Graphic Novels

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I’ve been plowing through a stack of the latest Québécois graphic novels a friend of mine has lent me while I’m in Montreal. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed reading them!

The disadvantage of graphic novels is that they’re quick to read through and cost more than your average book. They’re also a pain to move around when you’ve moved a lot like me. So it’s fun to share and trade with friends to get a maximum of reading done.

My graphic novel experience started here in Montreal in the 2000s when the local scene exploded.

The Grande Bibliothèque in downtown Montreal houses the largest comic book section I have ever seen, with some 15,000 books which include an impressive collection of manga, indie, and international graphic novels both in French and English. The 33,000-square-meter library was one of my favourite places to hang out when I lived in the city.

Montreal is also the home and birthplace of Drawn & Quarterly, one of the most influential publishing companies specialized in alternative comics and graphic novels. They represent renowned authors like Chester Brown, Lynda Barry, Joe Sacco, and Tove Jansson. The publisher also translates many Québécois and indie Asian graphic novelists.

Two of the most recognized Québécois authors published at Drawn & Quarterly are Julie Doucet and Guy Delisle.

Julie Doucet: Indie comics pioneer and feminist

When Drawn & Quarterly began, it was an anthology of short comics that was published four times a year. Its owner, Chris Oliveros, realized that the comics he was receiving were too long and started publishing stand-alone books. Julie Doucet’s Dirty Plotte was the first to be published.

Originally a self-published photocopied zine in the early 90s, Dirty Plotte (which translates as Dirty Pussy), is a collection of candid stories which describe the difficulties of being a woman and alternative cartoonist in a male dominant world.

Doucet’s work is hailed as visionary for its form and storytelling. Her drawings are dense, and her writing is raw and autobiographical. She stopped creating long-form comics after publishing twelve issues of Dirty Plotte but has remained active in the Montreal arts scene.

In 2022, she was awarded the grand prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, a lifetime achievement award considered the most prestigious for Franco-Belgian comics. She is only the third woman to have been awarded the prize.

A full anthology of Dirty Plotte was released in French this year under the title Maxi Plotte. The English version seems out of print at the moment, but you can find her other books at D&Q and most comic bookstores.

Read the Los Angeles Review of Books’ article Julie Doucet: How a Zine Author Went Canonical here.

Guy Delisle: Travelogues and parenting

Guy Delisle, a trained animator, is one of Quebec’s most translated cartoonists. His travelogues recount his experiences abroad working for animation studios in Korea and China, and then later in Myanmar and Israel, where he followed his wife on missions for Médecins Sans Frontières. His more recent books talk about parenting.

Delisle is thoughtful in his observations of the world and shows a restrained sense of humour. I highly recommend his books, especially the travelogues, which provide snapshots of the world in time and place.

Tom Gauld: A cartoonist for writers

I only discovered Tom Gauld this year when I picked up a copy of Baking with Kafka at my local indie bookstore. It’s a wonderful book that describes the trials and tribulations of writers and made me laugh out loud when I read it.

I didn’t realize that he was at Drawn & Quarterly until I went on their website. Gauld is Scottish, not Québécois, but I thought he was worth mentioning anyway. I look forward to reading his other books.

Here are a few other notable Québécois graphic novelists to check out:

• Zviane is well-known in the francophone scene. Her graphic novel, For As Long As It Rains, was a tremendous hit when it first came out in 2013.
• Francis Desharnais has published an extensive collection of books in French and has even seen some adapted to film by the National Film Board of Canada. Unfortunately, only a few of his works have been translated, but I think they’re worth a read.

You can find more translated authors at Pow Pow Press.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy writing, happy creating,

G.G Law