Jacques Tardi

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Tardi
Paris - Salon du livre 2013 - Jacques Tardi - 004.jpg
Jacques Tardi in March 2013
Born Jacques Tardi
(1946-08-30) 30 August 1946 (age 77)
Valence, Drôme, France
Nationality French
Area(s) Writer, Artist
Notable works
Adieu, Brindavoine
Adèle Blanc-Sec
Griffu
Ici Même
Tueur de cafards
Awards full list

Jacques Tardi is a French comics artist, born 30 August 1946 in Valence, Drôme. He is often credited solely as Tardi.

Biography

After graduating from the École nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon and the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris, he started writing comics in 1969, at the age of 23, in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Pilote, initially illustrating short stories written by Jean Giraud and Serge de Beketch, before creating the political fiction story Rumeur sur le Rouergue from a scenario by Pierre Christin in 1972.[1][2]

A highly versatile artist, Tardi successfully adapted novels by controversial writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline or crime novelist Léo Malet. In Malet's case, Tardi adapted his detective hero Nestor Burma into a series of critically acclaimed graphic novels, though he also wrote and drew original stories of his own.

Tardi also created one of French comics' most famous heroines, Adèle Blanc-Sec. This series recreates the Paris of early 20th century where the moody heroine encounters supernatural events, state plots, occult societies and experiments in cryogenics.

Another graphic novel was Ici Même which was written by Jean-Claude Forest, best known as the creator of Barbarella. A satire, it describes the adventures of Arthur Même who lives on the walls of his family's former property.

Tardi has produced many antiwar graphic novels and comics, mainly focusing on the collective European trauma of the First World War, and the pitfalls of patriotism spawned several albums (Adieu Brindavoine, C'était la guerre des tranchées, Le trou d'obus, Putain de Guerre...). His grandfather's involvement in the day-to-day horrors of trench warfare, seems to have had a deep influence to his artistic expression. He also completed a four-volume series on the Paris Commune, Le cri du peuple.

In the English language, many of Tardi's books are published by Fantagraphics Books, edited and translated by Fantagraphics' co-founder Kim Thompson.[3] Books published by Fantagraphics include West Coast Blues (Le Petit bleu de la côte ouest), You Are There (Ici Même), It Was the War of the Trenches (C'était la guerre des tranchées), Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot (La Position du tireur couché) and The Arctic Marauder (Le Démon des glaces). Four books, including two albums collecting the first four Adele Blanc-Sec volumes, were previously published by NBM Publishing, the previous rightsholder to Tardi's works, in translations by Jean-Marc Lofficier and Randy Lofficier.

In January 2013, Tardi was nominated as a Chevalier in France's Legion of Honour, the country's highest distinction.[4] However, he turned down the distinction, citing that he will "remain a free man and not be held hostage by any power whatsoever."[5]

Style

His style can at times seem similar to Hergé's early ligne claire style (clear line), paired with meticulous research and typically featuring an asexual hero.[citation needed] Tardi's work also satirises the concept of the flawless hero by using a series of inept, naive or anti-heroic main characters. His audience is mainly the literary, French-speaking adult public.[citation needed]

Bibliography

Scenario and artwork

File:Tardi-trenchcover.jpg
C'était la guerre des tranchées (1993), an example of Tardi's preoccupation with World War I

Adaptations

Artwork

Scenario

  • Le voyage d'Alphonse (artwork by Antoine Leconte) (Duculot, 2003)

Sketchbooks

Illustrated novels

Céline adaptations:

Jules Verne adaptations:

Novel

  • Rue des Rebuts (Alain Beaulet, 1990)

Books about Tardi

  • Olivier Maltret, Presque tout Tardi (Sapristi, 1996), ISBN 2-911429-01-X
  • Michel Boujut, Tardi par la fenêtre (Christian Desbois, 1996)
  • Numa Sadoul, Tardi. Entretiens. (Niffle, 2000)

In English

  • Adèle and the Beast - Adèle et la bête (NBM Publishing 1990), ISBN 0-918348-85-4
  • The Demon of the Eiffel Tower - Le Démon de la tour Eiffel (NBM Publishing, 1990), ISBN 1-56163-001-2
  • The Mad Scientist and Mummies on Parade - Le Savant fou and Momies en folie (NBM Publishing, 1996), ISBN 1-56163-156-6
  • The Secret of the Salamander - Le Secret de la salamandre (NBM Publishing, 1992)
  • The Bloody Streets of Paris - 120, rue de la Gare (iBooks, 2003), ISBN 0-7434-7448-1
  • West Coast Blues - Le petit bleu de la côte ouest (Fantagraphics, 2009), ISBN 978-1-60699-295-1
  • You Are There - Ici Même (Fantagraphics, 2009), ISBN 978-1-60699-294-4
  • It Was the War of the Trenches - C'était la guerre des tranchées (Fantagraphics, 2010) ISBN 978-1-60699-353-8
  • The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec Vol. 1: Pterror Over Paris and The Eiffel Tower Demon - Adèle et la bête and Le Démon de la tour Eiffel (Fantagraphics, 2010), ISBN 978-1-60699-382-8
  • The Arctic Marauder - 'Le Démon des glaces (Fantagraphics, 2011) ISBN 978-1-60699-435-1
  • Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot - La Position du tireur couché (Fantagraphics, 2011), ISBN 978-1-60699-448-1
  • The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec Vol. 2: The Mad Scientist and Mummies on Parade - Le Savant fou and Momies en folie (Fantagraphics, 2011), ISBN 978-1-60699-493-1
  • Goddamn This War - Putain de Guerre! (Fantagraphics, 2013), ISBN 978-1-60699-582-2
  • Run Like Crazy Run Like Hell - Ô dingos, ô châteaux! (Fantagraphics, 2015), ISBN 978-1-60699-620-1

In Greek

  • Ομίχλη στη Γέφυρα του Τολμπιάκ - Brouillard au pont de Tolbiac (translation Varvara Delivoria ,ΒΑΒΕΛ, 1986)
  • Το μελαγχολικό κομμάτι της δυτικής ακτής - Le petit bleu de la côte ouest (translation Thodoris Tsapakidis, ΑΓΡΑ - ΒΑΒΕΛ, 2006)
  • Η Κραυγή του Λαού - Le Cri Du Peuple (translation Yannis Kafkias, ΚΨΜ, 2011)

Awards

- Grand Prix for Black Humor[2]
- Knighted in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France
- Best German-language Comic/Comic-related Publication at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Germany
- nominated for the Prix de la critique and the Canal BD Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
  • 2003: nominated for the Audience Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
  • 2004: nominated for Best American Edition of Foreign Material at the Harvey Awards, U.S.[6]
  • 2005: nominated for Award for a Series at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
  • 2006: nominated for the Award for Best Comic Book and the Audience Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
  • 2006: Special Prize for outstanding life’s work at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Germany
- nominated for the Grand Prix Saint-Michel
  • 2007: nominated for the Grand Prix Saint-Michel[7]
  • 2010: nominated for the Press Prize at the Prix Saint-Michel[8]
  • 2011: winner of two Eisner Awards

References

Footnotes

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  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Biography at Casterman
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  4. Décret du 31 décembre 2012 portant promotion et nomination(French)
  5. AFP, via Le Figaro: "Jacques Tardi refuse la légion d'honneur", 2 January 2013.(French)
  6. Harvey Awards official site
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External links