Friday, December 04, 2015
AT HUNT EMERSON LAYS DOWN SOME HOT JAZZ
AT HUNT EMERSON LAYS DOWN SOME
HOT JAZZ
Hunt Emerson,
Knockabout
After a successful Kickstarter campaign we can now enjoy this collection by
the great Hunt Emerson, one of the treasures of Brit comicking, much of which
has been out of print for far too long, and also boasting some new material
(plus a terrific bonus art gallery by some major talents like Rian Hughes,
Gilbert Shelton, Krent Able, Nigel Auchterlounie and a pile more), all
featuring his swinging hip-cat jazz-man Max Zillion and his horn, Alto Ego (who
is, as Hunt himself notes in his introduction, is pretty much the brains of the
operation). Many of these strips were published in a number of different
journals, before being collected by Knockabout in Jazz Funnies, but that was
way back in the mid 1980s, so it’s great to see them, and later and new strips
(a mix of black and white and colour pieces) all wrapped up with a bow here.
Poor Max is a perennially down on his luck jazz saxophonist, teamed up with
Alto, one of those characters where no matter how hard he tries or what good
intentions he has, it always seems to end up with Max in the muck again, and
usually totally broke as well. In the latter category his constant state of
perilous penury isn’t helped by his agent Meen McMudda, a wonderfully-drawn
squat, greedy shape in a suit, embodying all the worst tales of dodgy agents
every kind of artist has a horror story about. Sure Max gets gigs, but they all
vary somewhat, to put it mildly – he may get a gig playing sax with a good
band, only to lose it because he can’t stay in the rigid form of playing
demanded but breaks out into crazy be-bop when the music takes him. Or in a
classic McMudda gig he is booked to play loud jazz by the quayside to his seafood
restaurant to scare away psychopathic seagulls who usually raid the daily fish
delivery (ah, the height of artistic fame! Also Hunt being years ahead on the
now omnipresent scourge of scavenging seagulls in our towns and cities today).
The stories are all largely self contained strips, but while the gags drive
them, Hunt doesn’t neglect character development too, and we get to see bits of
Max’s past, including a scene where he falls in love with a singer, who falls
for him precisely because of his crazy music. This being Hunt Emerson you won’t
be surprised to find that many of the stories and the art are gleefully infused
with some wonderfully bonkers surrealistic humour. In the story where he falls
in love he and his lady come across a farmer who plays music to his giant plant
which then produces records (including Max’s only disc when he plays for it).
In another he blows hard to clear a blockage in Alto, it flies out the
horn, through the ceiling and knocks a plaster lump right into space, while
across town a plumbing accident blows a boiler part into the air to land at his
feet. Thinking it part of a downed secret satellite Max takes it to the CIA,
only to stumble on a secret Cold War plot to use orbiting saxophones to blast
hip music behind the Iron Curtain to cause instability, and naturally this
leads to both Max and Alto in orbit. Then there’s a giant plaster Space
Invader, massed horns playing in space and… well, you get the picture.
Wonderful madness ensues in tales that feel like an even more warped version of
a Looney Tunes universe (that is a compliment).
In another increasingly surreal story, borrowing a little from the legend
of Robert Johnson and also The Devil Goes Down to Georgia, McMudda books Max to
play for his good friend Mr B L Zeebub, “quite far downtown”. In fact so far
they have to bum a lift across the Styx and find themselves playing the Devil
in a saxophone competition, which sees the demonic hordes emerge from the
concert into our own world. At which point Hunt creates several full-page
montages – wars, murders, pollution, racism, starving children and more
horrors. These frankly horrifying images capture the worst elements of the 80s,
but far to disturbingly they capture pretty much the same worst elements of
human society today too (refugee boat people, bombing as the solution to any
problem, rampant racist hate of “the other”). The date has changed, but the
song remains the same; it’s a really powerful set of pages, humans creating their
own Hell so awful even demons run shrieking from it.
The art is such a huge part of Hunt’s work – not just in the obvious way,
it being a comic and thus somewhat reliant on visual storytelling though, it’s
the richness (and often delightful, inventive madness) of Hunt’s art. Even if
you don’t quite get a gag in the script the art is so magnificently bonkers and
creative and surreal that you can’t help but laugh at it, while also marvelling
at the skill and visual imagination on display here. While most of these veer
delightfully to cartoony surrealist excess, or those aforementioned scenes of
man-made Hell on Earth (so bad it terrifies the demons back to Hell) are
disturbing, there is always a point in there, a commentary on life, hopes,
dreams, failures, on society, on art. Despite or perhaps because of the
frequent surrealist imagination running riot across the pages Hunt still brings
out character and a feeling of humanity and empathy for his characters.
It’s an absolute hoot, managing to combine that mad humour and those
fabulously nutty visuals with some sly commentary and satire. And oh that art, that
glorious, unmistakably distinctive, detailed lunatic art… From large splash
pages to small panels, there are always lovely little details, from the
character’s expressions to fine little background elements (like a broken
picture frame leaking water, because it hold a picture of a seascape), this is
character, story and art fused to such a perfect degree (and in a way that
rewards repeat readings to spot more that you missed first time round). And oh
ye four colour gods, it is funny. Not chuckle funny but full on laugh so much
that you may need to be admitted to the Damaged Ribs clinic for therapy
afterwards funny. Gloriously, wonderfully surreal Brit comics humour at its
best, from one of our finest.
9 de Dezembro pelas 18h30 na FNAC Colombo - Luis Miguel Pereira, Pedro Ribeiro Ferreira, Ricardo Galvão e Rui Duarte apresentam Caretas do Benfica, Sporting e Porto
Thursday, December 03, 2015
Exposição "Caricaturas de escritores portugueses para a infância"
Uma exposição dinâmica,
patente em diversos pontos do país em simultâneo, com página de partilha, para
crescermos em criatividade.
Agenda confirmada até ao momento:
Agenda confirmada até ao momento:
1.
Biblioteca Municipal Afonso Lopes Vieira, Leiria: de dezembro de 2015 a maio de
2016 Biblioteca
Municipal Afonso Lopes Vieira
2. Biblioteca Municipal
José Marmelo e Silva, Espinho: de 29 de fevereiro a 5 de março de 2016 Biblioteca
Municipal José Marmelo e Silva
3. Biblioteca Escolar do
Agrupamento do Vale de Ovil: 7 a 18 de março de 2016
4. Biblioteca Escolar do
Agrupamento de Alter do Chão: 1 a 18 de dezembro de 2015
5. Biblioteca Escolar do
Centro Escolar de Nelas: 1 a 16 de dezembro de 2015
6. Biblioteca da Escola
Secundária c/2º/3º ciclos D. João V: primeira semana de abril de 2016
7. Biblioteca Escolar do
Agrupamento Vertical de Escolas Jovim e Foz de Sousa, Gondomar: 14 a 18 de
março de 2016 Biblioteca Jovimfs
8 . Biblioteca Escolar do
Agrupamento de Escolas de Monserrate, Viana do Castelo: 20 de fevereiro a 18 de
março de 2016
9. Biblioteca
M. de Pombal: fevereiro e março de 2016
Contacto para agendamento:
recortarpalavras@gmail.com
Wednesday, December 02, 2015
Á N G E L B O L I G Á N - 50 por Peter Závacký
In this year, CUBA/Mexican
painter and cartoonist Ángel Boligán Corbo is marking his 50 th
birthday (1965). The master of the humorous and satirical art abbreviations was
congratulated by many friends, fans and art expert from Cuba, Mexico and
worldwide. Cartoonist, known for caricatures of many world leaders, exhibited
his works at the cultural centers from Spain, Slovakia, Turkey to Japan. Since
the nineties (last century) he lives and works as artist in capital, Mexico.
Slovak cartoon curator Peter
Závacký noted :
Fidel
- I can boldly say and call -
Angel a “versatile cartoonist”, since his great art works consists of
excellent cartoon editorials, remarkable caricatures and also small comic
strips of great quality.
Angel is coveted Master now
and intelligent
They ask their newspapers and
magazines. Gallery for the exhibition (Please, see poster from his last
exhibition in Portugal).They were also seen in the Slovak and Czech Republic
(Magazín Kocúrkovo, Pozitívni noviny, Gallery in Košice)
Angel, as tribal editor -
commentator currently working with the Mexican daily "El Universal"
and magazines "Learn More", "El Chamuco", "Conozca
Más", Lyfe&Lyfe", "Revista del Consumidor" and others,
last time. He is Cartoon Agency Presides Club (well-know as The Club of Latin
American caricature).
Fans and experts called the
painter a “chronicler of today - our time” and noted Boligan’s gift for
portraying the “atmosphere of historical events and the strength of national
character.”
Atun
Sheen and misery of our world
today
Angel, one of the greatest
representatives of intelligent humor today. Popular cartoon gave a new face -
attractive. A new graphically level. High quality. He increased artistic level
of cartoon and gave him a graphic culture, he earned a well-deserved success.
That is way, merit, why he won prizes, worldwide. Together over one hundred and
thirty Grand prizes and Awards in international events.
He is also an excellent
portraitist. The Great Master minimization. While maintaining perfect
similarity and inner character.
And not only
portraitist.
When the freedom to leave, as
the first packed suitcases humor his faithful friend detachment.
He is also a great cartoonist
(journalist - commentator art - without words) out of series with its wide and
diverse workforce, characterized by an exquisite drawing, use accurate color,
no text, without words, addressing all burning issues of civilization as
pollution, dangerous religion and its abuse, wide political and economic
corruption, consumerism and other multiple aspects, given its condition of
constant and keen (on keen) observer of human psychology, the economic
contradictions and social conflicts that exist in the universe, mamonism and
pathological avarice, drug trafficking, concealed and public (arrogant),
sedentary, lazy and motionless, lifestyle, poverty and hunger, sheen and misery
of our world today - of globalization, new world colonization in the universe,
inhuman and senseless wars, for archieve of world domination, extensive child
abuse, inhuman new technologies, deliberately and purposefully demagogue
television, for the purpose of brainwashing. Sheen and misery of our world
today - cynicism and hypocrisy...
En defesa del amor
Itself elect - of the word -
are there for us, not we for them.
Peter Závacký tell : - Early,
we agreed on it - and unanimously - with my friends - internationally known and
respected "art expert and leading cartoon senior writer ambiente Francisco Puñal Suárez from Spain, with world-famous pedagogue and Editor of BOSTOONthemag - Humor International - Cuban Mario Barros from Florida, with long time "Editor in Art
Chief" (34 years) of legendary "Slovak cartoon magazine ROHÁČ (in Engish - Stag beetle) Milan Vavro"
as well as Jiří Daniel - last
"Editor in Art Chief" of legendary "Czech cartoon weekly
magazine DIKOBRAZ (in English -
Porcupine) and also with internationally known and respected painter and
caricaturist Vladimir Motchalov from Moscow (regular Academic of Russian
Academy of Art), "Editor in Art Chief" of legendary "Russian
cartoon magazine "KROKODIL" (Crokodile), during his
last summer visit in the capital Bratislava:
Yes! Cartoonist Ángel Boligán belongs to the 21th
Century.
We'll show yet: Ángel
Boligán believes - nature's most perfect art work. His lifestyle and hobby
is natur, natur, natur,... He gets out into nature. Stay and relax in nature
without the phone, watch, cigarette and lighter, mindless fun... Coexistence
with nature (and protection) is necessary not only for artists but also all
people.
Exorcismo
Curriculum vitae :
Ángel Boligán - as born in born in 1960, in San Antonio de los Baños, La
Habana, Cuba. Both his parents are living in capital La Habana. He
graduated from the Art School in La Habana. Only in age 14 years he had his
first personal art exhibition of caricatures. These themes, cartoon and
portraits (ridiculous face, humorous forms celebrities) - directly one line,
continued to play a prominent role throughout his successful artistic career.
Since 1987 that his talent has begun to conquer the world - he
participated in major international exhibitions, winning dozens prestigious
awards all around the world.
Bratislava 2015
Unha caricatura de Gogue premiada nos EUA
Do Grove para Galicia e para o mundo. As creacións deste artista son
habituais en prensa, publicacións e libros
Hai máis dun cuarto de século que na prensa galega
sorrimos co humor enxebre das bandas deseñadas de Floreano, que agora se
converte en embaixador duns viños moi nosos. E hai tres décadas que o seu
creador, Gogue, trae para Galicia premios internacionais, o último, dende os
Estados Unidos: medalla de prata para este traballo:
"Esta banda deseñada amosa coma Obama lle dá a man a un inmigrante enriba da maleta desta e ao fondo o Capitolio", explica Gogue.
Mellor caricatura editorial. Novo éxito nos Estados Unidos. A cabeceira en español do 'The Washington Post', 'El tiempo latino', concédelle a esta banda deseñada a Medalla de Prata nos Premio José Martí, da Asociación Nacional da Prensa Hispana.
Amais cando xa en 2014 lle concederan tamén outra medalla de prata.
"Esta banda deseñada amosa coma Obama lle dá a man a un inmigrante enriba da maleta desta e ao fondo o Capitolio", explica Gogue.
Mellor caricatura editorial. Novo éxito nos Estados Unidos. A cabeceira en español do 'The Washington Post', 'El tiempo latino', concédelle a esta banda deseñada a Medalla de Prata nos Premio José Martí, da Asociación Nacional da Prensa Hispana.
Amais cando xa en 2014 lle concederan tamén outra medalla de prata.
"Foi por unha caricatura que amosaba un tira e
afrouxa, cos símbolos dos demócratas e dos republicanos, o burro e o elefante.
Están tirando da bandeira dos Estados Unidos e co Capitolio", describe
Gogue.
Novos recoñecementos, dunha longa serie de galardóns internacionais para o Xosé Anxo Rodríguez López, debuxante, ilustrador, deseñador de bandas deseñadas, humorista gráfico e caricaturista.
Novos recoñecementos, dunha longa serie de galardóns internacionais para o Xosé Anxo Rodríguez López, debuxante, ilustrador, deseñador de bandas deseñadas, humorista gráfico e caricaturista.
Do Grove para Galicia e para o mundo. As creacións de
Gogue son habituais en prensa, publicacións e libros en todo o mundo.
Amais ten distintos libros de seu. Nalgúns deles aparece Floreano. Este, o seu personaxe máis senlleiro, dende 1989, leva o sorriso enxebre e actual aos lectores. Dende hai 26 anos no papel, e dende hai catro tamén en escultura no berce do artista.
Amais ten distintos libros de seu. Nalgúns deles aparece Floreano. Este, o seu personaxe máis senlleiro, dende 1989, leva o sorriso enxebre e actual aos lectores. Dende hai 26 anos no papel, e dende hai catro tamén en escultura no berce do artista.
"Un embaixador dos viños galegos como é o
personaxe de Florenao, tiña que aparecer reflectido nun viño galego, neste caso
nun albariño... É no novo 'Floreano e Punto'. Saen dous modelos de botellas
xuntos, unha con Floreano e outra cunha moza que lle creamos. Así achegan a
imaxe de tradicion e de modernidade. É o que quixemos demostrar nas adegas O
Carballal de Ribadumia. O noso pai foi dos primeiros que loitou por un consello
regulador, para que nacese a Denominación de Orixe, Rías Baixas... E
seguimos sendo unha adega familiar. Agora o Floreano embotellado levará a sona
dos viños galegos por Europa, Asia, América...", explica Xoán Carlos
Vázquez, director de Adegas O Carballal.
A Floreano agora xa só o espera a sétima arte.
"Gustaríame moito que o meu personaxe de Floreano pasase á gran pantalla, á animación.. É un dos soños que aínda teño", afirma Gogue.
Se cadra para conmemorar 30 anos de profesión e recoñecementos.
"Eu, a verdade, sigo sendo o mesmo de sempre. Sigo tomando os viños nos mesmos lugares, o café onda sempre, falando e recibindo o cariño da xente na rúa... Isto é o importante neste mundo, non?", conclúe Gogue.
A Floreano agora xa só o espera a sétima arte.
"Gustaríame moito que o meu personaxe de Floreano pasase á gran pantalla, á animación.. É un dos soños que aínda teño", afirma Gogue.
Se cadra para conmemorar 30 anos de profesión e recoñecementos.
"Eu, a verdade, sigo sendo o mesmo de sempre. Sigo tomando os viños nos mesmos lugares, o café onda sempre, falando e recibindo o cariño da xente na rúa... Isto é o importante neste mundo, non?", conclúe Gogue.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
XIII Concurso Internacional de Humor Gráfico sobre Nuevas Tecnologías - Barakaldo 2015
El área de cultura del
ayuntamiento de la ciudad vasca de Barakaldo, con el apoyo de la Editorial
Saure, la Diputación Foral de Bizkaia y otras instituciones, acaban de
realizar el XIII Concurso Internacional de Humor Gráfico sobre Nuevas
Tecnologías, donde son entregados los Premios Hermes. Los objetivos
fundamentales de este certamen, que se celebra desde el 2001, son, entre
otros, “dinamizar propuestas de acción cultural; promover el uso inteligente
de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y la comunicación como medios y
soportes creativos donde se desarrolle una visión crítica; propiciar un espacio
de reflexión internacional para los dibujantes de humor gráfico y transmitir
una imagen llena de sentido de la ciudad de Barakaldo”.
La
dotación del Premio Hermes de Barakaldo se eleva a 4.500 euros y cuenta con cinco
premios: 1º premio: 1.500 euros, que correspondió a Sergio Calderón Taipe , de
Ecuador; 2do. premio: 1.000 euros, para Vladimir Kazanevsky, de Ucrania; 3er.
premio: 800 euros, para Juan Antonio Jiménez Pérez, de España; 4º premio: 700
euros, para Luis Eduardo León, de Colombia; y el 5º premio: 500 euros, para
Helder Teixeira Peleja, de Portugal.
Un total
de 707 concursantes de 71 países enviaron 1043 trabajos, todo un record. Los
cinco países con más concursantes son por este orden: España (226), Irán (59),
Turquía (35), Argentina (30), Colombia (30), luego le siguen Serbia, Ucrania,
Polonia, México, y otros. “Es la mejor edición –expresa Jean-François
Sauré, organizador del evento- con el más alto nivel de participantes y
mayor entrega de obras, por lo cual podemos comprobar que el interés por el
concurso del ayuntamiento de Barakaldo no para de crecer. También es cierto que
la temática sobre nuevas tecnologías y redes sociales favorece una
participación masiva, porque nos toca a todos de cerca”.
“Soy un
fanático de la tecnología, -manifiesta el arquitecto ecuatoriano Sergio
Calderón, quien obtuvo el primer premio- y cuando se me ocurrió la idea
para la caricatura, hice un apunte rápido en una libreta y la guardé. No fue
sino hasta que me enteré del concurso que decidí buscarla. El dibujo original
fue totalmente distinto al resultado final, lo que me interesaba mantener era
la idea principal. En las caricaturas los pensamientos normalmente se
representan con una nube que sale del personaje, quería mostrar que el pensamiento
está condicionado por nuestro conocimiento, por ello el libro permite
una imaginación mucho mas libre, no digo que la tecnología no haga lo
mismo, simplemente que hay una diferencia entre usar
la tecnología y consumirla, es esta última con la que debemos ser
cuidadosos”.
“El
dibujo realizado por Sergio Calderón –dice Sauré - es maravilloso. A lo mejor
nos dispersamos con demasiadas altas dosis de conexión en internet, mientras
que un curso concreto en un libro de papel puede favorecer la concentración en
el asunto por tratar. ¿No será al final que el libro en papel se convierte, por
permitirnos desconectar de la red, en una actividad de meditación?”.
Sin
lugar a dudas, hay que destacar este esfuerzo loable donde la caricatura y el
humor crítico desarrollan sus potencialidades y enfocan sus miradas siempre
con imaginación y creatividad, sobre las nuevas tecnologías y su impacto en la
vida cotidiana.
1º Prémio Sergio
Calderón Taipe , Ecuador
2º Prémio Vladimir
Kazanevsky, Ucrania
3º Prémio Juan Antonio
Jiménez Pérez, España
4º Prémio Luis Eduardo
León, Colombia
5º Prémio Helder Teixeira
Peleja, Portugal
