Here in Brazil, the equivalent of Valentine’s day is in June, so it’s strange celebrating Valentine’s day in February, even if today is Saint Valentin’s day. When I think about today, today is the birthday of a good friend (great Brazilian cartoonist who’s also my brother’s neighbor), a guy who used to throw epic parties at his house with live samba music played by his daughter’s musician friends. Depending on the year, Carnaval would happen right around this time, so it felt like the entire city was celebrating his birthday, and the party that started at his house could continue on the streets following the music cars parading and playing music on the streets of the neighborhood.
I managed to draw on my sketchbook today with Valentine’s day in mind. Doesn’t look much different than the usual sketchbook drawings I do, so I guess the romantic in me expresses himself really often on these sketches.
I read the perfect graphic novel for this occasion: Jordi Lafebre’s Malgré Tout. This unapologetic romantic story is just so tender and bittersweet, and Jordi’s art is extraordinary. I already admired his work on the Happy Summer series, but there’s something different at play here, and I’m wondering if it’s because in this latest book he both wrote and drew it instead of working from somebody else’s script.
In one particular chapter of Malgré Tout, the protagonist guy runs into a boy while both are trying to get on a train. This boy, with his dark hair, dark school blazer uniform and rebellious personality, reminded me of number Five from Umbrella Academy.
Speaking of Umbrella, Bá just saw the latest cut from the tenth episode of the third season. I left the book I just read at Bá’s house, and I’m wondering if he too will see this part and think of Five (specially the Aidan version, because in the comics the boy has a bigger head, and bigger eyes).
I did this other sketch last week, pulling from several different photos on my Pinterest inspiration folders.
On my “to read” list, two online comics from Substack:
Love Everlasting, by Tom King, Elsa Charretier and co. I should try to read this today, don’t you think?
Spectators, by Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon
I met Niko in 2010, when we were both guests of a comics’ festival in Portugal. I then met Elsa in 2018 in NYCC when she was kind enough to stop at my table on Artists’ Alley and introduce herself. That same year in New York, Bá and I ran into Tom King on a hotel elevator. We have been in the same convention before, but I believe that was the first time we actually talked.
I only exchanged emails with BKV, but I can admit that one year in San Diego, around 2006 to 2008, I went to talk to some guy in a bar thinking it was BKV, but it turned out it was just a random bald guy. Have you even seen somebody and thought it was someone and then it wasn’t?
Speaking of BKV, his interview with the Kayfabe guys is really interesting. Also interesting, educational and entertaining are the shoot interviews Ed and Jim did with Joe Quesada and specially with this weekend’s guest, Walt Simonson. You can get a glimpse of how the comics’ market and industry changed from when Walt started to when Joe started, and finally to when Brian came along. It’s also a different scenario nowadays, but I think it’s interesting, and important, to see how it had evolved, and try to learn from what was done right and wrong over the years.
Have a great week, everybody, I got to get back to work.
Be safe. Be kind. Be curious.
Pa-ZOW!
Fábio Moon
Moon Base, São Paulo
February 14th, 2022