Key Moments from the History of Comics

by François Ayroles

Une galerie de 44 portraits à l'ironie mordante, des auteurs des personnalités marquantes qui ont laissé une empreinte dans l'univers de la bande dessinée. Moments Clés, moments codés et souvent insolites où l'on retrouve l'humour décalé et burlesque de l'auteur. Un ouvrage indispensable pour mieux deviner les dessous du Grand monde de la Bande Dessinée. Vous y rencontrerez entre autres : Mandryka, Blutch, Crépax, Debeurme, De Crécy, Morris, Alan Moore, Schuiten, Willem, Uderzo, Sfar, Clowes, Chaland, Art Spiegelman, Reiser, Tillieux, Vuillemin, Fred, Peeters, Chris Ware, Dupuy Berberian, Bill Watterson, Burns, Schlingo et même Jean-Claude Menu.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

names and eventes mentioned:
rodolphe topffer
winsor mccay
gustave verbeck
george herriman
elzie crisler segar
hergé
milton caniff
andré franquin
will eisner
charles schulz
rené goscinny
hugo pratt
robert crumb
jean-claude forest
jean giraud
claire bretécher
josé muñoz
carlos sampayo
jacques tardi
edmond baudoin
lorenzo mattotti
jack kirby
Mad
guido crepax
Morris
Uderzo
Philippe Druillet
Raw
JC Menu
Schuiten & Peeters
Angoulême Festival
Alan Moore
Heavy Metal
Clear Line
Matt Groening
Charles Burns
Chris Ware
Dupuy & Berberian
Art Spiegelman
Dan Clowes
L'Association
Joann Sfar
Nicolas de Crécy
Bill Watterson
Scott McCloud
Manga

[StrictlySequential · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Edition of 1000 copies to celebrate the Ayroles' appearance at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival of May 2009"

This is not sequential- there are balloons within the art but only one open-ended "panel" adorns each page which features a creator/duo or publisher that was/is instrumental to the greatness of worldwide comics.

The art looks lazy and random with only a few one-sentence words below the art on each page so the only enjoyment I attained was the swelling pride achieved from keen familiarity of every creator except for JC Menu!

I was appalled by the absence of any Eastern creators and the relegation of Manga to the last page: "Manga arrives in the West".

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little one-off illustrations about well-known creators from a wide variety of era and geography, with my personal favorites being Charles Burns drawing Homer (with CB instead of MG easter egg) and the one where Bill Watterson refuses literal truckloads of money.

I love books like this that I find here and there on the cheap.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet... This book leaves me with lots of homework, though, as i will need to look up numerous names and events now.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful art, but I'm not familiar enough with European comics to get more than about half of the references. I'm going to use this as a guide to artists I should check out instead.