MovieChat Forums > Blueberry (2004) Discussion > European Comics

European Comics

posted 20 years ago by MrTeal
14 replies | jump to latest

I'm a huge fan of european comics: I grew up reading Tintin and Asterix, and I discovered in my teens series like Corto Maltese, Largo Winch, XIII, Jeremiah and SoDa.

I think the five latter would be amazing if they were adapted to film. Now Jeremiah and Largo Winch got adapted to series. I think they were botched-up and lost their edge (Luke Perry?!?... C'mon). XIII would be a fantastic film. SoDa is my absolute favourite, especially because it has the feel of an American super-hero comic (powers, secret identity, costume, super villains) but is much more subtle and every episode is remarkably well written.

I would like to hear more from fellow amateurs...

[–] nicolopolo77 20 years ago

Dont know what´s the point of having an european comic with an american feeling, as if there werent enough superheroes already, but that isnt the point.

There´s already an animated film version of Corto Maltese, from wich I only have seen the trailer and it looks fairly good. But I wouldn´t ever wish for an adaptation with real actors, since I believe big part of the romantic language in the series is because of Pratt´s drawing. Would be more interesting a film on Hugo Pratt himself. ANd I think Spielberg is working in a live adaptation of Tintin.

A film adaptation of The Incal, directed by Jorodowsky himself, would be an amaizing movie, and much better than the rather slopy Fitht Element wich is like a bad copy. A good adaptation of Barbarella would be welcome, next to a n-17 version of Drunna.

Other than that, most european comics I like wouldnt translate well into motion pictures, like any work by Shuitten, Crepax or Manara, since they really take hold of the comic narrative.

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[–] nicolopolo77 20 years ago

Corto Maltese long storyes are more or less like you say: lots of storylines in just one. That´s because Pratt enjoyed developing secondary characters a lot. I know the movie is adapted from Corto Maltes in Siberia, wich is a long story and theres a lot about Rasputin in it. Still, I would like to finally see the film and finally get to see how good or bad it is.

Yes, Moebius has a large backaground in films, as conceptual artist for the fist (unrealized) Dune, Alien, The Abyss, Willow, Tron,et al. I havent been able to see "Arzak Rhapsody", wich he directed himself for TV...should be interesting.

Alan Moore himself said that what he did in Wachmen is unique to comic book language and probably cant be faithfully translatable into film, this, since in 1989 Joel Silver was to produce a film version of it directed by Terry Gilliam, but never got a good script (who would? it would have to be tetralogy too). V for Vendetta would be a better option, Hilary Hinkin (Romeo is bleeding script writer) was trying to adapt it serveral years ago. Frankly, Moore stuff reads good in comic, and after both From Hell and the LEague, I will never go to see an adaptation of his work ever again.

Jaques Tardi work would suit better in film, like Ice Meme or Le Pount Tolbiac, since he is more of a straigh storyteller.

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[–] eddy77 20 years ago

great to see americans that like french culture

make me forget the freedom fries

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[–] nicolopolo77 20 years ago

I´m Mexican. It´s incredible that Fraçois Shuitten won a Eisner award last year because of his work on Nogegon! Americans are so conducted by format and contents of a comic, they only want superhero related stuff, now more that ever, so it seems. The Humanoids Assosies have a new deal with DC to distribute new printings of classic Metal Hurlant works, so maybe, for the first time aemricans will be able to see some real comic book art.

[–] grendelkhan 19 years ago

Not all Americans are as xenophobic in their comics. I first discovered the works of non-American comics, via Maurice Horn's wonderful "World Encyclopedia of Comics", in the late 1970's. It was filled with art and information regarding comics from Europe, Japan, South America, Australia, as well as the US. I first came across Asterix and Tintin, Lt. Blueberry, Lone Wolf and Cub, Modesty Blaise, Corto Maltese, Lucky Luke, and numerous other works in those pages.

In the 1980's, during my college years, I was able to read full stories, not just single panels or pages, thanks to the independent comic boom and the importation of international comics. I discovered the work of Moebius, Bilal, Goseki Kojima, Tezuka, Francois Schuitten, and Hugo Pratt. Thanks to distributors like Dargaud USA, Catalan, and NBM, I was able to acumulate many great works from around the world. At the same time, Heavy Metal was importing the best science fiction work from Europe. For a while, in the 90's, this diversity all but disappeared. Now, in part due to the manga boom and sales of American independent comics in book stores, there is even more material available.

I have enjoed movies inspired by European comics, Like "The Fifth Element" and was interested in seeing Blueberry and Bilal's "Immortals", but they aren't being distributed here. Hopefully, someone will import these films here, as well.

[–] toneill 20 years ago

Still, there is some market for translated French/Europeän comics, often preserving the large, hardbound format too. I knew nothing beyond Asterix, Tintin, and the Smurfs before diving into a thesis comparing French comics with American ones, and came out the other end wanting nothing more than a job translating French comics into American ones. "Le Scorpiön," a fabulous adventure, is my favorite, and wouldn't require a tetralogy to make into film, and tho I have ideas, I daren't turn this into one of those discussion boards with fans' cast-lists. You may say it'll never be done, but imagine beïng the fellow who creäted "The Rocketeer" and getting that call from Disney sayïng they wanted to make a movie of your obscure independant comic book!

[–] abknor 20 years ago

I think Soda would make a decent TV series, though it would be the so-manyeth cop show.

The Largo Winch TV series is OK, ish, if you don't try and compare it to the comics too much. (Were the original novels anything like the comics?)

BTW, the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival that's coming up in one and a half week (http://www.afff.nl, currently mostly in Dutch) shows Blueberry, Immortal and Corto Maltese, and a number of anime movies, amongst others.

The AFFF is one of eight members of the EFFFF (http://www.melies.org), so maybe the films will also be played at a festival near you.

[–] antonsson10 20 years ago

im drunk, im not into these comics (im into Marvel comics) but what i want to see is an tv -adaption of Johnny Alpha (Strontium Dog)

[–] MrTeal 19 years ago

So, let's get back to business. I would really like to see XIII and SoDa movies. Who would you see as the main charachters. I would say Edward Norton for XIII and I used to think Jim Kaviezel would be good for SoDa (that was before the Jesus thing) now I would rather say Thomas Jane.

[–] grendelkhan 10 years ago

Many years later, we got XIII and it was tepid, at best. When I finally got to see this, I wondered if the filmmakers had ever read the same Lt. Blueberry stories I had. It seemed more like they were trying to do Jodorowsky, not Moebius (or more correctly, "Gir."). Bilal's Immortal was faithful, if a bit dull.

Fortunately, Ah keep mah feathers numbered for just such an emergency!