Labels: awards, bd, events, Quebec

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• On the heels of yesterday's report on attacks on comics in libraries comes news of the latest batch of comics seized by Canada Customs (via Journalista). Publishers include Fantagraphics/Eros and Icarus Publishing.

• Michel Viau highlights some of the bd bestsellers in Montreal comic shops.

• Syed Soharwardy offers to meet with Ezra Levant.

• Some reports from last weekend's Kei-kon in Victoria: 1 2 3

• I think I get what Tom Spurgeon is saying: The Hulk is stronger, right?

• Jeet Heer on Krazy Kat and homosexuality.

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• Comic Book Bin reviews Le crepuscule des Dieux Volume 1: La malediction des Nibelungen

• We noted this event awhile ago, but Chris Butcher has more details about the graphic novel component of Toronto's Luminato Festival, featuring underground legend Spain Rodriguez as part of a "Political Graphic Novel" panel hosted by Peter Birkemoe. Spain has just published a biography of Che Guevera.

• Speaking of comics events, the comic component of the Salon du livre de l'Outaouais (coming up on Feb. 28) has been posted over at the BDQ forums. The event features a host of Quebec cartoonists.

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In 2007, 22 Quebec publishers have issued 67 Comic books, French and English, representing a fairly marked decline compared to the year 2006, but still an increase compared to the production of the year 2005.

It must be noted that 2006 was exceptional, with the release of 86 titles, or 28% more than in 2007. However, the production of 2005, with 44 albums released, was 34% lower than that of this year. For example, if we except 2006 and its phenomenal production, the year 2007 is part of a continued 8 year increase in comics production.

Some publishers that emerged last year have been quiet this year: Fichtre! published only an autobiographical essay by Marc Tessier, while Arion (which seems to have completely ceased its activities) and Du Quebecois have no forthcoming albums scheduled. After an absence of several years, Michel D'Amours returned to comics publishing comics with a new house, Valour, which is unfortunately not very well distributed. As well, Line Arsenault continues her self-publishing.

Children's publishers (Boomerang, Quebec Amerique, Lauzier, Bayard, FouLire, Le Raton laveur and Les Intouchables) still have a finger in the BD pie. However, none of these has published a collection exclusively devoted to comics. Published albums are therefore AWOL from their catalogues.

Again this year, the bulk of production is divided between four publishers. Drawn & Quarterly, La Pasteque, mecanique generale et Presses aventure, on their own, have published 42 books, more than 62% of annual production. Of other publishers moderately active in 2007, we note Conundrum Press (5 titles) and L'Oie de Cravan (3 titles).

In 2007, 70% of comics albums published in Quebec were in French, a decline compared to previous years (75.5% in 2006 and 77% in 2005). Whereas in 2000, 83% of the albums were published in French. Although, it must be said that both Montreal Anglophone publishers, Drawn & Quarterly and Conundrum Press, have been particularly active this year with 28% of the production together. Several Francophone authors (Guy Delisle, Julie Doucet, Richard Suicide, Pascal Blanchet, and Line Gamache) have seen their works translated into English by these publishers.

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White Rapids
Trade paperback/ 156 pages/ 2 colors/ 7 x 8.75 inches.
$19.95
978-1-897299-24-1
Pascal Blanchet

Winner of the Best Book prize for the Quebec comic industry awards, Pascal Blanchet's graphic novel is a compelling account of the rise and fall of the small northern town of White Rapids. In the first English translation of his work, Blanchet seamlessly blends fact and fiction as he weaves together the official history of the town and snapshots of the quotidian life of its residents. Founded in 1928 in an isolated region of Quebec forest, the town was conceived and constructed by the Shawinigan Water & Power Company to function as a fully-equipped, self-contained living community for workers at the nearby dam and their families. Intended as an incentive to lure workers to the remote and inaccessible region, White Rapids provided its residents with all the luxuries of middle-class modern life in a pastoral setting—until the town was abruptly shut down in 1971, when the company changed hands. Blanchet's unique, streamlined, retro-inspired aesthetic draws on Art Deco and fifties Modernist design to vividly conjure up idyllic scenes of lazy summer days and crisp winter nights in White Rapids, transporting the reader back to a more innocent time.

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There is another reason Rousseau says he didn't protest the seizure. "We didn't protest because it was mostly about younger boys and incest," he says. "We have protested before, but we decided that after looking into the matter it is too much."

"They were determined to be obscene," says CBSA spokesperson Chris Williams. "The indicators ranged from depictions of incest to sex with pain and sexual mutilation, defecation and vomiting."

While Xtra has so far been unable to examine all the seized material, the Justin books are available on-line in English at the artist's website.

"Does that mean that only certain people who are Internet savvy can access pornography?" asks Jim Deva, co-owner of Vancouver's Little Sister's Bookstore. "That it's available on-line raises the question of how are we protecting Canadians from it."

The on-line versions of the Justin books tell the story of a gay man who is reunited with his 18-year-old son, Justin, after several years. Justin moves in with his father and soon confesses his sexual attraction to him. In the two books, the two are depicted having oral and anal sex and, in one scene, Justin's father urinates on him.

Priape purchaser Denis Leblanc says he didn't know the storylines of the books when the store ordered them.

"I knew it wasn't a church book. I knew it was erotic stories and that it was comics, but I didn't know specifically what it was about," says Leblanc.

Tourtois maintains that as adult fantasy comics, obscenity is H&O's raison d'etre, and that they are not harmful and no actors are harmed or exploited in their production. He also says that no other country has stopped shipment of the books.

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USINE 106U is pleased to invite you to the opening of the monumental
exhibition CINETIX presenting the artworks of 23 visual artists: Mark
Prent, Eric Braun, La puce a l'agonie, Mimi Traillette, Jean-Michel
Cholette, Florent Veilleux, Yves Milet-Desfougeres, Daniel Erban ,
Jean Pronovost, Arthur Desmarteaux, Allison Moore, Hollie Dzama ,
Lilitu Travaglini, Sam Kerson, Serene Daoud, Pedro Espinel-Ruiz,
Edwardspider, Iris, Marc-André Nassar, Stuart Rae, Joe Bebel, Louise
Markus et Guy Boutin. Photosensible paintings, machiavelical and
kinetic sculptures, etchings, watercolors, modified plush toys,
silkscreens, collages, oversized drawings and other stupefying
figurative pieces shall multiply on all surfaces of the space. The
exhibition takes place at USINE 106U, 111 Roy E. from June 3rd to
June 30th 2007, and the opening will be held on Thursday June 7th from
5hPM to 11hPM. Opening hours are Saturday to Wednesday noon to 6hPM ,
Thursday & Friday from noon to 9hPM.

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