Where my mind goes?

this week? Angoulême.

I kept thinking about Angoulême this weekend as this year’s edition of the festival is just around the corner. I’m curious about what’s happening in the French comics’ scene, about all the authors and books I would only discover if I had gone to France this past year, and that gets me thinking about when will I have another opportunity to go there, be it to a book release in a series of comic book stores, be it in a Festival. Sometimes, but not often, I think about if I’m ever going to France on vacation, do what the tourists do, drink some wine, eat some cheese, have a cup of coffee by the sidewalk and watch people on the streets. Whatever it is I’m fantasizing about in this imaginary vacation trip, it inevitably starts to include something related to comics: maybe a signing, maybe a visit to an artist, maybe I’ll do some research for a future project.

Isn’t it strange how everything I plan in my life has to include comics? And how it speaks to how vital it is to me?

The above image is Marcelo D’Salete’s schedule this week in France. Signings in Paris and, later in the week, in Angoulême. Marcelo is one of the most important authors of our current Brazilian comics scene, and I couldn’t recommend his books highly enough.

Bring your umbrella

Facebook reminded me that six years ago we spent a little bit more than a week following the beginning of the Umbrella Academy Netflix series adventure. Bá, Gerard and I were in a very cold Toronto for the first week of shooting, and discovering an entire new world of people. Interacting with the art department and costume department of the show changed the way we do our comics, as did reading the scripts that were then said aloud by actors and later edited into a story informed a lot of our writings since. When you see how much charisma and personality an actor can bring into a role, you start challenging yourself more when creating new characters.

Bá was telling me about watching this last cut of one of the episodes of the forth season this weekend, and we can’t wait to have this final season out and be able to talk to everyone about it. He was also really excited about a scene of the forth Umbrella Academy comics series he worked on last week, and as much as he loves the Netflix show, he’s in most ways a spectator of the show, while he’s creating the comics with Gerard, and the joy and excitement of creation sounds different in his voice and glows different in his eyes. I’m sure the final season of the show will be amazing, but I’m really looking forward to the next comic book.

Be safe. Be kind. Be curious.
Pa-ZOW!

Fábio Moon
Moon Base, São Paulo
January 22nd, 2024