The latest product from Montreal publisher Pow Pow Press is a double bill featuring entertainment from two of Quebec’s two most beloved creators, Pascal Gilard, and Katon’s fruit salad. Both books collect comics about the author’s daily life.
Actimes is a collection of The Wry Diary Comics by Pascal Girard. Pascal Girard is one of Quebec’s most famous cartoonists for multiple English releases of Drawn & Quarterly, including Petty Theft and Rebecca and Lucie in the absence of neighbors.
Here, Pascal turns his fierce sense of humor into the rhythm of everyday life. Strange existential conversations with his 4-year-old daughter, nasty encounters with friends and neighbors, and often challenging work as a social worker in the hospital.
Fruit Salad explores the world of Caton’s oddball, the creator of several previous graphic novels, including Paulou Press, including the adventures of Pineapple of Lace and Sugubiido. In this new book, Caton opens a window into the unique minds of the modern creator, mixing hilarious observations of her life as a Montreal cartoonist and illustrator with flashy, quirky memories and wild flights of emotional entanglement.
Many of the strips in both books were originally posted in French on the respective author’s Instagram feed. This is the form of serialization that Cathon discovers, creating a sense of connection between her and her readers.
“The interesting thing is the people who follow me on Instagram, they have an intimate connection with me and my work. “They watch me at my home with friends. I think it creates an intimacy that I think is really cool. Sharing comic strips on social media has become a way to interact with my friends and readers, make them laugh and get quick feedback on what I’ve created.”
The pocket-sized book previously published in French by Pow Pow shares a retro graphic style inspired by its vintage comic strip collection.
“I know stripping isn’t the most popular genre these days,” explains Luc Bossé, founder of Pow Pow Press. “But for me, I love them because I grew up reading Calvin and Hobbes, Charlie Brown and Mafalda.” Behind that simplicity, the comic strip format hides an incredible depth, says Bossa:
The new English collection is translated by Robin Lang and Heljudasher (fruit salad) and Aleisha Jensen (entertainment).
Both creators were portrayed on the strip as a contrast to the creations of longer graphic novels.
“I’m always coming back to the four-panel strip format from the beginning of my career,” explains Girard. “This is a satisfying format that only allows you to achieve something from start to finish in about an hour. It’s a good exercise while working on a long form story.”
When asked what he finds interesting, Girard points out that he is inspired by what lies around him.
Photo ©Prune Paycha
Cathon reflects Girard’s feelings that Strips can be creatively freed. “When I started drawing comics regularly around 2017, it wasn’t going to turn them into books. It allowed me to create comic books and books for kids.
“I have been writing diaries since I was a teenager, and stripping serves almost the same purpose for me, to remind me of small pieces of conversation and micro-events.
As she continued to create short comic strips, Caton realized that she was accidentally building a larger, consistent piece.
“I was surprised to learn that a few years later some of my colleagues preferred my comic strips over my “real” books. “A few years later, the number of strips I’ve accumulated has naturally taken into consideration the possibility of editing them into collections.”
Photo ©Prune Paycha
And now the book is watching the light of day, so the author is pleased. “It’s very satisfying to see these stories tied together in the form of books. I thought these strips only lived in social media archives and sketchbooks stored in my library.”
Beat is pleased to reveal exclusive excerpts from both fruit salads and entertainment.
From entertainment by Pascal Girard (translated by Aleisha Jensen):
From Katon’s Fruit Salad (translated by Robin Lang and Helju Dascher):
Pow Pow Press will release both titles on November 5th. Entertainment and fruit salads are currently available for pre-order via monthly distribution.
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