The Bibberblog

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-18T22:17:00.000+01:00

Expo : Charles Burns

2011-12-08T10:06:00.004+01:00

I went to the opening of the Charles Burns expo yesterday evening. Very much worth your time. Check it out in the M museum in Leuven.

The avengers: Elmo & Liezl

2011-10-21T20:55:00.004+02:00

Just like in the Avengers: Ms. Emma Peel & Mr. John Steed, but with a bit less style.

Too large for my scanner #2: "De Overwinningstraat"

2011-10-21T20:46:00.002+02:00

Made this one for the art-festival in our neighbourhood. If you look closely, you might spot the late Steve Jobs showing off to mr. Gates. All drawings refer to triumps - in arts, sports, mythodology,..

The Elmo store Paris

2011-09-14T22:31:00.001+02:00

Seen in Paris: "Elmo: Elégance et sécurité sur deux roues."

Too large for my scanner #1: Bruno's

2011-09-14T22:30:00.000+02:00

Paris

2011-09-14T22:22:00.005+02:00

I just spend a nice weekend with my wife in Paris, thanks to my ex-colleagues. When you wander around the streets of Paris, there is often more to see than you'd think at first glance..

The guys in the situation room

2011-07-12T22:11:00.000+02:00

Jack Parow

2011-07-12T22:07:00.003+02:00

I saw Jack Parow 2 months ago, and the guy absolutely rules !
My tribute to the "lekkerste" of all South Afrika. (And damn, Parow is with one R).

Elmo Saul Graduation from Kindergarden: Chorus

2011-06-22T23:04:00.000+02:00

Elmo Saul Graduation from Kindergarden

2011-06-22T23:02:00.000+02:00

Everything looks the same

2011-05-08T09:55:00.011+02:00

The last time I went shopping in the FNAC, I had a déjà-vu when I was looking at the comic stand. Or at least I thought I had one, just for a moment. In reality, the feeling was triggered because on the display, right above one comic was another comic with almost an identical page layout.
My first thought was: what a coincidence. But only seconds later I bumped into another cover with a lot of similiarity to the first two. When I moved to the music section of the store, I noticed that lookalikes where not hard to find.

So far for creativity and originality.

Similar comic covers:

Similar music album covers:
And even the Beasty Boys aren't that original anymore..

Comic of the year ?

2011-04-02T18:49:00.003+02:00

I think I just read the comic of the year. Once every while a comic finds true big commercial success, on quality-credit only. Some years ago we had Blankets, Local only made it halfway there (buy that book !), Blue Pills is on its way and now Daytripper is the one that deserves it's chance. Touching, inventive and pure. It's VERTIGO material, so don't even think twice.

Hope you like it as much as I did.

Verz!n

2011-03-06T20:35:00.002+01:00

Verz!n

2011-03-06T20:30:00.003+01:00

Elmo & Lara

2011-02-07T07:44:00.000+01:00

I got this picture from Elmo's teacher; Elmo & Lara playing for weathermen.

The Vault Chapter One: Marvin

2011-01-20T23:05:00.030+01:00

Finally ! I made myself a newyears resolution in 2009 that I would draw one comic, whatever lenght, each year. For 2010 my aim was to draw the first chapter of a new project of mine, "The Vault", for which the story arc is finished and some chapters have been written as well.

Since I only can pick up drawing occassionally, I tried a new approach, which was to draw all images seperately and then merge them together afterwards. That gave me a lot of satisfaction while I was drawing, but I couldn't really see the way it was going until I finished all the drawings and photoshop it together. I don't think the approach will stick.

Anyhow, 20 days after my deadline, I present you with The Vault Chapter One: Marvin. Hope you like it - I learned a lot by making it.

(Click on the images to enlarge them.)

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T07:25:00.000+01:00

Verz!n drawings

2010-12-21T13:10:00.005+01:00

Illustration I made for an article for Verz!n about how writers only get a small share of the total income related to a publication. I liked this illustration more than my other proposal, which they eventually chose:

De treffers

2010-11-29T18:00:00.003+01:00

I made a T-Shirt design for the 25th anniversary of badminton club "De Treffers". the Goose on the image is their masquotte.

From Londen #1

2010-11-13T13:13:00.000+01:00

We spent a few days in London, which was a great experience. Some highlights: Sylvanian Family, Wicked the musical, Amish Kapoor, Batman & Superman, Forbidden Planet (the best comic store on the globe).

Egbert

2010-11-11T13:05:00.002+01:00

This is a small doll Mone has. It's dressed up as a girl but it has a very strange expression on the face. We decided to call it Egbert, but you can call him/her Bertie if you want.

Elmo Quote

2010-10-14T18:52:00.000+02:00

I want this

2010-09-28T20:33:00.000+02:00

Verz!n cartoons #2: topic: Muziek journalistiek

2010-09-23T22:23:00.003+02:00

For an piece on rock journalism.

ElmoArt: Dad with curly hair

2010-09-12T09:13:00.000+02:00

Another masterpiece by Elmo. I'm quite proud of this one.

ElmoArt: Dad in the shower

2010-09-08T07:59:00.000+02:00

During our last vacation, I took a daily shower with Elmo to wash off the dirt of the lake we swam in. When we came home, he made this drawing of how he remembered the scene.

Saskia D. Get Together invitation

2010-09-01T13:20:00.002+02:00

My sister is leaving for a trip around the world during 9 months. This is the drawing I made for the invitation to an evening together with her friends.

Melanie and Gijs wedding invitation

2010-08-18T07:30:00.001+02:00

What are you readin' #3

2010-07-21T20:36:00.000+02:00

Last year, I was in my comic store in Leuven looking for new discoveries for my comic collection (as if I didn't have enough series to follow already). There is something very exciting about digging around in the great mass of available titles and finding undisclosed treasures that have been waiting for years before they share their secrets with you. (If you agree, then I recommend you read Hicksville, that story is all about that sort of kicks).

I was already following some Marvel titles at the time, so I was surprised to find a title such as the first "Northlanders" trade, standing out in the display of the store. I didn't know the US market had this type of material, and while at first site I expected an action-boosted version of "Thorgal", I was pleasantly surprised when turning the pages to find an art that is simply delicious, and a storyline that was about more then vikings kicking each other in the skull.

From there on, things went fast: the Northlanders title introduced me to the Vertigo imprint, of which in fact I already had some titles, not knowing the fact that it is to be considered as quality label. Not long after that I filled my shelves with titles as 100 bullets, Scalped, Vertigo Crime, Pride of Baghdad, Human Target, Greek Street.. and the list goes on and on.

But more importantly, it introduced me with the work of Brian Wood. After some research, I quickly came to the conclusion that most of what this guy has written is the work of a genius. I can't explain what exactly it is in his writing that is so great, but the least you can say is that it is versatile.

So, what am I reading these days? Brian Wood. And I'm planning to do so for a long time.

If you're curious in where to start, I'd recommend you DMZ and Northlanders, and if you're more into the creator-owned style of comics, Local is what you need.

Brian Wood is perhaps one of the best secrets European comicpublishers haven't discovered yet.

Liezl in the mud

2010-07-12T22:15:00.001+02:00

What are you readin' #2

2010-07-05T20:07:00.000+02:00

For years I've been buying books by Christophe Blain, and not once have I been disappointed. On the contrary, he continues surprising me over and over again. Is there something this guy can't do in comics ?

Quai d'Orsay gives the reader some insight in the administration of De Villepin, when he was responsible for foreign affairs in France. Written fluently by an insider, the short stories expose the absurdity and humor of the different circonstances in which the main character is living. I can only say that this book is an absolute MUST read for anyone, and a great gift to receive. Only a few weeks ago, De Villepin announced his ambition as a presidential candidate for France. I'm already looking forward to that.

Hope you enjoy this book as much as I do.

New drawings ?

2010-06-24T18:49:00.000+02:00

I'm sorry that there are very few drawings I'm posting currently. I've got a big stock of them, but for different reasons I can't make them public yet (either it's an invitation I'm making for somebody, so I don't want to spoil the surprise, or it's for one of my projects I prefer only to show when I've progressed enough.

Here a little video I like: it's made by putting sequences of photographs behind each other, instead of actually filming the event.

Makes NY look like a miniature city.

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

I love Lego #1

2010-06-16T09:19:00.000+02:00

funny family

2010-06-15T22:06:00.003+02:00

How my brother in law parks his car.

I love the way Ully can't keep from smiling.

Verz!n cartoon #1 - Topic: Aansluiten bij (creatieve) schrijversgroepen

2010-06-07T07:37:00.000+02:00

The cost of moviemaking

2010-06-02T21:58:00.005+02:00

If 2 talented persons can make this for almost nothing in a couple of months, I wonder why Hollywoodbudgets have to be so incredibly high.

Things that scare me #1: Shooting ranges in Germany today

2010-05-24T12:13:00.001+02:00

What you listenin' to ?

2010-05-05T23:50:00.000+02:00

2010 has been a great concert year so far - I just saw LCD Soundsystem this evening and they were pumpin' !

What are you readin' #1

2010-05-02T23:04:00.000+02:00

Thanks to my sister (thankyouthankyouthankyou) and the nice people at Forbidden Planet, this is what I'm reading these days - a fresh import from London.

New series of posts

2010-04-28T22:18:00.000+02:00

When the kids go to bed, at around 8.30 PM, they always ask us to stick around. As a consequence, I spend a lot of my evenings reading or composing mp3 playlists in the next room (while in fact I should be working on my own comic project).

So I present you with a new series of posts "What are you.. readin/listenin' to" in the coming weeks, in which you can check out what books / music grabs my attention lately. Hope you can enjoy it.

Guru's gone

2010-04-23T07:30:00.000+02:00

On monday, Guru passed away. His album Jazzmattaz volume 1 is more or less the soundtrack to my early twenties. I thank him for that.

Gabriel Rios Jef Neve Kobe Proesmans

2010-04-21T09:40:00.002+02:00

I witnessed an amazing performance yesterday. If you get the chance to see these guys, don't hesitate for a second.

Rome

2010-04-11T16:53:00.002+02:00

Just had a splendid week in Rome with my family. I forgot how great the city is during the spring time.

Easter

2010-04-11T16:51:00.002+02:00

MARVIN flyer

2010-03-22T07:00:00.002+01:00

MF Doom: The mask

2010-03-20T23:59:00.003+01:00

I read an interesting article on underground hip-hop, and that's how I discovered MF Doom. I'm not sure yet what to think of it, but the videos are absolutely FA-BU-LOUS.
Check this out:

My latest project: MARVIN

2010-03-15T07:00:00.003+01:00

Elmo Art: babies

2010-03-12T07:01:00.001+01:00

Saskia with Elmo and Mone in her belly - by Elmo last february. No idea where he gets his inspiration.

Looking forward in 2010

2010-03-08T06:34:00.004+01:00

2010 missed a good start on this blog. I could give you all kind of excuses, but the reality is that I was missing some inspiration and needed a reload of batteries. After 3 months I think I'm ready to kickstart this blog again, so keep your eyes open for the coming weeks.

This post to illustrate how much I need something to look forward to.

In dreams..

2010-03-03T08:30:00.001+01:00

Elmo Art: The baby that looks at his behind

2010-03-02T07:01:00.002+01:00

Yesterday evening, Elmo made this drawing for me. He named it "The baby that looks at his behind". I believe the creativity of my boy will continue to surprise me for years to come. Note that each hand has only 4 fingers - "like the Simpsons have" dixit the artist.

Best wishes for 2010

2010-01-04T15:26:00.002+01:00

Fortress by Elmo

2009-10-13T08:15:00.001+02:00

By the way: I'm currently out of blogpost material. So it might take untill after my NY adventure befor you'll find more here - sorry for that.

I made it to the roof

2009-09-30T22:25:00.005+02:00

Yesterday my best friend Tom invited me to a party at his work. The occasion was that inauguration of the refreshed Tintin panel on the roof. I've been admiring the thing since I was a kid, so I was very happy to see it up close.

thank you Tom !

Taking a nap

2009-09-16T22:13:00.002+02:00

When I fall asleep, the kids dig into my comic collection. It used to be sacred to me, I didn't like to lend any out to friends, always scared they might get marked in any way. But now.. they are my kids, you know. Only they can.

Bibberkopf comic: That day in the office

2009-09-10T22:45:00.011+02:00

It's been a while since I took the time to draw another short comic. 2 weeks ago I decided to sacrifice some sleep and reading time to get this one out of my system by the ninth of September. If you've got trouble reading the small font, click on the image to enlarge it. I'm looking forward to your comments on this post.

Amazing Comics: Hellboy by Mike Mignola

2009-09-05T03:32:00.001+02:00

More then 12 years ago there was this guy in my class (animation) who was a great fan of Hellboy. I couldn't understand why - it all seemed too childish to me: skulls and bones, fighting all the time, armory, .. All the same reasons why I don't dig videogames or roleplaying. But when I was on holiday in the US in 2004, I picked up 2 issues to bring them along as a souvenir. I was blown away by the darkness and the cultural references, without even mentioning the astonishing art. In the meanwhile, Hellboy is a popular brand thanks to 2 movies, which in my opinion do not capture the essence of this series. I guess it's about the difference in the experience: the books you savour at your own pace, taking the time you choose. The films they just pass you by and all the glitter and special effects just make the thing more accessible instead of uncapturable.

Anyhow, to the guy in my class - I was wrong, thank you for making me curious.

Amazing Comics: 100% by Paul Pope

2009-08-28T06:25:00.000+02:00

I'm far from proud about this drawing (it was the first one I made for the Amazing Comics blogposts, namely in November of last year), so I've been hesitating to publish it. On the other hand, after all these months it turns out to be difficult for me to post on a regular bases, so I think it's better that I get out what I have prepared for you and that I keep my hesitations to myself.

Anyhow, I wanted to talk to you about this comic by Paul Pope. At first sight, Pope's work is hard to dig in - especially when it is in black and white. But then, after a few pages, you know that what you are reading is a much richer experience then what you often read, and you thank him for offering you that kind of stuff for more than an hour of lecture. He captures the NY artscene as only he can portray it. I could have referred to his comic Heavy Liquid as well, since it is as excellent as 100%. Dargaud published a french version of both books for those who prefer their literature in french.

GO - BUY - NOW

Haute cuisine: Mone on Sundaymorning

2009-08-20T22:13:00.000+02:00

When daddy takes care

2009-08-16T22:14:00.000+02:00

A few months ago, Saskia had to go abroad for her work. I was proud that I could take care of the kids on my own, warning my colleagues that I might be a bit tired or less available for a few days. A couple of hours before Saskia left, Mone got the chicken pox. And since I didn't take care of Elmo when he had them (The Bibberblog: the "stippeltjesweek"), the experience was new to me. I thought I just needed to rub her in with some cream and all would go well.

I guess I didn't think about the fact that the cream was red, that it ruined all her clothes and sheets. And most of all: that it would remain visible on her body when Saskia returned. That was a nice moment, I can tell you.

Elmo in.. Meet the Robinsons

2009-07-16T22:09:00.000+02:00

Funny little guy. He looks like Lewis from Meet the Robinsons..

Invitation

2009-06-29T13:11:00.002+02:00

"Sorry. It was Seppe's only condition to organise the party together." A drawing for the invitation of Wim's 30th birthday - Seppe's first. Happy birthday guys.

Pirate

2009-06-18T08:07:00.001+02:00

Hanne

2009-06-16T09:50:00.000+02:00

Amazing Comics: Breakfast after noon by Andi Watson

2009-06-11T08:30:00.003+02:00

Perfect reading material for a rainy day like today. Read more about it here.

Elmo quote

2009-06-07T13:10:00.000+02:00

Amazing Comics: Civil War by Steve McNiven and Mark Millar

2009-06-01T13:30:00.001+02:00

This was the comic that started it all for me. I had some Frank Miller and Mike Mignola, but the superheroes were not my cup of tea. Until this came out.

16 years ago: the U2 Zooropa Tour

2009-05-29T16:17:00.000+02:00

I can't imagine that it's already 16 years ago that I went to see the U2 Zooropa Tour - perhaps the best rockshow I've ever seen. I'm getting old I guess..

Amazing Comics: David Boring by Daniel Clowes

2009-05-21T15:31:00.000+02:00

The comic David Lynch would die for. Defenitely Clowes' best.

Amazing comics: Black Hole by Charles Burns

2009-05-01T15:27:00.001+02:00

There has already been written so much about this dark and freaky comic, that I can't imagine I can add anything interesting to all that. The atmosephere is so specific, that I unconsciously keep thinking about it when I read other books or watch movies - like Meyer's Twilight or David Fincher's Zodiac for instance. Just google this one up.

Elmo the architect at work

2009-03-26T12:06:00.003+01:00

Mr. Hernia (2)

2009-03-22T20:04:00.000+01:00

Last week I went to the hospital for my hernia. I was a little nervous.

At "le moment suprême", the doctor that came for my treatement turned out to be an old boyscout buddy. That was quite a relief - after checking:

I didn't get to look at the needle itself, and the pain was ok thanks to some local anesthesia and some stuff that got me high - "to relax your muscles".

And as always I had the best nap in months afterwards, I guess it's the drugs that swept me off my feet. With the latest album of Emiliana Torrini I felt like I was in heaven.

Mr. Hernia

2009-03-16T11:07:00.003+01:00

I don't see it, but it hurts like hell. And today they'll stick a large syringe in there and that should solve it. Really looking forward to that.

For Mone (6):

2009-02-22T22:45:00.000+01:00

For Mone (5):

2009-02-22T21:16:00.000+01:00

For Mone (4):

2009-02-22T20:44:00.000+01:00

Amazing Comics: Ultra by the Luna brothers

2009-02-15T14:18:00.003+01:00

Brought to you by the duo of the astonishing "Girls" series, this 8-issue story mixes the best of your superhero comics with your average bold and the beautiful soap. It is actually a one-time-only read (once you know some of the storylines there is no fun in reading the book a second time), but the Luna's keep you strongly involved in their characters emotions once they reveiled the first unexpected turn of events.

Completed with fake magazinecovers (Time, Newsweek, Wired, ..) the tradepaperback version of Ultra is an item worth your collection.

You should buy: Ultra TPB
You should visit: Luna Brothers website
If you like this book, you should also read: Girls

For Mone (3)

2009-02-05T15:48:00.000+01:00

For Mone (2)

2009-02-05T15:43:00.000+01:00

For Mone (1)

2009-02-05T15:39:00.000+01:00

Amazing Comics: Civil War - Wolverine by Humberto Ramos and Marc Guggenheim

2009-01-27T23:19:00.004+01:00

Civil War is an amazing cross-over Marvel event - one of the best ever. It focusses on a a main storyline, with a great number of references to these events in almost all running Marvel series. You can find collections of those comics with references, but in many cases you are either dropped in the middle of an ongoing storyline (hard to follow) in which the direct reference to the Civil War doesn't add a lot to the story. In the other case it is just a retelling of part of the story but from the perspective other characters.

Luckely there are some exceptions and "Civil War: Wolverine" is one of them. It brings the initial Civil War events in another shade of light. It's a real pageturner, drawn by top-artist Humberto Ramos. Of all books by this artist, this is the one you really want. He abandons his Frank Miller influences (see also "Wolverine: enemy of the state) to bring you a modern, powerfull and energetic sequence of drawings that are just waiting to be put up on the wall.

Blows you off your socks.

You should buy: Civil War: Wolverine
You should visit: Civil War Comics Hub
If you like this book, you should also read: Civil War, Wolverine: enemy of the state

Elmo Art

2009-01-26T20:34:00.004+01:00

Drawing "Quatre mains".

Amazing comics: Batman Year 100 by Paul Pope

2009-01-14T23:00:00.001+01:00

Paul Pope is the Jon Spencer of comics. And when an incredible artist like him, who knows all about how to tell a fascinating story, applies his futuristic visions on a traditional hero like Batman you can bet you won't be disappointed.

I met Paul some months ago, and he told me that the latest Batman movie took over his idea of the bat-motorcycle. But since he can't prove that the original idea was his he didn't get paid for it.

You should buy: any book from Paul Pope, but in this case Batman Year One Hundred
You should visit: Paul's blog: Pulphope
If you like this book, you should also read: Batman The Dark Knight Returns

Dumortier

2009-01-13T12:11:00.000+01:00

In may I was in Huldenberg with Elmo. Ophi was going to babysit Elmo, but because of some misunderstanding he wasn't at home. Elmo and I decided to go for a walk.
We climbed the hill, where we found Tom, who was enjoying the beautifull weather in his backyard. Tom is one of the only friends Saskia and I have that Elmo considers as one of his own best friends. Quite funny the way he talks about him.
On our walk, we stopped at the farm of Tom's grandparents. There we met an award winning poet.. planting some patatoes.
A little later, Elmo met an actor that also drives a huge tractor. You can imagine what an impression he made on the little fellow.
And finally, we discovered wild animals while they enjoyed their afternoon nap. A fascinating sight.

A few months later, the lady of the house passed away. I remember the ceremony as a colorfull yet respectfull moment of peace. The actor and the poet, together with their brother, brought back some beautifull long forgotten memories. Made you wish you lived in the past.

Amazing Comics: Marvels by Alex Ross and Kurt Busiek

2009-01-03T13:00:00.002+01:00

What is there not to like about this book ? Ross is one of the most popular comic superstar artists around, thanks to his photo-realistic style in beautifull watercolors. Luckily the story of Marvels, written by Kurt Busiek, levels with the art work - which is not the case for some of Ross' other books like Kingdom Come.

It tells you the rise of the Marvels' superheroes and villains from the perspective of the man on the street - in this case a photojournalist. Even if this approach is not really original, the way Busiek increases the involvement of the journalist in the events without actually having him taking part in any superhero activity is state of the art.

Any comic fan that gets his kicks on photo-realistic art work should have this book framed above his/her bed. And by the way: Ross is only 38 at this time, so lets hope on many more astonishing work for the coming years !

You should buy: Marvels
You should visit: Alex Ross on Wikipedia
If you like this book, you should also read: Civil War

Amazing Comics: Bone by Jeff Smith

2009-01-01T13:00:00.001+01:00

I remember Bone existed when I started collecting comics more then 15 years ago. Since the offer of Belgian comic series (published in dutch) was limited at the time, my brother and I seeked other sources to still our hunger. Evidently US comics were the first to grab our attention. The inconsistent translation policy and unclear distinction in the shops' display with series such as Cerebus kept this masterpiece out of our hands. After many years, the Bone series became an expensive investment since the number of TPB (or even hardcover albums) had increased significantly and were, at $18 a piece, too expensive for my student budgeg. Until finally an integral version was published, making it a coherent and comprehensible must-have object.

I'd describe the story as Lord Of the Rings meets Disney, but that doesn't cover the richness of this story at all. Astonishing artwork in black and white (incredible how consistent the drawings are over all these hundreds of pages) combined with suspense and fantasy make this one of the best gifts you could ever do to a loved one. And to know that Smith was obliged to publish his books himself because no publisher would take his work.. I guess they regret their chance now.

You should buy: Bone One Volume Edition
You should visit: www.boneville.com
If you like this book, you should also read:

A photoshop miracle

2008-12-30T10:10:00.000+01:00

I discovered this wonderful blog by Clothilde Goubely a few days ago. Incredible tasteful mix thanks to photoshop. Check it out !

Best wishes for 2009

2008-12-19T16:38:00.000+01:00

Filip Jordens does Brel

2008-12-18T20:34:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I went to see Filip Jordens with my wife. I saw him a couple of years ago and was amazed by the perfection of his Brel repertoire. I feared a bit that a second show would be overkill, but he made some major changes - a lot of songs less known but still amazing work - to keep it fresh. He is Brel, no phoney or melancholic stuff. If you have the chance don't miss it. It makes you wish you were born some decades earlier. (I also went to see the Piaf musical 3 weeks later, with Liesbeth List in the main role. I'll spare you the details, but she did miss her lines 6 (!) times. I should have known: a Dutch production on a french singer - sounds like trouble).

Comics imported.

2008-12-14T14:25:00.003+01:00

I've always been surprised how much space my comicstore dedicates to US comics. I'm already pretty anoyed with all the space manga's been taking in over the past 5 years, but I was secretly hoping it would be at the cost of the US comics, not of our traditional "Franco-Belge" offer. To me, the guys who buy their weekly/monthly dosis of superhero comics were just a bunch of immature readers. I considered the few comics I have myself - Sin City, Dark Knight Returns, Hellboy.. - as guilty pleasures.
But then I noticed that in my favorite magazine, Bodoï, there was a monthly contribution on US comics. I started reading those pages - In fact, I litterally read every word in that magazine - and started to get interested. The 2007 Civil War event from Marvel really got me curious. But since it was about superheroes like Spiderman, I still thought of it as juvenile stuff.
When I was watching one of the spiderman movies with my wife, I couldn't help noticing that even if it's dumb entertainement, I couldn't get enough of it. I guess that when you get older, have long days at work and long evenings with the kids, dumb entertainement is just what you need (shame on my Sint Lucas background).

During lunch with my sister (hey Sas, a true blogpost on you after all !), she told me she was travelling to NY in the next few weeks. We discussed the opportunity that she could bring me some comics - not only did I save on the transport costs they'd charge me in my belgian comicstore, I'd also win on the dollarrate that was extremely low at the time.
I placed a carefull order of 5 comics - taking in consideration that I've got almost no room left on my bookshelves. Some safe stuff - Hellboys I was still looking for - and the Civil War TPB (Trade Paper Back for those who aren't familiar with the lingo).
With my colleague Mr. Gueuningck, I had long discussions on wether or not to start collecting US comics. I had the same discussion with Tom VH some years ago on launching myself in French comic books. If I hadn't chosen to do so at the time, I would have saved a lot of money and closetspace - not to mention the time I wasted on reading all the stuff- , but boy would I have missed out on some spectacular reading. Nevertheless, Mr. Gueuningck and I proposed to split the risk by making orders together, so we both would have great and medium stuff, without having to purchase all of them alone.

The kick was great. I felt as if I discoverd the Holy Grail. Knowing that there is an immense catalogue of great books just waiting for me.. You should know that for my Franco-Belge collection, I have to wait until the next issue is published - often having to wait for more then a year. I haven't felt this sensation since I started my collection more then 15 years ago.I did some serious research on the web - looking for recommendations from affectionados, scrolling through the complete Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image catalogue. I spend at least 24 hours behind my wife's laptop to compose a best-of wishlist. I don't think she was really happy with all the time wasted, knowing that it would also lead to much more time spend reading all the stuff I was ordering.My sister dropped by the Midtown Comics shop in NY at her first visit (check it out Sas, 2 drawings on you in one and the same post. Who would have guessed.). I contacted the store to see if I could place orders with them for my sister to pick up. Brian of Midtown Comics (check out their website: www.midtowncomics.com) was of great help over these last few months. Not only my sister, but almost everybody she knew that was going to NY and coming back to Belgium was involved in these import-transactions, all for my sake. - Via this way, I'd like to thank Steph & Gilly once again for their help.

The total amount of US comics stuffed away in flightcases this year is 32. I saved about 5 euros per comic. But now I really do have 2 new problems:

- I'm constantly looking out for persons going back & forth to NY.

- I've got no room left on my bookshelves.

In the next weeks, I'll share with you some reviews on the best comics I've ordered these last months. Hope you'll enjoy that.

Bye Bye Bodoï

2008-12-10T07:30:00.001+01:00

I started reading Bodoï in 1999. I was still a student then, and now I'm a working father of 2 children. Each holiday, hospital visit, business trip, trainride.. Bodoï always accompagnied me. But last october I received the news that they abandonned their paper publishing. Luckely, Bodoï continues as a comicportal on the web. I must say that even if I regret the paper version, their site does answer my appetite for comicnews. As we say - Bodoï is dood, lang leve Bodoï.
Visit it here.

Elmo wins

2008-12-07T12:24:00.000+01:00

Journey to the East

2008-12-06T10:49:00.002+01:00

The soundtrack for the show "Monkeys Journey to the West" was released some weeks ago. I had high hopes for this new album from they guys behind Gorillaz, but my expectations were not completely met. A fine album, no more. Check out the animation Hewlett made for the olympics.

A blogpost for my sister

2008-12-04T22:07:00.000+01:00

Monday, 8 P.M. My Sister calls me during dinner. ".. is there any chance you'd make a blogpost about me ?"

Tuesday, 8.30 A.M. I'm driving in my car, talking to my sister who's in the same traffic jams as me. She asks: ".. did you have the chance to think about that blogpost ?"

Wednesday, during my coffee break. A quick call from my sister, to let me know she didn't miss her flight. ".. I'm really curious to read that post about me".

Thursday, 15 P.M. During another passionate meeting at work, I have a quick chat with my sister. "I just had another look at your blog. It's been a while since you posted. But I have an idea on who you could do a post, if you want." (in the picture, all other colleagues are imaginative, except Mr. Gueningck)

Friday, 19 P.M. I'm rounding up at work, when my sister calls me to see what's up for the weekend. I tell her I hope to find the time to prepare some blogposts, in between shopping for groceries, playing with the kids and spending some times with my wife. (I should also add: and reading comics). I promise her I've foreseen the post about her afterall.

So sis, this was your post. Hope you enjoyed it !

Drawings for Sinterklaas and Zwarte piet

2008-12-01T18:30:00.001+01:00

Elmo did his very best to color these 2 drawings made for Sinterklaas. I'll show you in one of the next blogposts if it had any impact on the number of gifts. But I must say he's been extremely nice these last 2 weeks.

Roller Derby

2008-11-30T13:47:00.003+01:00

Some months ago, I read in the newspaper about an underground sport: Roller Derby. When you read the rules of the game it looks like fun - and it's a girls-only sport. I got curious and searched for some videos on YouTube. That was quite the surprise.

How we sleep

2008-09-01T21:19:00.003+02:00

Since a few weeks, life is back to normal in our bedrooms - meaning everybody sleeps where he or she belongs, except Mone. But for a while, I was having the bed all to myself - that must have been from since I was single more then 12 years ago.

Meanwhile, Saskia and Mone where camping in Mone's room. Saskia proposed this arrangement the day she came home from the hospital, and since it's not wise to argue with a woman who just gave birth, I felt I better accept it. What a man has to do to please his wife..

Holiday memories

2008-08-21T19:26:00.001+02:00

Baptism invitation

2008-07-12T13:53:00.006+02:00