A thread about JOANN SFAR

The Professor's Daughter by Sfar (on script) and Guibert (on art) is extremely dense and quite charming - it reads like a thread from Vampire Loves gone slightly amok.

Ha - I though TPD was extremely breezy (& quite charming)!

I thought the first section of The Rabbi's Cat was great, but found the second and third ones underwhelming. What's the fourth part like?

Diggin him, but I think I've decided I like Christophe Blaine better.
Lucky I don't have to choose, eh?

Has anybody here read Dungeon Monsters 2: The Dark Lord? I have a question about the plot...

what's the question? and have you read all the other issues of dungeon in english?

Not all, about 2/3 of them. I was just a little confused by the last page. So Herbert and the fly-guy (in disguise) are flying off (I was surprised Herbert and Marvin's reunion was skipped over, but I assume that shows up in Twilight 2 or 3), and Herbert tells the fly-guy that he didn't stay there because it would have endangered his friends, and the castle will be better defense against sword challengers.

The fly-guy says he doesn't understand, and Herbert says something like "come on, I may not have 4 brains like you, but I'm not an idiot." I don't really get what he means here. Then he shouts "Sai-Ra" to transform into that multi-arm guy from before - why is he trying to transform now? And then as far as I can tell from the last panel, he doesn't actually transform for some reason?

You know, I must've overlooked that point; it's really NOT clear is it? i think the fly guy has clearly revealed himself as plotting against Herbert and maybe he sent Sai-Ra as an assassin?

What gave the fly guy away, do you know? I can't spot anything.

And any theory on why Herbert is a)shouting Sai-Ra's name at the end and b)not transforming into him like he had earlier?

maybe the sword lied again?
i think flyguy's ambition was showing from jump; herbert always seemed suspicious. I guess he's yelling sai-ra because the telepathic lizard with him on his transport is stitched together, which means it's inhabited by either flyguy or one of his minions and Herbert is planning on killing him?
You're right though; it's a tad murky.

This was the first Dungeon book I didn't think was so great...

I think I liked it more than Monsters 1.

Why has this not been mentioned, fellas?

Joann Sfar interview: director of 'Gainsbourg'

After flirting with high seriousness at university in Nice, where he studied philosophy, he went on to make his name (and a very decent living) creating comic books. He talks about his first assault on the hallowed fortress of French cinema, for which he took on the pressures that come with meddling with the mythology of a national treasure and handling a budget of €14 million, with the uncomplicated passion of someone who is used to getting paid to do the thing he loves.

Maybe because people don't care what comic creators do in other media? For me, I love Sfar, despise Gainsbourg, and have zero interest in the film.

pretty sure that film was discussed somewhere on ILC; was gonna go see this when it premiered at NY film fest but am waiting for dvd

Sorry I came across as such a dick a few hours ago. There are better ways to state what I said, but my grumpy sick self couldn't manage it.

'SALRIGHT!

Anyway I did notice that he's also completed an animated film of The Rabbi's Cat, which I suspect may be an item a bit more tangentially relevant to this forum.

I'd be up for that!

He's already finished his next film, an animation of his book The Rabbi's Cat, about a crafty Siamese in 1930s Algeria who starts to speak – and runs theological rings around his rabbi owner.

i went to see Gainsbourg... wasn't v gd, unfortunately... movie cldn't really make up its mind if it was a straightforward narrative biopic or a surreal fantasia abt Gainsbourg, and didn't really work as either... Serge's papier mache alter-ego/muse was especially irritating... also seemed to require a fair amount of familiarity w both Gainsbourg's career AND the general sweep of postwar French culture (like, how many ppl outside of France know who Boris Vian is). The lead actor really does look a hella lot like Gainsbourg, tho

Boy, Monsters Vol. 3 is awfully rapey, huh?

Right? I found it in the children's section of the bookstore too!

Oh my god Rabbi's Cat movie is so good. Obv total mordy-bait but just really beautiful - gorgeously animated and scored and the stories are so beautiful and funny. I feel like theologically Sfar operates on my wavelength almost entirely. such a good movie. everyone on ilx should see it if they get the chance. i was going to start its own thread but i figured i better use the already existing sfar thread. i hope that this thread being on ilc doesn't preclude massive ilx attention bc this movie deserves to be seen by everyone. comparing it to another french animated movie based on a graphic novel - perepolis - i'd say this one works so much better as a movie and is so freaking compelling. what other superlatives can i use to describe it?

It was wonderful. Imagine it'll be on Netflix instant within a month; his last film was and the IFC engine seems to route streaming stuff there.
Looking forward to the sequel.
Mordy, you've read the books, yes?

It's not out on video until April so no Netflix anytime soon.

Which sucks, because it hasn't played here as far as I know.

Here's my thinking: several films that are (to the best of my knowledge) still not out on video have gone straight to Netflix after a brief run at the local arthouse theater. This one is very similar in nature: short release, short run where it played, unlikely subject for mass consumption. I seriously wouldn't be surprised when/if this makes Netflix in February.
In any case, I'll obviously bump the thread if I'm right.

btw, it's fantastically true to the book in just about every way. if i had one gripe it's that the background animation is limited and cheap looking but the emotiveness and inventiveness of the character animation makes up for it.

Mordy, you've read the books, yes?

yes, of course! i think i've now read almost everything sfar has published in english -- i'm still behind on a couple dungeon volumes tho

I'd love for it to show up that soon, but, for example, Gainsbourg was out on video months before it hit Netflix. I hope you're right though forks. I really do.

i watched my copy on my computer. i don't know how you feel about that but i wasn't going to wait for it to become more readily available.

i saw it in 3d btw and it was a good (if not necessary) addition

I really want to see it in the theater. But instead of going the computer route I'll probably just wait as I have too many things already in line.

We went to see him do a talk at the Institut Francais in London a few weeks back - he was really charming and funny.

Here's some of his sketches : a spider for a kid in a Spider-Man costume; a self-portrait as duck, bear, and gorilla; and his ideal talk attendee.

http://i.imgur.com/iQbxJ.jpg

He said after filming a bunch of va-va-voom french actresses for Gainsbourg, that going back to drawing comics alone in a room felt a bit weird.

Rabbi's Cat on InstantWatch as of today: http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/The_Rabbi_s_Cat/70264288
go watch it

I have come around big time on adventure time but these guys are biting the dunjon steez so hard
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Adventure_Timr_Explore_the_Dunegon_Because_I_DON
i just kinda want to hear pendleton say he's a fan and all's forgiven

er, here:
http://img2.targetimg2.com/wcsstore/TargetSAS//img/p/14/87/14875198_201309171731.jpg

sfar has become a "hebdo cartoonist" for this note on instagram
https://instagram.com/p/-C-NNrHZXh/