Tag: Bubbles & Gondola

NBM March 2021 Releases

Here are upcoming titles, now being solicited in comic stores through Diamond Previews for a March 2021 release.

NEW

Women Discoverers: Top Women in Science
By Christelle Pecout and Marie Moinard


20 women who made a difference in Science are presented here. From Ada Lovelace (computing) to Marie Curie (Physics and Chemistry) these exceptional women enabled the world to advance in all fields of science including space exploration (Mae Jamison), telecommunications (the actress also genius discoverer Hedy Lamarr) and Biology (Rosalind Franklin).

An inspiration going counter to preconceived notions about women and science, presenting a diverse group from around the world.

8 ½ x 11, 96pp. full color HC, $19.99HC ISBN 978168112270051999; DIAMOND CODE: JAN211441; Publication Date: March 17th, 2021

AVAILABLE AGAIN

Abelard
By Renaud Dillies and Régis Hautière


The charm of Renaud Dillies strikes again: after the mouse of Bubbles and Gondola, here is another dreamer, little chick Abelard. To lure pretty Epily, Abelard sees only one solution: to catch the moon for her!

So off he goes to America, the country which invented flying machines. Armed with his banjo and his proverb-sharing hat, he launches out on the country roads, meets Gypsies, then Gaston, a grumpy bear with whom he will share a good bit of his way…

As opposed to dreamer Abelard, Gaston has his feet firmly planted on the ground. With this funny animal road-movie where the absurd becomes poetry, Régis Hautière and Renaud Dillies offer us another small jewel.

8 ½ x 11, 128pp., full color hardcover, $22.99, HC; ISBN: 978156163701052299; DIAMOND CODE: JAN211442

PREVIEWS

 

Bubbles & Gondola
By Renaud Dillies

On a background of Django Reinhardt, this jewel of poetic fantasy is a fairy tale for all ages with spot on observations about life. Charlie is a mouse who’s trying to write but has a block. Writing is a solitary endeavor. A bird named Solitude comes to visit him to keep him company.

We’re never sure he actually exists but in Charlie’s mind, yet he brings him out into the world, dares him to experience the unknown, unblocking his little existence…

A drama about the blank page for Charlie who so wants to make the world more beautiful with his writing, we are transported into a tender and moving tale with a twinge of lyrical melancholy yet sweet, warm and ultimately elevating.

8.5 x11”, 80pp., full color hardcover, $16.99. HC; ISBN 978156163611251699; DIAMOND CODE: JAN211443

PREVIEWS

 

Dungeon Monstres, vol.5: “My Son the Killer”
By Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim, Blutch, Frederic Bezian


In the title story, we meet Marvin the Dragon still a pup with his Mom but make no mistake, both are formidable. Their ferocity catches the eye of the Keeper who is still making his way up the ladder in Antipolis and has many dangerous enemies. He makes them his bodyguards.

Soon enough, crafty little Marvin manages to witness a sinister plot and tries to save the Keeper and the city’s leaders from annihilation. In “Soldiers of Honor,” Gork and Krag are brothers and soldiers of hell. They keep a secret door in the Dungeon.

The door being little used, they get bored, until an old blind man forces Krag, alone on duty that day, to call reinforcements to prevent him from entering. Because he has not fulfilled his mission, Krag is sentenced to be killed by his own brother in the middle of the desert!

6 ½ x 9, 96 pp., TPB., $14.99; ISBN 978156163937351499; DIAMOND CODE: JAN211444

PREVIEWS

 

Dungeon Monstres, Vol. 6 “The Great Animator”
By Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar, Stanislas, Nicolas Keramidas


In an automaton themed volume, ‘The Great Animator’ pits the predecessor to the Vaucanson great castle and realm against a huge army of ruthless invaders. The great castle’s army of battle automatons evens the fight but at great cost.

In the second story, ‘The Inventor’s Grimoire’, the Vaucanson grimoire with the secrets of building automatons has disappeared! If it fell in the wrong hands, much harm could come of it.

And indeed, it turns out the greedy Lord Delacour has snatched it with the intention of auctioning it off to the highest bidder!

6 ½ x 9, 96pp., full color TPB, $15.99; ISBN 978156163998451500; DIAMOND CODE: JAN211445

 

Dungeon: Twilight Vol. 4: High Septentrion & The End of Dungeon 
By Johann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim, Alfred, Mazan

The last two stories of Dungeon!

In High Septentrion, there has been a violent eruption on the planet of Terra Amata. It’s a scramble to find breathable air, but the wizened blind, mystical dragon the Dust King (Marvin) thinks that it is perhaps time for him to die heroically. However the feisty young Marvin the Red refuses to give up and plans to find a way out of this mess, including finding a way to actually breathe… Art by Alfred of “Why I Killed Peter.”

And in The End of Dungeon the more the islets of the planet Terra Amata move upward, the less there is of breathable oxygen. While Marvin the Red and Zakutu, daughter of the Grand Khân, attempt to protect the seven objects of Destiny, Herbert and the Dust King are forced to swear allegiance to the Dark Entity in order to gain access to breathable air. All things must come to an end and so it is with the great Dungeon.

6 ½ 9, 96pp., full color TPB, $14.99; ISBN 978156163919951499; DIAMOND CODE: JAN211447

 

Dungeon: Zenith, Vol.3 “Back In Style”
By Boulet, Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim


Taking a pause from the Monstres sub-series, the main Zenith mini series is back! This time with the art of Boulet but still written by the Sfar/Trondheim duo. Two stories continue the heyday of Dungeon, in the first, Isis is to be married to the Keeper but she wants Herbert!

Besides, the whole affair promises to ruin the Dungeon completely. In the second, besides the continued Keeper financial mishaps, Herbert wishes to make his comeback to his hometown where his name is mud. He disguises himself with a potion that makes him ‘the mask of death’.

Only one problem: if he laughs, he becomes himself again!

6 1/2 x 9, 96pp, full color TPB., $14.99; ISBN 978156163550451499; DIAMOND CODE: JAN21 1448

 

Dungeon: Twilight, Vol 2: Armageddon
By Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar, Kerascoet

Marvin, saved at the last minute from certain death in a duel by his young warrior admirer Marvin the Red, simply cannot be let to die like he wishes!

Whatever he loses, he regains in different powers. He’s even become invincible.

It’s to the point where he’d rather exchange body parts to get back his mortality. But then he is led to a discovery that may make continuing to live actually worth it.

6 1/2×9, 96pp., full color TPB., $14.99; ISBN: 978156163477451499; DIAMOND CODE: JAN211446






‘BETTY BLUES’ – “a powerhouse piece of work”

Our most recent release of Renaud Dilles’ work, Betty Blues, is garnering some very positive reviews.

The Quietus, in a rare interview, took some time to speak with Mr. Dilles about his work including Betty Blues, Abelard and Bubbles & Gondola.

Check out the interview HERE, and after the jump read what some of the critics are saying,

Continue reading “‘BETTY BLUES’ – “a powerhouse piece of work””

NBM in September: Dillies is back with Betty Blues

Here’s what’s being solicited from us in comics stores this month, to come out in September:

Dillies of Bubbles & Gondola and Abelard, both nominated for Eisners is back!

BETTY BLUES

New from ComicsLit:
BETTY BLUES
Renaud Dillies
Little Rice Duck has built himself quite the reputation around the West Wood, playing his trumpet in bars with their smoky, sweaty ambience, tequila sunrises, and jazz. But between his trumpet and his flame Betty, things are going astray. Betty is drowning her need of him in expensive champagne, something someone else is more than happy to provide… something he’d much prefer, like her, would just stay chilled.
8 ½ x 11, 80pp., full color hc, $18.99, ISBN 9781561637584

SEE THE PREVIEWS

AND NEW FROM EUROTICA:

SIZZLE #59
The kinky lavishly rendered fetish story Magenta Noir continues, along with “It Could Happen to You”, the roguish “District 69” and the return of Cornnell Clarke’s “Peanut Butter” series. Cover by Kevin (“Girl”) Taylor.
Quarterly magazine, full color, $6.99

Review Round-Ups: Here’s What The Critics Are Saying…

Image from Bubbles & Gondola by Renaud Dillies

“The timing of this book couldn’t be better, speaking as it does to what the citizens of a well-off community value, and how they shirk social responsibility. The lesson is plain, yet sensitively and elegantly rendered.”

The AV Club on The Fairy Tales Of Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince

 

“Wilde’s beloved allegory is beautifully and smartly adapted by master craftsman Russell…The tale of the lifeless boy and the faithful avian is conveyed sweetly and with great heart.”

The Miami Herald on The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde:The Happy Prince

 

“P. Craig Russell has taken an interesting approach to illustrating this tale: he includes all the text from Wilde and adds a visual element to enhance and compliment that text…It’s his classic and timeless art style that elevate and enhance this story so well. It’s worth noting that Russell does everything on this book: layout, design and lettering along with the art. A meticulous artist who doesn’t do anything without a reason.”

Comic Book Daily on The Fairy Tales Of Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince

 

“I first read the prose in my late teens and it’s stayed in my heart ever since. Here P. Craig Russell has done wonders with the work, his fine, clean line lit with lambent colours. I even love what he’s done with the speech bubbles linked to their square-boxed, qualifying commentary. More than anything, though, his art here is the ultimate essay in tenderness.”

Page45.com on The Fairy Tales Of Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince

 

“The book is charming and sweet and well told. Gillies does very attractive comics, and his work can definitely be shared with kids who will probably appreciate this story.”

Comics Bulletin on Bubbles & Gondola

 

“Dilles’ engaging cartooning style is a bod to Krazy Kat, and he paces the book with a categorial whimsy that is simultaneously well-plotted and fanciful.”

Comic Buyer’s Guide on Bubbles & Gondola

 

“Despite the whimsical drawing and fanciful setting, one can’t help but feel that this is an intensely personal book for Dillies. This isn’t simply a book about writer’s block, but about a specific kind of aspiration and the blocks against that aspiration.”

High-Low on Bubbles & Gondola

 

“Despite focusing on two young girls, this is a very adult book. There are strips making jokes about the theory of relativity, adult toys, violence, and alcoholism. The twins’ mother’s sexual frustration and odd ways of coping with that frustration is a major storyline throughout the collection. The book derives a lot of its humor from the ridiculousness of seeing 8-year-olds make jokes about adult topics, such as the Neo-Nazi classmate who says the Holocaust never happened or when Kinky and Cosy have drinks in a bar with some aliens…The plotline involving the mother falling in love with the recycling bin, for example, was a bit too out there.”

No Flying No Tights on Kinky & Cosy

 

“A very bittersweet tale about love and how it fills our lives when it’s there and how we feel its absence…This is a book for pet lovers, the romantic, and anyone needing a pick-me-up.”

Portland Book Review on Stargazing Dog

 

“This melodramatic horror story should be popular with manga fans…The black-and-white drawings are bathed in pastel shades of pink, blue, and lavender, adding to the otherworldly tone of the story.”

School Library Journal on Rohan at the Louve

Some Kind Words About BUBBLES & GONDOLA

“Renaud Dillies does something only a few comic artists are good at: he purposefully uses a series of simplistic images only to surprise us when beautiful scenes show up all of a sudden. Chris Ware is a master at that, but Renaud Dillies brings in a vintage appeal that will fascinate anyone who likes old Disney cartoons or fine art. Bubbles and Gondola is one of the few comics I’ve ever found that came close to attaining the synthesis of high and low art that I haven’t seen since Jacques Tardi‘s comics from five decades ago.”

– Panel Discussions

Have you read it yet?  What are your thoughts?

 

Disguised as a cute animal story…

 

BUBBLES & GONDOLA

Caught this one a bit late admitedly, from Library Journal on Bubbles & Gondola:

“A delightful and well-executed story recommended to those needing a spiritual lift or creative inspiration… fresh, quirky perspective.”

Another review for this in School Library Journal:

“Disguised as a cute animal story, Dillies’s substantive tale of writer’s block, social anxiety, and the magical and restorative powers of allowing oneself to take a break and have fun proves striking it its visuals and narrative.

Dillies and his publishers have used some very physical choices here to show the magic Charles finds as he steps outside, makes friends, allows himself to delight in things as winsome as soap bubbles and a hot air balloon.”

Little Nothings get more comments:

“Lewis Trondheim plays up his own foibles to masterful comedic effect.” says Playback:Stl.

Press tidbits of the week

“Dillies’ art evokes the work of an earlier poetic penman, George (Krazy Kat) Herriman, though with a trace more detailed elegance. (The book’s carnival scenes are particularly splendiferous.)”
Library Media Connection gives Rick Geary‘s Sacco & Vanzetti a starred review:
“If anyone can bring an eighty year story to life, Geary is the man for the job. He tells the story with aplomb and allows another generation of students to see this case.”
Also, Scribblers.us says:
“You come away from this slim, packed volume knowing all the basics of the Sacco & Vanzetti case and quite a lot more. He’s at home in the era—no corny ‘20s clichés in his art, just period suits and hairstyles—and in command of his subject: the art of celebrated killings.”
A pet site adopts Stargazing Dog:

“This book will hook your interest in an instant, make you more teary eyed than you’d ever admit, and leave you with a deeper respect for companion animals.”

Foundanimals.com

Comic Book Resources put Salvatore, vol.2 on the top of their ‘6 most criminally ignored’ books of 2011 saying: ‘Certainly there’s nothing quite like it being published right now.”

Chris Mautner, CBR

Midwest Book Review says of it:

“The absurdities mount in this wry, whimsical tale. Highly recommended.”

Library Journal on a couple of our books

Library Journal had a couple sweet short comments about two of our frecent books:

For Kinky & Cosy: “Could easily kick Bart Simpson’s butt and love it”

Bubbles & Gondola: “Boast[s] whimsical drawings with surreal, dreamlike plots.”

+ Graphic Novel Reporter has a nice holiday gift guide that can also stand in as a best of 2011.

Miami Herald on Geary: give credit to his writing also!

“It is the perfect book to enjoy on a quiet evening, preferably with a dog by your side. And chances are you’ll wind up taking your dog for a walk afterwards, pondering what you’ve just read as you gaze up at the starry sky above you.”

No Flying No Tights on Stargazing Dog

“With an artistic style recalling Herriman’s Krazy Kat and a fanciful imagination evoking St. Exupery’s simple, elegant flights of whimsy, Dillies takes his audience on a strange trip through Charlie’s fears and inadequacies. Billed as an all-ages book, the plot and narration are simple yet crafty, the real storytelling technique coming through in the visuals. Dillies’ transitions are particularly slick, as he moves between the real world of Charlie’s humdrum, lonely existence and the vast, dreamlike realms of his burgeoning imagination.”
Broken Frontier on Bubbles & Gondola

The Miami Herald on Geary’s Sacco & Vanzetti:

“Geary is almost universally praised for his stylish and crafty art, with extreme attention to detail and dead-on historical depiction of characters and settings. Sadly overlooked, however, is his writing. He’s often deadpan and hilarious but in the latest entry in his current series, A Treasury of XXth Century Murder, he masterfully organizes the story surrounding the infamous 1920 murder, subsequent trials and ongoing controversies into a highly readable and fascinating package. His art, as always, is ceaselessly expressive and charming, but let’s also give credit to this modern American master as one whose complete craft is at its peak.”