Wide World of Comics: Triplets of Belleville

This week we took a look at the Wide World of Comics. A lot of the work included was from around the world and from various places in Europe.  I found this to be one of the more interesting topics of discussion, because the work in Europe is so stylistically different than that of the tired Disney, Pixar  tradition.  A great example of this: The Triplets of Belleville a 2003 animated adventure film created by Sylvain Chomet and primary created in France, and Belgium.  This is a an adventure traditionally animated film that packs a lot of punch. The style is extremely edgy and very different than most animation created in the states. I think it is interesting to understand the importance of this as a representational piece for work being done outside of the Americas.  The characters are rich and dynamic in their own right. Often times the dialogue is much less important because the characters actions and mannerisms speak for themselves, along with the ability to create emotion through the execution of the style and drawings.

The other primary work I took a look at for Wide World of Comics week was: The Nikopol Trilogy created by Enike Bilal.  I found this work to be very inspirational, because I am a big fan of Science Fiction, especially cyber punk work concerning the use of biomechancis, etc.  This work was visually very satisfying and can be attributed as inspiration to a lot of current video game and films related to the genre.  For Example, the Nikopol Trilogy does a great job at creating a believable world distant from our own, but could be considered representational of something we might see in the future. I also noticed a strong resemblance to work done by Swiss artist: H.R. Giger, who explores dark futuristic themes in a lot of his work and was a big part of the art direction for Ridley Scott's Alien.

In conclusion, I think it is very important to recognize the potential impact European comics can have on the American entertainment industry.  All too often Hollywood has a reputation for sacrificing artistic direction, and story for profitability.  This is something that not only hurts the industry as a whole but diminishes the importance of strong artistic works.  However, in Europe there is more of a tendency to accept the visions of the artist and create work based on the importance of artistic vision, rather than the financial success.