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\nBy Arthur de Pins<\/b> (NBM)
\nISBN: 978-1-56163-734-8<\/p>\n
\nBy Arthur de Pins<\/b> (NBM)
\nISBN: 978-1-56163-734-8<\/p>\n
I’m feeling a zeitgeist coming on: seditiously mature and subversively ironic takes on classical movie monster madness presented as horror-comedies in the manner of the Addams Family<\/b> (or assorted Tim Burton features in the vein of Corpse Bride<\/b>) to be enjoyed by older kids as well as imaginative grown-ups.<\/p>\n
Latest candidate for the swift-swelling category is a superb and deliciously arch Franco-Belgian cross between films like Hotel Transylvania<\/b> and Igor<\/b> and such graphic narrative masterpieces as Boneyard<\/a><\/b>, Rip M.D.<\/a><\/b> and especially The Littlest Pirate King<\/a><\/b> which combine pop-cultural archetypes with smart and sassy contemporary insouciance.<\/p>\n Arthur de Pins is a British-born French filmmaker, commercial artist and Bande Dessin\u00c3\u00a9es creator whose strips – such as the adult comedy Peccadilloes<\/i> (AKA Cute Sins<\/i>) and On the Crab<\/i> – have appeared in Fluide Glacial<\/i><\/b> and Max<\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n Zombill\u00c3\u00a9nium<\/i> began serialisation in Spirou<\/i><\/b> #3698 (2009) and has filled three albums to date courtesy of Dupuis – the first of which has just been released in English thanks to Canadian publisher NBM.<\/p>\n Rendered in a beguiling animated cartoon style, the saga opens with a morose hitchhiker in a hoodie, having no luck at all getting a ride. Eventually Aton<\/i> is picked up by a vampire and skeleton who offer to take the dejected 5000-year old mummy back to the unique theme park which employs – and in fact owns – them all\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Zombillenium is a magical entertainment experience celebrating all aspects of horror and the supernatural, where families can enjoy a happy day out rubbing shoulders with werewolves and witches and all manner of bogeymen. Of course, they wouldn’t laugh so much if they knew all those monsters were real\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Bloodsucking Francis<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0 and bony Sirius<\/i> are still heatedly trying to talk the deceased Egyptian -who walked because he was fed up working the cotton-candy concession for what seemed like eternity – out of thumbing all the way back to Cairo when a moment’s inattention leads to their car mowing down a distracted pedestrian.<\/p>\n The mortal is a goner, and without a moment’s hesitation Park Director Francis Von Bloodt<\/i> takes a bite and finds his new confectionery seller\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n The reasons Aurelian Zahner<\/i> wasn’t paying attention were many. His wife was cheating on him, and took their child away. He had just tried to rob a bar in broad daylight. His gun had somehow turned into a banana. Worst of all, the odd young British woman with the enigmatic smile had told him to grow up before glowing blue and making everybody in the bar forget him\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Later he saw her at Zombillenium, after the giant werewolf bit him too, saying the place had enough vampires already. Things got a bit hazy after that, what with Francis disagreeing and biting him some more.<\/p>\n Her name was Gretchen<\/i> and she was a witch and she had finally stopped the wolf and the bat biting him in some bizarre game of tit-for-tat\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n With nobody quite sure what kind of monster he now was, Aurelian signed his contract, was given the induction tour by Aton – who considered himself a bit of a joker – and set to work selling the sticky stuff to the oblivious punters\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n At least they were oblivious until a little old lady smuggled in her little doggie and triggered a bizarre and barely concealable transformation in the terrified Zahner that took even the most venerable and jaded monsters by surprise\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Despite the incredible power of the Zombie trade union, the only way out of a Zombillenium contract is the True Death, and Francis is actually in the process of terminating Aurelian when a call from the park’s enigmatic owner inexplicably gives the hapless fool another chance\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Slowly Zahner adapts to his new indentured (un)life, with Gretchen – who is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153only\u00e2\u20ac\u009d an intern at the park – finding time to show him the ropes and bring him up to speed in this most inhospitable working environment. Moreover the conditions are about to get much worse: Zombillenium is one of the least profitable theme-parks in the world and the Board are threatening to make some draconian changes\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n For some reason the Zombie shop stewards blame Aurelian and are determined to drive him out. A slim ray of hope lights up the mixed-up monster newbie’s life however, when Gretchen tells him her life-story, reveals what he has become and explains what she is really doing at the Park.<\/p>\n The big boob has no idea what and how much she still hasn’t told him\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Sly, smart, sexy and hilarious, Zombillenium<\/b> achieves that spectacular trick of marrying slapstick with satire in a manner reminiscent of Asterix and Cerebus the Aardvark, whilst easily treading its own path. This is going to a big breakout comics series and you’ll curse yourself for missing out.<\/p>\n So don’t\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 By Arthur de Pins (NBM) ISBN: 978-1-56163-734-8 I’m feeling a zeitgeist coming on: seditiously mature and subversively ironic takes on classical movie monster madness presented as horror-comedies in the manner of the Addams Family (or assorted Tim Burton features in the vein of Corpse Bride) to be enjoyed by older kids as well as imaginative … <\/p>\n
\n\u00c2\u00a9 Dupuis 2010.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"