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The Collected Toppi #2
Americania: Historias de la frontera
Ser buscador de oro en el Gran Norte significa sobrevivir entre matones y villanos. Sergio Toppi recorre algunas rutas emblemáticas, en que la naturaleza magnífica e inhóspita sitúa al ser humano en su verdadera dimensión. Con lo geográfico como hilo conductor, se nos presenta una visión lejos de los estereotipos simplistas, destacando la sabiduría ancestral de esos amerindios en sus últimos momentos de libertad. Dos historias inéditas en España, ambientadas en esa Norteamérica rural sureña de la primera mitad del siglo XX acentúan lo étnico y cultural. Este integral recoge 11 historias: El amor a la vida, Naugatuck 1757, Mientras vivas, Una sola vez en la vida, Little Big Horn 1875, Responde a mi pregunta, El reposo del almirante, Una visita para John Colter, Katana, Blues y El heredero.
Este cuidado volumen recoge una selección de relatos de la etapa de más madurez artística del autor, cuando ya poseía los códigos por los que es admirado en todo el mundo. Este libro es una joya para los coleccionistas del fumetto italiano, cuyos autores se destacaron en los años 70-80 por una visión llena de dignidad y riqueza gráfica hacia las poblaciones amerindias. Un extenso prólogo y detalladas notas lo completan.
Este cuidado volumen recoge una selección de relatos de la etapa de más madurez artística del autor, cuando ya poseía los códigos por los que es admirado en todo el mundo. Este libro es una joya para los coleccionistas del fumetto italiano, cuyos autores se destacaron en los años 70-80 por una visión llena de dignidad y riqueza gráfica hacia las poblaciones amerindias. Un extenso prólogo y detalladas notas lo completan.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2019
7 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Sergio Toppi
210 books107 followersSergio Toppi was an Italian illustrator and comics author from Milan.
Toppi's art style is known for its sophisticated compositions and an unmatched ability with hatching.
Young Toppi left his medical studies in the early 50's to pursue a career in illustration, which lasted until his death at age eighty. His illustrations were featured in many Italian newspapers, magazines and books.
Toppi also developed a comics career since the middle of the 60's. His body of work in comics is mostly composed of short stories on a wide range of subject matters, often in a historical or fantasy setting. Toppi's stories appeared in a number of Italian comics magazines, from the ones devoted to kids such as Il Corriere dei Piccoli and Il Giornalino, to those targeting a more mature or larger audience, like Sgt. Kirk, Linus, alter alter, Corto Maltese, L'Eternauta, Comic Art, Orient Express. For the latter magazine Toppi created in the 80's his only recurring comics character, called Il Collezionista (The Collector).
Toppi's art style is known for its sophisticated compositions and an unmatched ability with hatching.
Young Toppi left his medical studies in the early 50's to pursue a career in illustration, which lasted until his death at age eighty. His illustrations were featured in many Italian newspapers, magazines and books.
Toppi also developed a comics career since the middle of the 60's. His body of work in comics is mostly composed of short stories on a wide range of subject matters, often in a historical or fantasy setting. Toppi's stories appeared in a number of Italian comics magazines, from the ones devoted to kids such as Il Corriere dei Piccoli and Il Giornalino, to those targeting a more mature or larger audience, like Sgt. Kirk, Linus, alter alter, Corto Maltese, L'Eternauta, Comic Art, Orient Express. For the latter magazine Toppi created in the 80's his only recurring comics character, called Il Collezionista (The Collector).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 9, 2022
Outlaws, Native Americans, katanas, bandits, the beautiful but deadly natural landscape and animal inhabitants of ‘murica, and the filthy lucre, gold, gold, goooooold! that drives the conflict behind most of the stories here.
North America collects Sergio Toppi’s comics set on this continent from the late ‘70s to 2007. Out of the three books from this series I’ve read (the other two being The Enchanted World and Japan), it’s my least favourite, mostly because the stories are either forgettable/unremarkable, and the art is quite similar from one story to the next, making them even harder to remember as they all tend to blur together.
The first story, The Admiral at Rest, was ok - it’s about an old man living on the frontier who’s taken hostage by a bandit; except the bandit doesn’t know who the old man used to be or what he’s capable of.
Another story I thought was ok was Katana, which is the only colour strip in the book and is about a miner with an iron hand who tries to cross a mountain pass without paying the toll to the Japanese man with the katana. Once in a Lifetime is also not bad - a cops’n’robbers chase story across the mountains.
A lot of the stories though don’t have a coherent narrative, nor do they have anything particularly interesting happening in them, so they just passed me by without leaving any impression behind. As Long As You Live seemed to only be about a Native American realising the flaws of Western technology and learning to embrace their traditions; Little Big Horn 1875 was an abstract telling of the famous battle, or at least the lead up to it; The Heir was a magical realist piece about the son of the Voodoo God Baron Samedi, or something; Blues was about a sax player, a junk dealer with a shady past, and the guy hunting him down; Naugatuck 1757 - no idea what that one was about!
Toppi’s art remains the most impressive thing in these collections. They’re really detailed and expressive, and, thanks to the obvious research he put into drawing accurate clothes and infrastructure of the time, effortlessly transports you to the historical past. Mostly because a lot of the stories centre around the Gold Rush, they’re set in that specific time period in the 19th century and geographic location, the West Coast, so the pages tend to feature a lot of the same landscapes and character designs, which can be a bit tedious to see one after the other. Even so, seeing the work of a master artist like Toppi is still quite something.
While The Collected Toppi, Volume 2: North America has Toppi’s signature amazing art, his other books, like The Enchanted World and Japan, also feature more entertaining stories, so, if you’re interested in this creator, I’d recommend those over this one instead.
North America collects Sergio Toppi’s comics set on this continent from the late ‘70s to 2007. Out of the three books from this series I’ve read (the other two being The Enchanted World and Japan), it’s my least favourite, mostly because the stories are either forgettable/unremarkable, and the art is quite similar from one story to the next, making them even harder to remember as they all tend to blur together.
The first story, The Admiral at Rest, was ok - it’s about an old man living on the frontier who’s taken hostage by a bandit; except the bandit doesn’t know who the old man used to be or what he’s capable of.
Another story I thought was ok was Katana, which is the only colour strip in the book and is about a miner with an iron hand who tries to cross a mountain pass without paying the toll to the Japanese man with the katana. Once in a Lifetime is also not bad - a cops’n’robbers chase story across the mountains.
A lot of the stories though don’t have a coherent narrative, nor do they have anything particularly interesting happening in them, so they just passed me by without leaving any impression behind. As Long As You Live seemed to only be about a Native American realising the flaws of Western technology and learning to embrace their traditions; Little Big Horn 1875 was an abstract telling of the famous battle, or at least the lead up to it; The Heir was a magical realist piece about the son of the Voodoo God Baron Samedi, or something; Blues was about a sax player, a junk dealer with a shady past, and the guy hunting him down; Naugatuck 1757 - no idea what that one was about!
Toppi’s art remains the most impressive thing in these collections. They’re really detailed and expressive, and, thanks to the obvious research he put into drawing accurate clothes and infrastructure of the time, effortlessly transports you to the historical past. Mostly because a lot of the stories centre around the Gold Rush, they’re set in that specific time period in the 19th century and geographic location, the West Coast, so the pages tend to feature a lot of the same landscapes and character designs, which can be a bit tedious to see one after the other. Even so, seeing the work of a master artist like Toppi is still quite something.
While The Collected Toppi, Volume 2: North America has Toppi’s signature amazing art, his other books, like The Enchanted World and Japan, also feature more entertaining stories, so, if you’re interested in this creator, I’d recommend those over this one instead.
June 26, 2019
The 2nd book in a series of seven collecting the work of Italian artist Sergio Toppi. This collects his stories taking place in North America, most in the old west. The stories were great, often a little wry. I wasn't familiar with Toppi before, but I look forward to checking out the rest of the volumes in this series.
January 22, 2023
طراحیها به همون خوبی جلد قبلی بود، اما متاسفانه داستانها خیلی شبیه هم بودن. اینقدر که دیالوگها و حرفهایی که میزدن واقعا تکرار میشد. درسته که فاصلهی زمانی زیادی هر کدوم از داستانهاس و توپی انتظار نداشته کسی زیاد متوجه بشه، اما حالا که پشت سر هم میان و من توی یک شب میخونم یکم توی ذوقم میزنه.
December 31, 2020
Last book of the year, and I couldn't make a better choice. A phenomenal read from a phenomenal artist and narrator.
April 24, 2023
Bardzo nie chciałem podchodzić do tego na kolanach i początkowo nawet się udawało. No bo rysunki piękne, ale same opowieści proste i prowadzące do dosyć banalnych wniosków, że stawianie na bogactwo i brak szacunku dla rdzennej ludności są do dupy. Generalnie bez mielizn, ale też nigdy nie potrzebowałem komiksów, by takie rzeczy wiedzieć, więc byłem pewny, że to rzecz głównie do podziwiania kunsztownych ilustracji. Poza tym całość nie grzeszy dynamiką, co jest bolączką wielu klasyków gatunku. Jednak gdy autor staje się mniej jednoznaczny, gdy do głosu dochodzi abstrakcja, elementy wierzeń i poetyka snu - jestem kupiony. Mało kto tak pięknie opowiada o bluesie jak Toppi w dwóch ostatnich historiach.
May 21, 2019
A resounding success, this book showed me a wonderful graphic novelist I'd never heard of, and really whetted the appetite for the rest of his output. This, the second in seven books to collect the lot, covers stories set in N America, and whether it's a bloke trading with the Indians and ripping them off before getting his comeuppance, or an old timer getting revenge on a naive young crook, they really show their class. The draughtsmanship skills are top, but you also get perfect little short stories – stories of justice being met, at that. The third tale here might not be completely straight when it comes to justice, depending on your point of view, but certainly the moral in the fourth is strong in that regard – and again, what artwork, giving unique patterning to the rock formations and tribal tattoos in the story that reads like a long-told and oft-revised legend. Elsewhere, a man struggles and struggles to survival alone, and you really see how the creator got the sense of the landscape and the times – although written for disposable Italian weeklies in the early 1980s, these are timeless little successes, from every curlicue in birch bark up. He takes no sides, covering US history from British soldiers reluctantly seeking vengeance, or the 'Indians' and their outlook on things. So it's surprising, then, how a more modern piece is full of negroid lips and stereotypes, both visually and narratively. What's worse, the finale has a talking postbox and petrol pump, of all things – but it still manages to bring the circle to a fulfilment with, yep, you guessed – justice. Meaning that even with some late misfires, you can only call this an often outstanding find.
July 24, 2023
Really nice artwork but the stories aren't connecting on this one.
January 6, 2022
Toppi is an absolute master illustrator and story teller.
February 3, 2022
This volume of Toppi's work - how else should it be? - delivers what you have come to expect from the man, the master himself: stunning composition, beautiful use of space, play with shapes, panels and significant, playful emptiness on every page. Sergio Toppi as the master of the presence of absence - the carefully orchestrated emptiness of space emanating significance.
However, the plotlines are also typically Toppi: strong atmosphere, thick moods, but not a lot beyond that. This volume specifically rubs me the wrong way in this regard, as I'm not too big of a fan of the aesthetic of the place and time essential here. Not a big fan of Wild West, sifting gold and killing Native Americans plot lines. Looking forward to the other volumes though!
However, the plotlines are also typically Toppi: strong atmosphere, thick moods, but not a lot beyond that. This volume specifically rubs me the wrong way in this regard, as I'm not too big of a fan of the aesthetic of the place and time essential here. Not a big fan of Wild West, sifting gold and killing Native Americans plot lines. Looking forward to the other volumes though!
November 3, 2022
I really like his art. The stories here are mostly of the frontier, of greed and fate. There is always justice in all of them, a respect for the natural environment and a respect for indigenous cultures. I will continue reading these collections. They are fun and the art is impressive.
October 29, 2025
Favorites:
— Answer my Question
— As long as You Live
— Little Big Horn 1875
— Blues
— Answer my Question
— As long as You Live
— Little Big Horn 1875
— Blues
December 16, 2021
Great art. Great short tales of redemption and regret. Highly recommended.
August 25, 2022
I can't be objective, maybe, as a translator of this collection, but these are one of the best comic books I've stumbled upon in my life, not only because of the art - the stories and tropes transformations are also amazing.
December 5, 2023
Finalmente, o terceiro volume da coleção Sérgio Toppi chegou às minhas mãos. Genuinamente estava muito ansioso para este volume por gostar bastante da arte do autor e de como ela é parte essencial da narrativa, apesar de não se limitar apenas a essa função nos seus trabalhos.
Dentro do volume há uma coleção de contos retratando momentos e personagens referentes à América do Norte, como povos nativos, colonizadores do Reino Unido, a corrida do ouro, as guerras contra os indígenas, e os ritmos do Blues e do Jazz.
De modo geral considero todas as histórias presentes como boas histórias, porém acredito que maioria delas não estão entre as melhores do autor, seja por não trazerem elementos narrativos de destaque, seja pela arte, que apesar de não ter nenhuma queda de qualidade em relação aos outros volumes, também não apresentou tantos pontos especiais como em outros contos.
As histórias que fogem dessa descrição, com certeza, são dignas de entrarem para o grande grupo das melhores do autor publicadas até agora, a saber: Naugatuck 1757, Blues, o Herdeiro e Little Bighorn.
Em cada uma delas temos destaque para a qualidade acima até mesmo da alta média do autor, em termos de quesito gráfico e/ou qualidade narrativa.
Entre essas, gostaria de destacar Little Bighorn, com referências ao nascimento de uma figura messiânica, ao mesmo tempo que aborda essa batalha do ponto de vista dos povos indígenas, usando metáforas visuais poderosas com um traço à altura delas; Naugatuck 1757, com composições de página belíssimas e uma proposta sensacional para abordar a embriaguez por poder e a fragilidade advinda disso; e Blues, com uma clara referência ao passado da música e como esse ritmo traduz emoções tão profundamente quanto em seu auge (a exemplo da icônica cena da caixa de correio), porém o mundo ao seu redor não resistiu da mesma maneira, e apesar de ainda se fazer presente nos dias de hoje, seu lugar seria no passado, como parte do espírito de uma época antecedente.
De modo geral, considero uma boa edição, porém, entre os 4 volumes já publicados até agora da Coleção Toppi da Editora figura, foi o que menos me agradou, porém, segue sendo um bom exemplar do trabalho de Sérgio Toppi e definitivamente é algo recomendável para aqueles que desejam, como eu, conhecer mais extensamente sua obra.
Dentro do volume há uma coleção de contos retratando momentos e personagens referentes à América do Norte, como povos nativos, colonizadores do Reino Unido, a corrida do ouro, as guerras contra os indígenas, e os ritmos do Blues e do Jazz.
De modo geral considero todas as histórias presentes como boas histórias, porém acredito que maioria delas não estão entre as melhores do autor, seja por não trazerem elementos narrativos de destaque, seja pela arte, que apesar de não ter nenhuma queda de qualidade em relação aos outros volumes, também não apresentou tantos pontos especiais como em outros contos.
As histórias que fogem dessa descrição, com certeza, são dignas de entrarem para o grande grupo das melhores do autor publicadas até agora, a saber: Naugatuck 1757, Blues, o Herdeiro e Little Bighorn.
Em cada uma delas temos destaque para a qualidade acima até mesmo da alta média do autor, em termos de quesito gráfico e/ou qualidade narrativa.
Entre essas, gostaria de destacar Little Bighorn, com referências ao nascimento de uma figura messiânica, ao mesmo tempo que aborda essa batalha do ponto de vista dos povos indígenas, usando metáforas visuais poderosas com um traço à altura delas; Naugatuck 1757, com composições de página belíssimas e uma proposta sensacional para abordar a embriaguez por poder e a fragilidade advinda disso; e Blues, com uma clara referência ao passado da música e como esse ritmo traduz emoções tão profundamente quanto em seu auge (a exemplo da icônica cena da caixa de correio), porém o mundo ao seu redor não resistiu da mesma maneira, e apesar de ainda se fazer presente nos dias de hoje, seu lugar seria no passado, como parte do espírito de uma época antecedente.
De modo geral, considero uma boa edição, porém, entre os 4 volumes já publicados até agora da Coleção Toppi da Editora figura, foi o que menos me agradou, porém, segue sendo um bom exemplar do trabalho de Sérgio Toppi e definitivamente é algo recomendável para aqueles que desejam, como eu, conhecer mais extensamente sua obra.
September 6, 2025
El segundo volumen de la colección Toppi, dedicado a America del Norte, recoge nueve relatos ambientados en la expansión hacia el norte y las tierras de Canadá, historias de hombres solitarios, supervivientes, aventureros, buscadores de oro adentrándose en tierras vírgenes, paisajes infinitos, bosques primigenios y, a menudo, aún señoreados por los indios nativos. Los otros dos relatos coinciden en la negritud, la música y la atmósfera gótica.
· Además de muy bien documentada, la narrativa de Sergio Toppi es sosegada, casi premiosa, busca en cada gesto la humanidad de las andanzas más que la afectación de las aventuras. Baste decir que, ambientado en tierras salvajes y sin ley, solo hay tres disparos en todo el libro (215 pág.): uno contra un grajo; otro, en defensa propia, que acaba con un ladrón; el tercero es un disparo al aire contra un fantasma que es nadie, nada, solo miedo. En lo demás es poético, ecológico, filantrópico, cuentos muy bien narrados, rematados siempre, como debe ser, con moraleja o con arreglo a las reglas del karma. Magníficas historias, todas.
· Si las historias de Toppi son sobresalientes, la parte gráfica brilla a la misma altura. El dibujo es magnífico, límpido y preciosista, con una impronta muy original resaltada en las texturas a base de trazos sueltos y tramas para modelar superficies y volúmenes hasta alcanzar incluso el jugueteo abigarrado de unos abstractos muy interesantes. Menos uno (2007) todos los episodios son anteriores a 1990, son, por tanto, trabajos primitivos, es decir, a puro lápiz y tinta china, y se agradece. Se agradece reencontrar esta honrada artesanía que en los cómics actuales ha sido sustituida por pastiches digitalizados de fotos y tratamiento de imágenes apañadas/amañadas por programas "inteligentes" (cuanto más inteligentes estos, más torpes nosotros, ¿no cree?).
· Una obra excepcional de un artista completo.
· Además de muy bien documentada, la narrativa de Sergio Toppi es sosegada, casi premiosa, busca en cada gesto la humanidad de las andanzas más que la afectación de las aventuras. Baste decir que, ambientado en tierras salvajes y sin ley, solo hay tres disparos en todo el libro (215 pág.): uno contra un grajo; otro, en defensa propia, que acaba con un ladrón; el tercero es un disparo al aire contra un fantasma que es nadie, nada, solo miedo. En lo demás es poético, ecológico, filantrópico, cuentos muy bien narrados, rematados siempre, como debe ser, con moraleja o con arreglo a las reglas del karma. Magníficas historias, todas.
· Si las historias de Toppi son sobresalientes, la parte gráfica brilla a la misma altura. El dibujo es magnífico, límpido y preciosista, con una impronta muy original resaltada en las texturas a base de trazos sueltos y tramas para modelar superficies y volúmenes hasta alcanzar incluso el jugueteo abigarrado de unos abstractos muy interesantes. Menos uno (2007) todos los episodios son anteriores a 1990, son, por tanto, trabajos primitivos, es decir, a puro lápiz y tinta china, y se agradece. Se agradece reencontrar esta honrada artesanía que en los cómics actuales ha sido sustituida por pastiches digitalizados de fotos y tratamiento de imágenes apañadas/amañadas por programas "inteligentes" (cuanto más inteligentes estos, más torpes nosotros, ¿no cree?).
· Una obra excepcional de un artista completo.
August 24, 2023
This collections contains Toppi's various comics set in North America, and revolve around classic tales around the frontier and feature Natives, explorers, outlaws, recluses and a lot of deadly wildlife. The themes are classic Americana, involving themes like man vs. nature, a sense of discovery, greed and the encroaching threat of civilization infringing on man's innate desire for freedom. What Toppi excels at is prevalent throughout - he crafts some truly ethereal settings with his extensively busy hatching and highly sophisticated layouts. There is a wondrous sense of design in each story as well, with Toppi grafting his sense of magical realism over clearly well researched, detailed drawings of clothing, finery, architecture and weapons.
Unfortunately, most of the stories are pretty bland reads. The themes Toppi is evoking are apparent easily, but there isn't really much to the individual stories to make them memorable beyond the artwork. Most stories lack coherent structure and are more interested in conveying a broad idea more so an understanding on what people would have been like in early American history. Some stories did stand out over others, like "The Admiral At Rest", "Katana", "Once in a Lifetime" and "Naugatuck", but ultimately I felt like the collection of stories felt pretty flat. I took to mostly enjoying the scenic layouts and the detailed compositions with this one.
Unfortunately, most of the stories are pretty bland reads. The themes Toppi is evoking are apparent easily, but there isn't really much to the individual stories to make them memorable beyond the artwork. Most stories lack coherent structure and are more interested in conveying a broad idea more so an understanding on what people would have been like in early American history. Some stories did stand out over others, like "The Admiral At Rest", "Katana", "Once in a Lifetime" and "Naugatuck", but ultimately I felt like the collection of stories felt pretty flat. I took to mostly enjoying the scenic layouts and the detailed compositions with this one.
December 20, 2021
It's always so interesting to see the culture and regions I grew up in depicted by artists outside of it. It's always especially fun to see so many European cartoonists take on the Americas -- especially the Old West -- and treat it with the same sort of romantic fantasy that American media might treat medieval Europe. The stories in here are fun and interesting, and as is the case with all of Toppi's art, each page is gorgeous to look at.
April 11, 2022
A collection of stories often more straightforward than those found in the previous volume. Sometimes realistic, sometimes magical realism, always a joy to read and look at.
One odd thing is that this collection despite being called North America only includes stories set in what is today the USA and Canada, the Mexican stories are in the South America volume. I guess it was done to make the length of each volume more equal but it does mess with the names a bit.
One odd thing is that this collection despite being called North America only includes stories set in what is today the USA and Canada, the Mexican stories are in the South America volume. I guess it was done to make the length of each volume more equal but it does mess with the names a bit.
June 28, 2019
Spare lines, black and white illustrations all add to the short tales that Sergio Toppi provides of murders, thieves, American Indian encounters, and tall tales that invest this volume. It is an interesting take on tales of the American West and Northwest.
I appreciate Netgalley providimg me the opportunity to read this volume.
I appreciate Netgalley providimg me the opportunity to read this volume.
September 1, 2021
Was introduced to the genre illustrated novel years ago. Never read or experienced one until introduced to Toppi collection by “Brain Pickings”. Had sample. Seems like low/high brow comic books. Just completed Volume 2 (North America). Entertaining “Twilight Zone”-ish short tales illustrated with captivating illustrations. (Large format, so not a beach book.)
September 5, 2019
The second volume of Collected Toppi has stories that take place in the North American west. Once again the illustrations are amazing. He is able to capture the character of the era in a dozen or so short stories.
May 21, 2020
The second vol of this serie and as good as the first one. Strange, mystical tales again and wonderful illustration. I really love the way Toppi can lead the tale so deep in short time. Usually they are tales of one special people and his special period in his life.
October 21, 2021
Great artwork, very solid short stories that don't rely on an easy hook or moral. I'm very impressed by the Italian Toppi's grasp of the milieu of the American west and American southern blues story traditions.
September 13, 2020
Beautiful art. Great little stories
December 5, 2020
Just two words, "Class personified".
December 6, 2020
Another set of spellbinding stories showcasing a true master at work. Just go into this cold and enjoy the discovery.
December 25, 2020
Exceptional!
Want to read
April 3, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
April 16, 2021
Stunning artwork as always, but with richer stories than the first volume.
September 14, 2022
Lovely collection of Sergio Toppi's wonderful illustrations
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews