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The Complete Crepax #5
The Complete Crepax: American Stories: Volume 5
These erotic comics stories span 1968–1986. “The Man from Harlem” is Crepax’s ode to boxer Joe Louis and jazz. In other tales, Valentina attempts to balance new relationships with lovers Bruno and Effi alongside the domestic life she shares with Phil. Bonnie and Clyde, Louise Brooks, and the globetrotting photographer Valentina (a movie and TV star herself!) take center stage in this collection of erotic comics stories. Black & white illustrations throughout
472 pages, Hardcover
First published December 24, 2019
36 people want to read
About the author
Guido Crepax
418 books84 followersGuido Crepax (born Crepas, 1933-2003) was an Italian illustrator and comics author, considered one of the most influential cartoonists of the second half of the 20th century. He is notably remembered for his sophisticated black and white art, as well as his dreamlike storylines, often involving a significative dose of erotism.
Crepax was born and raised in Milan, the son of famed cellist Gilberto Crepas. He graduated in Architecture in 1958, then started a successful career in illustration, mostly for advertisement and record covers.
Crepax began making comics in the middle of the 60's, particularly for the Italian magazine 'Linus'. He is best known for the Valentina series of stories. Originally introduced as a side character in the sci-fi story The Curve of Lesmo (1965), Valentina is a fictional photographer from Milan. She is a cultured strong woman, with sophisticated art and fashion tastes, left-wing political ideals and a marked sexual curiosity. Valentina quickly became a staple of European counterculture of the late 60s and early 70s. The series run for thirty years, until 1995, with the titular character aging in real time.
Over the decades Crepax created other female characters, such as Belinda, Anita, Bianca, Giulietta, usually used as protagonists of erotic comics. His other works include a number of comic book adaptations of erotic novels, like Emmanuelle, Justine, Venus in Furs, Story of O, as well as horror classics Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Crepax was born and raised in Milan, the son of famed cellist Gilberto Crepas. He graduated in Architecture in 1958, then started a successful career in illustration, mostly for advertisement and record covers.
Crepax began making comics in the middle of the 60's, particularly for the Italian magazine 'Linus'. He is best known for the Valentina series of stories. Originally introduced as a side character in the sci-fi story The Curve of Lesmo (1965), Valentina is a fictional photographer from Milan. She is a cultured strong woman, with sophisticated art and fashion tastes, left-wing political ideals and a marked sexual curiosity. Valentina quickly became a staple of European counterculture of the late 60s and early 70s. The series run for thirty years, until 1995, with the titular character aging in real time.
Over the decades Crepax created other female characters, such as Belinda, Anita, Bianca, Giulietta, usually used as protagonists of erotic comics. His other works include a number of comic book adaptations of erotic novels, like Emmanuelle, Justine, Venus in Furs, Story of O, as well as horror classics Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 11, 2021
Fantagraphics continues it's complete recounting of Italian cartoonist Guido Crepax's work with another immense volume, detailing stories set in or thematically linked to 'America' ... a story in which Valentina encounters her model Louise Brooks, as well as the tale of Bonnie & Clyde and the suspense thriller The Man from Harlem. Crepax's tendency towards erotica is well represented in the wordless Valentina story Magic Lantern. The centerpiece however is Nobody, a travelogue enacted by Valentina's lover, Philip Rembrandt, in which he reenacts the story of Ulysses.
Crepax's angular style and distinctly kinky stories are not for everyone, but he's unquestionably a master of the form.
Crepax's angular style and distinctly kinky stories are not for everyone, but he's unquestionably a master of the form.
March 16, 2024
The fifth volume of Fantagraphics' collections of Guido Crepax's work is aptly titled "American Stories" as it features comics like "The Man From Harlem", a celebration of boxer Joe Louis and jazz, "Bonnie & Clyde", and a story where Valentina meets her real life counterpart in Louise Brooks. Opening with "Valentina Meets Louise Brooks" along with some of Crepax's own correspondence with Brooks, which would lead to Crepax doing his rendition of the classic strip, Dixie Dugan. These initial stories aren't as engaging as previous Valentina adventures, but from the perspective of understanding the conception of the character they are quite illuminating.
This volume really picks up for me with "Magic Lantern", an entirely wordless and abstract jaunt through Valentina's feverish masturbatory fantasies. Narrative is kept highly amorphous here as "Magic Lantern" feels much more about small tales within tales. Panels begin new ideas only to terminate that story beat within a matter of a few sequences. The shapeless structure of this story will probably be less appealing to many readers, but I was mesmerized throughout. Compared to the following story, "Silent Alphabet", which follows a much more rigid narrative structure, "Magic Lantern" is the truest expression of the psychosexual atmosphere associated with Valentina stories, even if "Silent Alphabet" has plenty of magical realism going for it.
"Nobody" is Crepax's own rendition of Homer's Odyssey, where Phillip Rembrandt, who had been magically whisked away to America in "Silent Alphabet", now takes a surreal, hallucinogenic trip through the American West. It's delightfully weird and subversive, even if Crepax's grip on the original myth is loose at best. This volume rounds out with "Bonnie & Clyde", a bit of a lukewarm and half-complete homage to the Arthur Penn film about the notorious criminal duo, and "The Man From Harlem", a story about a black musician who is comfortable in his role providing backup rhythms as opposed to composing his own solo pieces. The latter is a charming departure from Crepax's usual fare, making for an interesting addendum to the more bizarre stories features previously.
This volume really picks up for me with "Magic Lantern", an entirely wordless and abstract jaunt through Valentina's feverish masturbatory fantasies. Narrative is kept highly amorphous here as "Magic Lantern" feels much more about small tales within tales. Panels begin new ideas only to terminate that story beat within a matter of a few sequences. The shapeless structure of this story will probably be less appealing to many readers, but I was mesmerized throughout. Compared to the following story, "Silent Alphabet", which follows a much more rigid narrative structure, "Magic Lantern" is the truest expression of the psychosexual atmosphere associated with Valentina stories, even if "Silent Alphabet" has plenty of magical realism going for it.
"Nobody" is Crepax's own rendition of Homer's Odyssey, where Phillip Rembrandt, who had been magically whisked away to America in "Silent Alphabet", now takes a surreal, hallucinogenic trip through the American West. It's delightfully weird and subversive, even if Crepax's grip on the original myth is loose at best. This volume rounds out with "Bonnie & Clyde", a bit of a lukewarm and half-complete homage to the Arthur Penn film about the notorious criminal duo, and "The Man From Harlem", a story about a black musician who is comfortable in his role providing backup rhythms as opposed to composing his own solo pieces. The latter is a charming departure from Crepax's usual fare, making for an interesting addendum to the more bizarre stories features previously.
December 24, 2021
001: Extras about Louise Brooks as Valentina's inspiration
027: "Dixie Dugan"
037: "Magic Lantern" (aka Valentina and the...)
155: "Silent Alphabet"
189: "Nobody"
363: "Bonnie & Clyde":
379: "The Man from Harlem":
431-457: Five different extras about Guido and his work
It starts slow. The Louise Brooks this and that did little to attract and "Magic Lantern" is WAY too abstract. Then you get Valentina and Philip in Italy which morphs to a Philip odyssey with subterraneans which then leads him to America. THAT'S when it gets interesting.
About page 220 things tune up and hit all cylinders when he hops into a tiny roadster with a daredevil old guy. When they get deterred by cyclo-fascists it's GOLD to where I am so far with the cigarillo smoking SEXY "older" lady in Arizona.
As for the cast in Italy while this is going on, there is Valentina's roommate and lover EFFI who beats all the other females. She is sumptuous and alluring. She has my heart and possibly my soul- if she wants it.
Then back to Philip, as "Nobody", as he continues the shockingly long story named after him which leads all over the country. The women are spectacular. Clio saves him from a shootout and then takes second place in my heart. As well as his-> she functions as Calypso and is the hardest for him to leave.
Then more stuff and another exquisite and athletic female happens. Then even more stuff happens and it ends.
"Bonnie and Clyde" is done terribly. It's shockingly short and you feel like you might have gotten a quarter of the story- at best.
"The Man From Harlem" rounds out the stories and it's great but see my review from when I read the Catalan Communications (or was it NBM) edition because I didn't read it again. The same goes for "Magic Lantern" which is how I managed to finish this hulk in two days.
Then there's more in depth analysis that I may read someday but I have books two and five of this series ahead so I'm skipping all non-story matter!
027: "Dixie Dugan"
037: "Magic Lantern" (aka Valentina and the...)
155: "Silent Alphabet"
189: "Nobody"
363: "Bonnie & Clyde":
379: "The Man from Harlem":
431-457: Five different extras about Guido and his work
It starts slow. The Louise Brooks this and that did little to attract and "Magic Lantern" is WAY too abstract. Then you get Valentina and Philip in Italy which morphs to a Philip odyssey with subterraneans which then leads him to America. THAT'S when it gets interesting.
About page 220 things tune up and hit all cylinders when he hops into a tiny roadster with a daredevil old guy. When they get deterred by cyclo-fascists it's GOLD to where I am so far with the cigarillo smoking SEXY "older" lady in Arizona.
As for the cast in Italy while this is going on, there is Valentina's roommate and lover EFFI who beats all the other females. She is sumptuous and alluring. She has my heart and possibly my soul- if she wants it.
Then back to Philip, as "Nobody", as he continues the shockingly long story named after him which leads all over the country. The women are spectacular. Clio saves him from a shootout and then takes second place in my heart. As well as his-> she functions as Calypso and is the hardest for him to leave.
Then more stuff and another exquisite and athletic female happens. Then even more stuff happens and it ends.
"Bonnie and Clyde" is done terribly. It's shockingly short and you feel like you might have gotten a quarter of the story- at best.
"The Man From Harlem" rounds out the stories and it's great but see my review from when I read the Catalan Communications (or was it NBM) edition because I didn't read it again. The same goes for "Magic Lantern" which is how I managed to finish this hulk in two days.
Then there's more in depth analysis that I may read someday but I have books two and five of this series ahead so I'm skipping all non-story matter!
January 24, 2020
My favorite volume so far. Crepax's correspondence with Louise Brooks is mind-blowing. "Magic Lanetern" and "Nobody" are surrealist masterpieces. Homer's Odyssey has been much on my mind lately and Crepax's crazy riff on Homer -- Philip reeling across a hallucinogenic America -- struck a perfect note. Likewise, a week ago I watched The Highwaymen and now here's Valentina vicariously living Bonnie Parker's life and death. The threads of our art and culture run deep and maybe not all that randomly.
Altogether a superb volume of graphic art just about as good as sequential art can be. The only minor quibble I have is that the title, American Stories, is perhaps blind to the reality that that the frankly erotic content of many of these stories would probably have caused legal troubles for American comic shops in the years the stories were published because, in spite of the ads, we're still more the land of the Baptist than the free.
Altogether a superb volume of graphic art just about as good as sequential art can be. The only minor quibble I have is that the title, American Stories, is perhaps blind to the reality that that the frankly erotic content of many of these stories would probably have caused legal troubles for American comic shops in the years the stories were published because, in spite of the ads, we're still more the land of the Baptist than the free.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews