Gisp! - 12.03.2005, Side 202

ENGLISH SUMMARY
The Borderline
This ninth issue of the comic book G/'sp' serves
both as a field for new comics and as a catalogue
for the comic-exhibition Nían (The Nine).
There are now thirteen years since Gisp! instigated
a large comic book exhibition at Kjarvalsstaðir,
displaying lcelandic and French work. Since then
much has changed for the comic book in lceland.
Other exhibitions, comic book sections in libraries,
comic book shop Nexus and regular reviews and
writings on comics have helped to make the comic
book culture more visible.
With a this exhibition in Listasafn Reykjavíkur,
Hafnarhús, we wish to face north, looking at the
lcelandic comic book today, and how it is related
to comics in Canada (Drawn & Quarterly) and
Scandinavia (Optimal Press). Furthermore, the
intention is to explore the connection to the
lcelandic art world, particularly as concerns the
comic paintings of Erró.
In addition there will be exhibitions from the works
of Art Spiegelman and Dave McKean.
The comic book uses words and pictures to an
equai extent. It belongs to both popular culture
and art, while emerging from the world of mass
media, the comic book has increasingly become
a medium for personal expression. The threads
between the various arts and countries are not
always clear and borderlines can be vague.
This part of The Nine is on one hand an attempt
to mirror the lcelandic comic book in countries
on both side of the Atlantic. Two ambitious
publishing houses from Canada and Sweden (Drawn
& Quarterly and Optimal Press) will contribute to
the exhibition.
On the other hand an attempt is made to illuminate
the threads that connect the comic book and visual
arts, in particular here in lceland. In ten years,
each member of the Gisp! group has trawelled his
own creative ways, while the comic book remains
the form that unites them. In lceland there is
almost no tradition of publishing comics and thus
it can justly be said that Gisp! is rooted in visual
art rather than in literature.
Godly Internal Seething and Pain 1990-1999
In the autumn of 1990 the comic book was not
blooming in lceland. Someyearsearlier publishers
Fjölvi and Iðunn had more or less given up on
publishing comics in translation and the import
was a limited selection of American superhero
comics, cartoon-collections and the occasional
appearance of an english comic work.
However, in the midst of this cultural darkness,
a group of boys appeared, deciding on the ambitious
project of publishing an all lcelandic comic journal.
The title Godly Internal Seething and Pain, was
an indication of what was to come, and also a
homage to the Danish version of Donald Duck (who
exclaims: GISP! on a regular basis.) The editors
of the first issue were Þórarinn Leifsson, Ólafur J.
Engilbertsson, Jóhann L. Torfason, Halldór
Baldursson, Bragi Halldórsson and Bjarni
Hinriksson. Þorri Hringsson also had a story in the
issue and later became a member of the editoral
board. This way of publishing had become quite
commom in Europe and USA, due to the old-
fashioned attitutes of publishers or simply because
there were no publishers.
The project was ambitious, and while it definately
has played an important role within the fragile
comic book culture of lceland, it soon became
apparent that such a publication was impossible
on a regular basis. Eight issues have appeared
sporadically over the past 15 years, this book
counts as number nine. Three other issues were
also catalogues for comic exhibitions, and one
issue was a newspaper supplement. In addition,
Bjarni Hinriksson published his book Stafrænar
fjaðrir (Digital Feathers) (2003) under the insignia
of GISP!
Optimal Press
Optimal Press was founded in 1991 by Ingemar
Bengtsson and Mikael Tegebjer, who felt that
Swedish comic book authors needed a publisher.
The collection „Ulv i fárakláder" („Wolf in Sheeps-
clothing") was the first publication and the founders
assumed it would also be the last. They were
wrong, the book was widely noticed and sold well.
Thus, Ingemar and Mikael decided to continue
publishing quality comic books for grown-ups.
Among the first authors were Daniel Ahlgren, Johan
Wanlooand David Liljemark. Optimal Press stresses
the importance of the creative role and has
published many works by beginners and works
that other publishers do not dare to publish.
In 1993 translations of Scandinavian comics
became a part of the publication. In 1998 the
first issue of the annual journal „Allt för konsten"
(„Everything for art“) appeared, soon becoming a
platform for stories by Scandinavian authors.
Mikael Tegebjer left in 1997 and since then
Ingemar Bengtsson has been alone at the helm.
The publishing house and its authors have received
many awards.
Drawn & Quarterly
When American comic books are mentioned, not
many people think about Canada. However, when
it comes to alternative comics it turns out that the
Montreal based Drawn & Quarterly has had
considerable influence. Chris Oliveiros founded
the publishing house in 1990 after an eye-opening
experience when reading Raw (edited by Art
Spiegelman).
To begin with only the journal Drawn & Quarterly
was published, four issues a year, but soon it grew,
became a book and after that more books followed
by authors Seth, Julie Doucet, Joe Matt and others.
In addition to authors from Canada and the U.S.,
stories by Europian authors, known and less known,
appeared in the D&Q collection.
D&Q has managed fairly well to distribute its books
to general bookstores as opposed to only specialised
comic book stores. The key to this is of course the
quality of the stories, but the quality of the books1
design plays a role as well.
Dave McKean, a World With and Without Words
McKean is educated as an artist, an illustrator and
graphic designer. His work with comic book writer
Neil Gaiman has made him well known, most
recently he has turned to film.
McKean’s first publication with Gaiman, Violent
Cases (1987), indicates the style that the artist
was to become famous for, drawings and mixed
media. With the Sandman covers, also for Gaiman,
McKean opened up a new scape within comic
book art, using his mixed media style to a highly
successful effect, creating a look and feel for the
series.
The artist has illustrated two children’s books
written by Gaiman, The Day I Swapped My Dad
for Two Goldfish (1998), a story about a boy who
swappes his dad for two goldfish, and how he then
has to try and reclaim him, and Wolves in the
Walls (2003) describing how a little girl deals with
her discovery that there are wolves in the walls of
her home. Both stories are richly illustrated, and
the artist uses his style to a highly visual effect,
creating a complex feeling of comedy, horror and
sadness.
In The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr.
Punch (1994) McKean continues his explorations
in visual language, using photography as an
interesting effect. This effect is also, to some
extent, used in Cages (1998), written and drawn
by McKean, where the bulk of the story is drawn.
Photographs are used when describing memories,
dreams or visions, thus subverting the idea that
the photograph is a truth-value medium.
Cages mostly takes place within a single building,
a block of flats, the storyline jumping between the
various persons that live there. The main story
focuses on an artist that has just moved into the
building seeking inspiration in a fresh environment,
and the graphic novel partly revolves around issues
of creativity.
McKean’s best known work is probably Arkham
Asylum: Serious House on Serious Earth (1989),
written by Grant Morrison, a Batman story about
the lunatic’s takeover of the asylum.
200
ENGLISH SUMMARY