Destination : Abecederia

by Blexbolex

Sous la forme d'un abécédaire, l'histoire de Bernard et Léon Blanchet, deux gangsters en cavale marseillais qui se réfugient dans une contrée isolée. Mais ce qu'ils croyaient être un paisible lieu de villégiature, se révèle être une dictature bananière dirigée par un scientifique aux expériences douteuses.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Blexbolex is a French comics artist and illustrator. Born Bernard Granger in Douai, he studied screen printing (sérigraphie) at the School of Fine Arts (L’école européenne supérieure de l'image) in Angoulême. His first works were self-published, and later he contributed to Popo Color, Fusée, and Ferraille. His highly stylized, ligne claire illustration, inspired by the films of Jacques Tati and whodunits of the 1950s and 1960s, gradually gained an audience. In Germany, he directed an art studio at the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weissensee (School of Art and Design Berlin-Weissensee) and he also worked regularly with a number of editors, including Thierry Magnier, Pipifax, United Dead Artists, Les Requins-Marteaux, and Cornélius. Blexbolex has contributed to the American publication The Ganzfeld.

In 2009, he received a prize for “Best Book Design of the World” for his L'Imagier des gens (2008) at the Book Fair of Leipzig.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stylized as a children's book on teaching the alphabet, French artist Blexbolex (the nom de plume for Bernard Granger) weaves in a slick noir tale of two French gangsters forced into hiding after a warrant for their capture goes out following a heist gone wrong. Escaping into the jungles of central Africa, the pair find more than what they bargain for as forest proves to be far more enigmatic than initially expected. Blexbolex implements a colorful and stylish art style for the picture book, a strange juxtaposition to the heavy noir tone of the story. It works really well though, and is a riveting read despite the rather short page count.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 2 out of 5]

150×217 ¦ D.L. ³tri/2008 ¦ 12,50€ = ²print(noté*)
*still the French eo but after a Frankfurt printing in German

GROSS

[Nadia Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blexbolex est maître de l'histoire où tout se raconte par les codes du dessin et graphisme. Très malin, et pour les cinéphiles un clin d'oeil a une référence de Burroughs.

[Andy Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrated as minimalist icon design in primary but not vibrant colours to great effect. The story is the driver, an upsetting post-shock narrative exploring a slave labour society. Fokking superb and if you get a chance to read it, do. Fiction so lying that it hurts. The complete visual/textual is greatly balanced.

[Carlye Novak · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adult alphabet book. And very adult, indeed, in content. Incredible illustrations and pretty compelling story to go with.