebook recently published their fifth Thorgal collection, titled The Land of Qa it collects both that original publication and The Eyes of Tanatloc.

The Land of Qa opens with Thorgal, his wife Aaricia and their friend, the archer Tjall merrily attending to roof repairs in their winter cabin, unaware of the danger but a short walk away. While this is going on, Tjall's uncle, the aged warrior Tree Foot, is teaching Thorgal and Aaricia's son Jolan how to fire an arrow from a bow only for them to be kidnapped by pirates.

It transpires that Kriss of Valnor is responsible for this, and she is a female mercenary who's had run-ins with Thogal previously.

Kriss promises to release her captives on the condition that Thorgal and his party join her on a mission whose concerns she will not as yet reveal but lets it be known that gold is involved. For the sake of Jolan, they reluctantly follow where she leads.

Then their journey begins, via a longboat affixed with hot air balloons to carry them through the sky. Once on board they receive telepathic messages new aged style from the high regent of the Xinjin people who they are told they are going to save.

It's discovered that long ago in the land of Qa a white-skinned sun-helmeted naked man came to their shores from out of the sea and the Chaam were the first people to worship him as a god due to powers he displayed. His worship required sacrifice and the city of Mayaxtl many were the throats slit to pacify him, and only the Xinjin stood against the might of the living god that was Ogotai.

The Xinjin found a god for themselves though, albeit an elderly one, by the name of Tanatloc, who told them that if they could find a way to relieve Ogotai of his headwear peace might again be known among their peoples. This is what lead them to having somehow contacted and hired Kriss, and it was the Xinjin that Tree Foot, Jolan, and his dog Miff are held in hostage.

The location of this particular saga takes us from the frozen north to the sun-baked lands of the South American continent, although one where ship battles take place in mid-air as Ogotai's followers attack Kriss's flying craft! Our heroes manage to land safely, but when confronted by a great statue of a goddess Thorgal has the most curious of feelings that she is familiar to him, and there that book concludes.

Fortunately we're not left wondering what fate lies in store, for The Eyes of Tanatloc offers quite a few answers... That, plus a few more mysteries and perhaps a red herring or two.

This book in the collection begins by exploring the various emotions the cast is feeling, and mainly towards each other. Kriss knows Tjall is infatuated with her, he hates himself for doing so, but she uses him coyly or cruelly as the mood takes her, and we also begin to note that she may have secret feelings herself, but for Thorgal. The hero remains devoted to his wife.

Meanwhile, new readers learn the reason for Tree Foot's name - he has a false wooden one and the Xinjin have taken it so he won't escape, but fortunately he finds two willing lovers to placate him.

We also find that Tanatloc is nearing the end of his own supposed immortal life, but on learning Thorgal is involved he reveals to Jolan that he knows his father from long ago, and now teaches the youth how to use the power of the mind, the presumed magic that these gods display.

Thereafter it is revealed that these gods are in fact astronauts who crash landed down onto the planet Earth, and one by the name of Varth went mad when his wife and died, and then took the name of Ogotai. All but Tanatloc are unaware that the child survived, and grew up to Thorgal!

Between all that we get alligator attacks, ambushes by natives, swords drawn and arrows pulled and action aplenty, but our northern freedom fighters almost split up along the way when Kriss nearly convinces Tjall to leave Thorgal and Aaricia for dead, and well they might have if not for the fact that their son has learnt to use the power of his mind, and is able to come to their aid. But all's far from well, and this is still the set-up before the main event that will begin to take place in yet another book!

Some great drawing by Grzegorz Rosinki, and I do mean drawing, you can literally feel the pencil lines sketched out as he's composed these pages, there's lively action and considered emotion in his work, and Jean Van Hamme bends genres and mixes themes digging us deeper into mystery, making us begin to care seriously about the outcome of these characters.

For more about Thorgal visit: www.cinebook.com

CLICK ON Episode 11 of The Princess of Tsyzac below and it will expand to fill your screen.

For further information on the creators visit:

For Paul H Birch: www.myspace.com/paulhbirch

For John Robbins: www.mylifeinshorts.blogspot.com

For John Royle: www.johnroyleart.com

For Mats Engesten: www.go.to/engesten

Make sure you don't miss out on next Sunday's episode and other Speech Balloons exclusives during the week by subscribing free via the RSS feed!

LIAM SHARP will be talking about his career as a comic strip illustrator, and his involvement in film and TV industry at QUAD in Derby on Wednesday 28th October.

Twenty years ago Liam Sharp made his presence known within the British comics industry drawing Judge Dredd for 2000AD and Death's Head for Marvel UK. His talents would be sought out in America where he would draw comics like The Incredible Hulk for Marvel, Spawn for Image, and currently the bestselling Gears of War for DC's Wildstorm imprint.

Establishing his own comics company, Mam Tor, he produced the Event Horizon anthology title, and with top advertising agency Mother (London) to produce a free comic for Time Out, that appeared as a quarterly in 2008. His other advertising work includes the poster and comic for the recent Rubberduckzilla campaign for Oasis, and the Hello You campaign for Diet Coke featuring Duffy. His work can also be seen on US TV in the current Do You Speak Coke? campaign for Coca-Cola.

His critically acclaimed first novel, the epic sci-fi/fantasy God Killers was published last year and he has worked as a concept designer on the movies Lost in Space & Small Soldiers.

The event is free, takes place at QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby on Wednesday, 28 October from 7.30pm and promises to be candid and honest. "There'll be a slideshow, show-reel, questions & answers and definitely a pint or three afterwards!" quipped the creator.

It will be a highly entertaining and popular evening and you can book a place by emailing: cin@derbyquad.co.uk.

For more information on Liam Sharp visit: www.liam-sharp.com

JEAN VAN Hamme is one of Europe's most popular and celebrated comic book writers, indeed he has lead a colourful career writing within several creative mediums.

Born in Brussells in 1939, Van Hamme studied at the Solvay Business School, and would go on to work as a journalist and carve out a career in marketing, both of which appear to have come in useful for his subsequent creative endeavours.

Before long Van Hamme sought to create fiction and became an author, notably with his Largo Winch series of thriller novels.

Largo Winch, the tale of the head of a multi-national financial empire who's also an adventurer, was to subsequently become a highly successful comic book series, a computer game, and was turned into a live action television series a few years back.

Van Hamme's creative writings were done concurrent with his fulltime marketing work, and in the late sixties he began working in the comics medium, and also did some work adapting comics series for animation on television.

It was not until 1976 and the success of Thorgal, his epic Viking fantasy saga, illustrated by Polish artist Grzegorz Rosiński, that Van Hamme commited himself to creative writing fulltime. Since then, more novels, screenplays for theatre and the movie industry and internationally successful comic book series from the man have entertained quite literally millions of people since.

The eighties saw the debut of Van Hamme's XIII comic book series. Based upon a character in search of his true identity, in a similar vein to Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity, XIII mixes political intrigue and adventure similar to the Largo Winch series but with added ongoing mystery and suspense. It has also been turned into a computer game.

From stories about Belgian brewers to daring to continue Edgar P Jacobs' classic Blake and Mortimer series, Jean Van Hamme's work continues to shows a keen mind, inventive in his scenarios, enthusiastic towards dealing with the realities of both the modern world and those of the imagination, all populated with characters one can relate to if not always admire.

Professing a desire to slow down in relation to his comics' work, Van Hamme's reading publics demands for his work is undiminished. In 2005 the latest editions of XIII and Largo Winch took equal fourth place in terms of sales in France alone, with half a million each, while the following year, the latest edition of Thorgal ranked fifth, selling 280,000 copies. This excludes his other new work, alongside ongoing reprints of past books.

English speaking countries can now count their blessings, and no longer have to feel like the great unwashed, for a number of the great Jean Van Hamme's graphic novels are now available on our shores courtesy of Cinebook.

Speech Balloons will be featuring reviews of some of Jean Van Hamme's graphic novels in due course, but you can find out more by visiting: www.cinebook.com

ORANGUTAN COMICS was one of the independent UK publishers exhibiting at BICS 2009 this month, and among their new titles is Alpha Gods: Betrayal.

Alpha Gods: Betrayal is written by Ian Sharman with art Ezequiel Pineda, and is coloured by Mauro Barbosa.

The story takes place in 2086 as humanity faces a new threat referred to collectively as extra humans that includes mutants, aliens and supernatural beings.

For further information visit: www.orangutancomics.co.uk

You can also watch the Youtube trailer below:

Lorne Jackson caught up with comics legend Howard Chaykin in Birmingham last week. The following is his article from the Sunday Mercury.

SHAGGY is a half-and-half sort of guy.

The bottle of Stella he brandishes in his fist is half-drunk, for instance. Shaggy's half-drunk, too.

He is also 50 per cent screw-up; 50 per cent some sort of success.

Too much hardcore partying during his 40 years on this planet has undoubtedly been fun.

But it has taken its toll on the graphic designer.

BICS 2009 held in Birmingham, England on the weekend of 3rd -4th October has proved to be a critical success.

From the no-holds barred interview Speech Balloons' Paul H Birch conducted with star guest from the USA, Howard Chaykin (pictured above) to the various publishers and dealers wearing smiles on their faces all weekend, plus updates on the newly formed Comic Book Alliance.

For a full review of the show, courtesy of GM Jordan, visit: www.comicshopvoice.co.uk

CLICK ON Episode 10 of The Princess of Tsyzac below and it will expand to fill your screen.

For further information on the creators visit:

For Paul H Birch: www.myspace.com/paulhbirch

For John Robbins: www.mylifeinshorts.blogspot.com

For John Royle: www.johnroyleart.com

For Mats Engesten: www.go.to/engesten

Make sure you don't miss out on next Sunday's episode and other Speech Balloons exclusives during the week by subscribing free via the RSS feed!