Zaza Gravures - Het Geheim van het Konijn - The Secret of the Rabbit

In this second book out of a series of three (?) Zaza (Klaas Storme) makes us laugh again with old engravings whereunder or wherein he put his funny puns. What I really like about this book too  is the qualitative finishing: hardcover with carved and glossy print, nice paper and smell...

I've translated this little review by RV on the back cover of the book:

"The deceased engravers can turn around in their graves to heart's delight  - a little exercise goes a long way - while Zaza sneaks on tiptoe into their work.
You bet that this stowaway is a strange boarder, one that takes old cartoons with his 21st-century view of the world, and for his devilish fun, out of context.
He is the anachronistic saboteur who can make an aha moment, even from a desolate and barren landscape  . Because that's The Secret of The Rabbit's bottom line: it's something acute, an illuminated moment that suddenly provides a liberating insight into the fundamental silliness of everything you can think of." (Rudy Vandendaele)

Impossible love.

"Earl grey?"

Zaza Gravures Volume2 - Het Geheim van het Konijn, De Bezige Bij, 2016, 252 pages, hard cover, b/w, ISBN 978 90 234 9972 5, 24.99 eur)

Learn more:
www.zaza.be
Zaza gravure volume 1
interview with Zaza

BELGIUM Et cetera...

In Belgium, caricatures have been around since the country’s beginnings. Since Belgium became a country, cartoonists have been livening up newspapers with their impossible to ignore satirical cartoons.

Belgium et cetera offers a unique sample of key moments in our history.
Twenty-two famous Belgian cartoonists take an unflinching look at our homeland’s past, in collaboration with writer, humourist and historian Gilles Dal.

Involved cartoonists: Kroll, Kamagurka, Karl, Marec, Lectrr, Zaza, duBus, Gal, Johan, Cécile Bertrand, Quirit, Ilah, Kanar, Kim, Vadot, Cost., Fritz, Steve, Joris Snaet, Clou, Fred and Sondron

Belgium Et Cetera... 1830-2030 in press cartoons is the book that accompanied the past exhibtion in the Belvue Museum . It offers a unique overview of the history of our fatherland Belgium. 22 well-known Belgian press cartoonists each give their own take on le plat pays since 1830, in their own style and idiom. Gilles Dal provided his worthy pen for the accompanying texts.

The book is published by Van Halewyck and edited by Gilles Dal and The Cartoonist. It counts 157 pages in full color, ISBN 978-94-6131-501-4, price 19.95 eur.

Learn more:
The Cartoonist.be
The Cartoonist on Facebook
Buy

Encore! Encore!

Roger Blachon (1941-2008) is one of my favourite cartoonists. A selection of his cartoons was published shortly after his dead in 2009 in Encore! Encore! (Le Cherche Midi, 96 p, ISBN: 9782749114989)

"Black humor, tender humor, offbeat humor... Blachon had fun and enjoyed everything. This album traces a life of drawings - many of them unpublished - and the journey of an author passionate about his art and much appreciated by the general public."

Learn more:
Blachon on our blog

Halbritters Waffenarsenal

I like the humor of Kurt Halbritter (1924-1978). Last week I received from a German bookshop Halbritters Waffenarsenal (Goldmann Buch 1977, 156 pages, B/W, ISBN 3-442-08462-8).

I agree with this review I found :
"A demonstration of useless weapons of the well-known cartoonist Halbritter offers brilliant entertainment. The serious style of the documentary, which illustrates the unskillfulness of the armaments industry from antiquity to modern times, and is supported by detailed drawings, allows weaponfriends as well as pacifists to thoroughly consider the warfare practices.
If you like crazy inventions and fantastic excitements of creativity also with a slight smile, is here in the right place. "(miskaferl)

Learn more:
more art from Kurt Halbritter on our blog

Laughing with dead... even on All Saint's Day?

Today we remember our dead friends and relatives... buy may we laugh with death? Can one make jokes about death and funerals?

Why not. It's a way to cope with life...

Learn more:
Laughing with death cartoon exhibition in the ECC...

Musa Gümus Cartoons

Don't miss the cartoon exhibition of Musa Gümüs in the ECC!
... and don't miss his cartoon book. 96 pages of pure cartoon pleasure. Available in the ECC shop.

Visit www.musagumus.com for more information about this excellent Turkish cartoonist.

More cartoons to watch on Cartoon Gallery.

Pol Leurs Cartoons 5

Pol Leurs' (Luxembourg) fifth cartoon album appeared in October 2015.  I received it a few weeks ago. I fully agree with the kind words that cartoon book collector Jean-Marie Bertin wrote in the foreword to the book.

Here are some fragments (freely translated from French):

"Pol Leurs is one of the most talented masters of this peaceful humor - made by observation, reflection, wisdom and fun too - his perfect artistic skill is so good to stage. The quality of his work is recognized in many countries where, in international competitions, his works are frequently honored. Both in substance and in form, his work never looses its effects. This is a balancing man who knows to find the right balance."

"Timeless and universal, his drawings, almost without speech (the aristocracy of the kind!), are valuable messages of mutual understanding and sharing. Its weight is also reflected in the graphical area: no anecdotal superfluous that would hurt the readability of the gag, but only wise supplements, all in the service of the idea."

"I testify, his proverbial modesty , his humor and his line have the same qualities: delicacy, integrity, distinction, elegance and sobriety."

The book costs 23 euro. (Hengen Print & More,  ISBN 978-2-9599727-3-7, 52 p., 27,5 x 22,5 cm,  full color).

Learn more:
Pol Leurs on our blog

Cartoons 2016 - Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist

I've been receiving the Knokke-Heist catalogue for more than 36 years now. As almost always, in autumn. 2016 is the 55th edition of the festival. (Davidsfonds Uitgeverij, isbn 978 90 5908 764 4, 112p, 17,99 euro )

The use of "very" photoshopped cartoons is going on more than ever. I truly hope that some cartoonists keep using pen and paper (or real brushes and paint)  and won't over-photoshop their work.

Here are some cartoons out of the catalogue I like. Because they are just funny, well drawn or deal with a peculiarly idea...

Enjoy!

Markus Grolik - Germany

Marco de Angelis - Italy

Sergii Riabokon - Ukrain

Cem Koc , Turkey - caricature at it's best!

Eder Santon - Brasil  

Jakub Suchy - Slowakia

John Jonik - USA

Karl-Heinz Brecheis - Germany

Ludo Goderis - Belgium

Peter de Man - Belgium

Petry and Crisan - Romania

Sasha Dimitrijevic - Serbia

Learn more:

Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist