Franco-Belgian comics in English

george
Largo Winch looks good.
Thanks for the update, george; I’ve seen the Largo Winch and IR$ series on the shelves in Belgium and France, and they are certainly examples of fine draughtsmanship - it will be nice to find out at last what they are actually about!

For those who haven't spotted this, Studio Graton, an independent publisher of the Michel Vaillant BD has just released 3 titles in English.

http://www.michelvaillant.com/index%20EN.html

Hurrah! Just got a package from Cinebook today, stuffed with all manner of Blake & Mortimer, Yoko Tsuno and Lucky Luke goodies. After all these years of wishing I could get hold of more BD titles in English, I'm suddenly spoiled for choice. Which is nice :)

Shame they've numbered the books (it means that vol 1 of B&M, chronologically speaking, comes after vols 2 & 3, which is going to make for a messy bookshelf!) but it's probably churlish of me to dwell on it, given that they seem committed to getting all sorts of wonderful stuff translated and published over here at last.

catchgops
Studio Graton, an independent publisher of the Michel Vaillant BD has just released 3 titles in English.
Ah, I missed that when you posted it - thanks for the update!

John Sewell
Hurrah! Just got a package from Cinebook today, stuffed with all manner of Blake & Mortimer, Yoko Tsuno and Lucky Luke goodies.
Welcome back John, sounds like you have some heavy reading to do then! Just out of interest, who is doing the translations of the books?

Welcome back John, sounds like you have some heavy reading to do then!

Thanks Jock! Been a bit busy with a new job and home, but I'm back now :)

Just out of interest, who is doing the translations of the books?

Both of the Blake & Mortimer books have been translated by the rather wonderfully named Clarence E. Holland, whilst all the rest (including the first Papyrus book which I forgot to mention above) are by Luke Spear.

Just noticed that Yoko Tsuno: The Time Spiral and Blake & Mortimer: Secret of the Great Pyramid Part II are now available in stock to order from Cinebook. Was sure B&M was originally scheduled for March; they seem to have brought it forward.

Cinebook's homepage has also been updated with the following potentially exciting news: "In 2008, Cinebook will publish 36 new titles, launch 12 new characters or series, introduce our 15+ age-range titles and initiate our Expresso collection, which brings together beloved stories in one or two volumes." (Crosses fingers for Valérian) It's really great to see that someone seems to have finally made publishing English versions of these wonderful comics into a viable business. Long may they continue!

Just noticed that Yoko Tsuno: The Time Spiral and Blake & Mortimer: Secret of the Great Pyramid Part II are now available in stock to order from Cinebook. Was sure B&M was originally scheduled for March; they seem to have brought it forward.

Cinebook included a catalogue with my order, which has a month-by month breakdown for releases up to June. As well as the Yoko and B&M volumes, this month also has Biggles Recounts 2: Battle Of Britain. The following months' releases are as follows:

February
Lucky Luke 9: The Wagon Train
The Rugger Boys 2: A Spoonful Of Style And A Tonne Of Class!
Thorgal 3: Beyond The Shadows (96-page double volume including The Fall Of Brek Zarith)

March
Iznogoud 1:The Wicked Wiles Of Iznogoud (particularly looking forward to this one!)
Scared To Death 1: The Vampire From The Marshes
Largo Winch 1: The Heir (96-page double volume including The W Group) (another one for the list!)

April
Lucky Luke 10: Tortillas For The Daltons
Papyrus 2: Imhotep's Transformation (is it just me, or does Papyrus look rather like Tintin facially?)
IR$ 1: Taxing Trails(96-page double volume including The Hagan Strategy)

May
Clifton 5: Jade
Green Manor 1: Assassins And Gentlemen (looks interesting - damn, this could get expensive!)
Queen Margot 3: Endangered Love

June
Lucky Luke 11: Western Circus (they're banging these out!)
Ducoboo 3: Your Answers Or Your Life!
Aldebaran 1: The Catastrophe(yet another double, 104 pages including The Blonde) (and another one which I'll be picking up as it sounds well worth a look!)

That little lot'll keep me busy for a while - there's at least one book there every month which I'm intending to get!

Edited to add: I was very impressed with the speed my order was turned around - only a couple of days. Not quite as fast as the Tintin Shop (I once ordered some stuff from them mid-afternoon and it arrived in the following morning's post!) but great nevertheless!

Lots of interesting stuff in that list John. I'll definitely be getting Largo Winch and Aldebaran as well as the latest instalment of Thorgal. Bit disappointed there isn't a new Blake & Mortimer in the list though. Never heard of IR$ before now - any idea what it's about?

Never heard of IR$ before now - any idea what it's about?

I'm not John but according to Cinebook's PDF it is described thus:
"Larry B. Max is a rare specialist from a special branch of the I.R.S. (Internal Revenue Service), the all-powerful tax-collecting office of the United States government. Reading tax-evasion and money-laundering rings like a virtuoso pianist would read a sheet of Mozart, he has every technological method at his disposal to find the links between high finance and high crime."

Although it's not on the Cinebook site yet, the Dargaud website tells us they've also licensed Scorpion (Le):

In the Rome of 1750, a man fights, despite himself, the true masters of the world. His fight leads him from the golden roofs of the holy town to the glaucous undergrounds where sleep the holy relics. From the whorehouses to the pontifical palaces. Impossible Mission? Maybe not, because on his right shoulder, destiny has laid its mark. That of a Scorpion.

Another historical adventure - which is fine by me!

George

My copies of The Time Spiral and Mystery of the Great Pyramid II arrived today. The back of The Time Spiral includes the news that The Prey and the Ghost will be the next Yuko Tsuno release and will be available in July. No mention on Great Pyramid as to what the next B&M will be.

Having looked at the new catalogue, I'm a bit disappointed to note that Largo Winch, IR$ and Aldebaran will be in the same shrunken, US comic size format that Thorgal is printed in. I presume this has something to do with the older age group these are for: Cinebook appear to be trying to issue them in the same US graphic novel format size to appeal to that group. Rather annoying as the artwork is drafted to be presented in the larger format!