Mai Bach – Vietnamese young artist – launches comics in France
The cover of the comic book “Le Passage intérieur – Voyage essentiel en Alaska” (Inside Passage, an expedition not to be missed in Alaska) made by young artist Mai Bach and screenwriter Maxime de Lisle – Photo: VNA
On this occasion, 25 original paintings selected from the collection of the storybook have been exhibited until June 15.
Translated as “Inside Passage, the must-see expedition in Alaska”, “Le Passage intérieur – Voyage essentiel en Alaska” is artist Mai Bach’s debut work since he graduated from the Academy of Comic Arts. Delcourt is very famous in France.
This is also the first time that a debut comic work by a young Vietnamese artist has been welcomed in the French comic market, one of the world’s most publishing and consuming countries.
The expedition is a true story experienced by screenwriter Maxime de Lisle himself. The nearly 70-page large-format story, published by Delcourt Publishing, describes the exciting expedition of four young French men to the Inside Passage, an Atlantic coastal waterway stretching more than 1,500km from Seattle along the British Columbia coast to the northern part of the panhandle (Southeast) of Alaska.
Vivid and monumental illustrations made by Mai Bach in watercolors have led readers to join the Alaskan expedition by kayak, admire the giant white bears and whales, explore the natural beauty of nature. wild nature, which is hardly affected by humans, and experiences the same range of emotions of the characters, from surprise to delight, from disappointment to joy.
The story is not only a demonstration of the smallness of man in the midst of the majestic and wild nature, but also an important message that warns people’s awareness about the fragility of our green planet. living.
Maxime de Lisle and Mai Bach’s debut work is also a practical guide for those wanting to embark on such adventures.
Painter Mai Bach confided: “When I read Maxime’s manuscript, I liked his exploration. The story was suitable for my abilities, so I agreed to help Maxime draw illustrations and create his first work. This is also a good opportunity for me to learn more about the comic book industry in France, as it is not always possible to find a story that is right for me to develop like this.”
In the two years of implementation, besides the advantages, Mai Bach encountered many difficulties. He confided that both he and Maxime were first-timers in the comic book industry. One is a recent graduate as an artist, and the other is a first-time story writer, both struggling to ensure progress and coordinate with stakeholders such as publishers, editors or other partners. production and distribution.
Moreover, this is a true story, taking place in a real place, but Mai Bach was not directly involved, so all drawings are based on Maxime’s photos, videos and descriptions. , which makes it difficult for the artist to imagine a unified story of visuals and plot.
Painter Mai Bach shared: “In return, Maxime also let me completely decide how to develop the story according to his suggestions and this makes me appreciate our cooperation.”
Young artist Mai Bach signs comic books for readers – Photo: VNA
Script writer Maxime de Lisle also said that he really liked Mai Bach’s painting style and that’s why they worked together to create the work.
He shared: “Mai Bach has a perfect drawing style that we like. It’s super realistic, full of dynamism, able to spark the energy of Alaska.”
On the occasion of the launch of the book “Inside Passage, an expedition not to be missed in Alaska”, 25 original paintings in the collection of the storybook have been selected for exhibition until June 15 at the “Achetez” gallery. de l’Art” in the heart of Paris.
Mr. Monnier Ludovic – owner of the gallery – said that he saw in this young Vietnamese artist a great potential, not only in the art of drawing comics but also in painting. He assessed: “Painter Mai Bach has a very good sense of art. This is what we are always looking for and want to introduce to the public.”
French-Belgian comics is one of the top three comic schools in the world, along with Japanese manga and American comics.
While the industry of producing tapes or movies has struggled and suffered because of the development of the Internet and information technology, comic books still occupy a good position in the tastes of readers.
Although comic books now have digital versions that can be saved and downloaded online, most readers still prefer to buy, collect and own printed comic books.
France is considered one of the leading countries in terms of comic book publishing and consumption. According to statistics of the French publishing industry, every year, more than 5,000 new comics are released to the French and Belgian markets with classic characters such as Tintin, Smurf, Astérix, Lucky Luke… 7 to 77 welcome to read.
About 8 million French readers regularly buy 3-4 comic books every year.
In particular, in 2021, despite the raging COVID-19 epidemic, more than 21 million comic books of all genres were sold to the market, accounting for a quarter of the books published in France in the year, helping to increase sales. of the industry achieved double-digit growth rates – unprecedented.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: tuoitre.vn – Read the original article here
