Dear friends,
Having found your topics on the net I’d like to answer some of your questions –and critics.
Speaking of our last “opus”, the pixelisation stroke me too –as the most of you. It is to say that I had very few insights on that book. This was a deliberated choice from my part.
I’ve always been involved 120% on my books, taking sometimes real brawls with my publishers-printers and designers. I'm not the most popular person of the universe, to say the least: I think I have a duty towards my readers. For this book I thought I would let it go – well we had a real fight about the cover, but I suppose it’s due only to my congenital defiant spirit…
It has to be reminded that “Naisen Kanssa” was made for the daily press. The deadlines are tight, the paper is crappy. Therefore my artistic choices were always to keep the “resolution” as low as possible to meet the ends and means. This has led me to some artistic solutions of my owns. Comics is mostly from my pov about resolving “problems”.
We made a book last year “Nykyaikainen parisuhde värikuvina”. One of my best memories, great collaboration –perhaps the ultimate book for me where I could try the most advanced ideas in my field of design.
This book is different, I had no idea what it will look like. Plus, the designer took some liberties to rearrange my panels. And I think this is a fierce move. Wait, I can be critic too. But working myself mostly from outside sources I dig the interpretation of an interpretation.
But the pixelisation is a problem per se. I mean with that –is it bad graphics? Why can we tolerate bad res images on the net and not on books? Is it that the illusion of free access make us so critical –mind a juicy monthly fee from our telecom companies?
Anyway, “Naisen Kanssa” belongs for me now to the past. Mixed feelings about a serial that I made over 13 years. I remember meeting once in France a comics artist –Poïvet- a true genius, acclaimed by Alex Toth -yes sir! He made a daily strip for 15 years in a French newspaper “Juliette de mon Coeur” –kind of the “Bold and the Beautiful” before everybody had a TV. I said to him: “You’re a true master in every way” He answered: “Don’t even talk to me about it, I hated every second of it”. Kindly yours- hope you enjoyed the ride and see you in our next adventures. S.Rosse
