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Maybe Later
An inside look at France's superstar cartooning team
Maybe Later sees Dupuy & Berberian working separately for the first time, each cartoonist taking turns to tell the behind-the-scenes "making of" their bestselling Mr. Jean series. In fluid black-and-white, with hilariously paranoid digressions and surreal dream sequences, Maybe Later is a record of their unique artistic partnership, midlife and its demons, the stress of deadlines, and the friends and colleagues who help and goad along the way. Above all, it's about the creative process, with aliens, pawns, and deflated superheroes battling procrastination
and self-doubt in defense of the simple pleasure of telling stories through pictures.
Maybe Later is a rare opportunity to discover each of the artists in his own right. And for newcomers, it's a superb introduction to the quiet wit, brilliant narrative style, and refined visual language of the Mr. Jean stories; the first three short stories are collected in D+Q's Get a Life .
Maybe Later sees Dupuy & Berberian working separately for the first time, each cartoonist taking turns to tell the behind-the-scenes "making of" their bestselling Mr. Jean series. In fluid black-and-white, with hilariously paranoid digressions and surreal dream sequences, Maybe Later is a record of their unique artistic partnership, midlife and its demons, the stress of deadlines, and the friends and colleagues who help and goad along the way. Above all, it's about the creative process, with aliens, pawns, and deflated superheroes battling procrastination
and self-doubt in defense of the simple pleasure of telling stories through pictures.
Maybe Later is a rare opportunity to discover each of the artists in his own right. And for newcomers, it's a superb introduction to the quiet wit, brilliant narrative style, and refined visual language of the Mr. Jean stories; the first three short stories are collected in D+Q's Get a Life .
120 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 28, 2014
Maybe Later is a non-fictional, behind-the-scenes look at how Charles Berberian and Phillippe Dupuy create their Monsieur Jean comics. The two have an unusual relationship in that they both write and draw the books together, so it’s interesting to see their differences here as they write and draw separate journals.
Berberian’s comics have a bouncier, more fun feel to them initially. He’s in rural France on a mini-book tour/holiday with his family, and recounts an amusing night when he goes to give a talk on comics and finds only the organiser and a couple waiting for him. The kids he was expecting to see went on a hike elsewhere and Dupuy’s car broke down so it’s just him and three others - and the couple only came for the free crepes!
You can see what Berberian brings to the Jean comics with his flights of fantasy - he depicts himself as an alien when he explains to people his job as a full-time comics artist - and his love of buying books and records mirrors Jean’s own preoccupations.
Dupuy’s contributions are different but equally fascinating. Rather than jump into stories, he shows us how he can’t quite get into the habit of writing these non-fiction comics about himself. He procrastinates, he talks about his jealousy of Berberian for how easily he took to the project, and generally there’s an soulful vulnerability to him in comparison to Berberian.
Dupuy’s comics become more serious as the perspective shifts from Jean/Berberian to the death of his mother and the breakdown of his marriage. The “life in six panels” page for his mother was really beautiful, and Dupuy’s heartache over he and his wife’s growing distance, especially with their kid caught in the middle, is depicted with looser lines, to the point where he’s made up of wisps of ink on the page.
I don’t want to make Dupuy out to be a drag though - some of the funniest panels are in his comics. When Dupuy’s writing the script for the new book, Jean appears in the seat next to him and the two have a matter-of-fact talk about where the series is going. Dupuy’s steepling of his hands as he raises his nose and says to Jean “Charles insisted...” is unexpectedly hilarious, as is the reappearance of the medieval knights from Get a Life, this time talking directly to Dupuy.
And that’s the other surprising aspect to Maybe Later - their art styles. They’re both distinctly different but it’s easy to see the art of Jean in both of them. When you’re reading either artist’s comics, you think this style is predominantly Jean’s, but really somehow there’s this wonderful alchemy between the two where they come together to create the unique visual look of the Jean comics. This book’s art is sketchier than the Jean comics but are in no way poor quality. In fact, the lack of colour shows the skill in their line-work, even if it’s more free-flowing.
The ready audience for this book would be fans of the Monsieur Jean comics but the quality of the work and the unexpected directions it goes in, supersedes just those readers. It still retains the wit and intelligence of that work but really anyone interested in great comics, whether or not they’ve read Jean, would enjoy this as it’s the story of two artists’ lives - their highs, their lows, a look into their psyches, and a fascinating glimpse into the creative process.
As difficult as it is to create the comics they want and make a living from it, there’s a pureness to their love of their art that’s felt in their work and you can see that in every page of this book, and their other books, which is what makes them so good. Both Maybe Later and their other Drawn & Quarterly book, Get a Life, are highly recommended for readers looking for quality comics.
Berberian’s comics have a bouncier, more fun feel to them initially. He’s in rural France on a mini-book tour/holiday with his family, and recounts an amusing night when he goes to give a talk on comics and finds only the organiser and a couple waiting for him. The kids he was expecting to see went on a hike elsewhere and Dupuy’s car broke down so it’s just him and three others - and the couple only came for the free crepes!
You can see what Berberian brings to the Jean comics with his flights of fantasy - he depicts himself as an alien when he explains to people his job as a full-time comics artist - and his love of buying books and records mirrors Jean’s own preoccupations.
Dupuy’s contributions are different but equally fascinating. Rather than jump into stories, he shows us how he can’t quite get into the habit of writing these non-fiction comics about himself. He procrastinates, he talks about his jealousy of Berberian for how easily he took to the project, and generally there’s an soulful vulnerability to him in comparison to Berberian.
Dupuy’s comics become more serious as the perspective shifts from Jean/Berberian to the death of his mother and the breakdown of his marriage. The “life in six panels” page for his mother was really beautiful, and Dupuy’s heartache over he and his wife’s growing distance, especially with their kid caught in the middle, is depicted with looser lines, to the point where he’s made up of wisps of ink on the page.
I don’t want to make Dupuy out to be a drag though - some of the funniest panels are in his comics. When Dupuy’s writing the script for the new book, Jean appears in the seat next to him and the two have a matter-of-fact talk about where the series is going. Dupuy’s steepling of his hands as he raises his nose and says to Jean “Charles insisted...” is unexpectedly hilarious, as is the reappearance of the medieval knights from Get a Life, this time talking directly to Dupuy.
And that’s the other surprising aspect to Maybe Later - their art styles. They’re both distinctly different but it’s easy to see the art of Jean in both of them. When you’re reading either artist’s comics, you think this style is predominantly Jean’s, but really somehow there’s this wonderful alchemy between the two where they come together to create the unique visual look of the Jean comics. This book’s art is sketchier than the Jean comics but are in no way poor quality. In fact, the lack of colour shows the skill in their line-work, even if it’s more free-flowing.
The ready audience for this book would be fans of the Monsieur Jean comics but the quality of the work and the unexpected directions it goes in, supersedes just those readers. It still retains the wit and intelligence of that work but really anyone interested in great comics, whether or not they’ve read Jean, would enjoy this as it’s the story of two artists’ lives - their highs, their lows, a look into their psyches, and a fascinating glimpse into the creative process.
As difficult as it is to create the comics they want and make a living from it, there’s a pureness to their love of their art that’s felt in their work and you can see that in every page of this book, and their other books, which is what makes them so good. Both Maybe Later and their other Drawn & Quarterly book, Get a Life, are highly recommended for readers looking for quality comics.
July 27, 2025
Tämähän olikin mainio, yllätti positiivisesti. Ei ihan niin perinteinen päiväkirjasta toimitettu kirja, mutta se varmaan lasketaan tässä tapauksessa eduksi. Myös kahden tekijän vuorottelu piirtäjänä toimii hyvin, tyylit ovat riittävän samankaltaisia että se mitenkään häiritsisi. Ehkä ennemminkin päinvastoin, joissain kohdissa en ollut aivan varma, kumpi on tekijä. Hyvää kuvausta ja ranskalaishenkistä sarjakuvakerrontaa, kiinnostava teos kyllä.
August 13, 2022
Drôle, touchant, auto-biographique et écrit à quatre mains par les auteurs de 'Monsieur Jean', cet ouvrage touche aussi ici et lá les méandres des Humanoïdes Associés et de L'Association.
February 19, 2025
A few journal-like stories from the creators of Monsieur Jean. Works as a good appendix to the main series, certainly for fans only. Super short too, I could have gone with some more - perhaps written over multiple years.
May 30, 2023
I don’t know if this is the MOST obscure thing I’ve ever read but it feels like it’s up there. Shoutout to Dupuy and Berberian! French people are cool! Hope those guys are doing well, twenty years later!
October 25, 2016
3.5
Love the art!
Love the art!
June 12, 2018
Dagboeken van zowel Dupuy als Berberian over de periode waarin ze de Meneer Johan-strip 'Vrouwen en kinderen eerst' tekenden. De stijl blijft dicht bij 'Meneer Johan': Berberian tekent wat losser, Dupuy heeft een stevigere inktlijn. Uiteindelijk is Dupuy's verslag het pakkendst, aangezien hij nogal wat tegenslag te verwerken heeft en bovendien tegen flink wat innerlijke demonen vecht. Al met al verschilt dit dagboek niet eens zoveel van de Meneer Johan-reeks: ook dit gaat over de problemen van auteurs, dertigers en jonge ouders. Het is het talent van Dupuy en Berberian dat hun dagboek nergens navelstaarderig of saai wordt, integendeel. Op zijn best raakt en ontroert het.
September 19, 2012
This is a fictionalized account of the lives of two French cartoonists, best known for their longtime collaboration on something unfamiliar to most Americans. Some of their works have been translated into English, including by the publisher of this volume, but not widely read.
As a result, this book has to stand alone as a memoir of the lives of the two artists, and for the most part it succeeds. Some of the interludes are very moving, such as a one-page, six-panel summary of a human life.
Because I was not already a fan of their work, I found their artwork styles to be only okay, but certainly adequate for the telling of the stories in this book. Unfortunately, only some of the stories were really all that interesting. Some of them were a bit...um...boring, especially the stories about not being able to create on schedule. Every graphic memoir seems to have a segment on that topic, and after a while the idea just isn't that interesting.
Overall, the book is interesting and worth reading, but nothing great or groundbreaking.
As a result, this book has to stand alone as a memoir of the lives of the two artists, and for the most part it succeeds. Some of the interludes are very moving, such as a one-page, six-panel summary of a human life.
Because I was not already a fan of their work, I found their artwork styles to be only okay, but certainly adequate for the telling of the stories in this book. Unfortunately, only some of the stories were really all that interesting. Some of them were a bit...um...boring, especially the stories about not being able to create on schedule. Every graphic memoir seems to have a segment on that topic, and after a while the idea just isn't that interesting.
Overall, the book is interesting and worth reading, but nothing great or groundbreaking.
July 25, 2008
A journal about two French comic authors making their comics. I kind of wish I'd just found a copy of their comic itself rather than this reflection about what life is like making their comic, a lot of the references were over my head or too self-referential to be clear.
The visual ideas about their troubles and anxieties could be pretty neat at times (like when one of them had a nightmare that they were human-faced geese running through a perilous maze), but they never drew me in, nor did they become compelling for a sustained period of time.
Oh well, I guess that's what you get when you're a cheapskate who only buys the most affordable things you can find at the used bookstore.
The visual ideas about their troubles and anxieties could be pretty neat at times (like when one of them had a nightmare that they were human-faced geese running through a perilous maze), but they never drew me in, nor did they become compelling for a sustained period of time.
Oh well, I guess that's what you get when you're a cheapskate who only buys the most affordable things you can find at the used bookstore.
December 8, 2011
Wow, these French cartoonists. So smart and cute the drawings are. This is a work by two cartoonists who collaborate on their drawings and stories and this time wrote an autobiographic journal about themselves and their experience working on their next graphic novel. For all their stress of putting together a new book, I can't help but envy their cushy lives: vacations to the country-side, supportive partners and cute kids, work studios... Maybe I should just envy the French. I did enjoy the brief glimses in to their lives and woes and creative process. Now that is an interesting profession.
March 22, 2015
So, I can't yet get my hands on the actual comic, the Mister Jean series for which they are well known in France and in Europe, though far less so in the US, obviously, since we can't find them! :) but until then I still enjoyed the somewhat fictionalized tale of the process of and relationship between these two collaborative comics makers (who do art and writing together, which is very rare). I'll go back to it if I ever get may hands on Mister Jean….
November 21, 2007
The tandem team of Dupuy and Berberian move away from their "Monsieur Jean" work to tell separate tales of how they live and work. Their work, whether in this book or in Monsieur Jean, is what I frequently cite as my favorite graphic novels. The subtleties of emotion and art are what appeal to me, as well as the tales of simple cafe life.
December 31, 2015
Why do I like meta nonfiction comics so much? I don't know, but there's some really beautiful panels in here, and just perfect moments. Drawn & quarterly puts out so much of this kind of stuff and I love it. I'm also really into this lettering that is happening, too. This genre of comic has it's flaws, it does seem a bit self-involved but augh! There's something perfect and honest here.
January 31, 2015
This was a really enjoyable book. It is essentially a journal kept by two artists, documenting the process of creating a comic, and the troubles that arise that get in the way. This was just a really well done, heartfelt, comic.
July 11, 2009
I haven't read any of their wildly popular comics about their recurring character Monsieur Jean. This one is a journal of their experiences that mostly focuses on writing the journal. I'll try finding some of their other comics.
February 27, 2008
This was pretty interesting, but would have been far more so if I'd read it with some background in the artists' Mr. Jean comic series.
May 9, 2008
humorous and honest
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews