The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) will be making the most of its time at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival with the launch of Comic Strip Chronicles, a quartet of whimsical shorts co-produced with Canal+ and Sacrebleu Productions that celebrates the close affinity between comic books and animated films.
Made using traditional hand-drawn animation on graphics tablets, the collection comprises four three-minute shorts created by acclaimed cartoonists from Quebec (Guy Delisle/The Tooth and Zviane/Sweet Childhood) and France (Lewis Trondheim and Jean Matthieu Tanguy/Panoramic Chronicle and Aude Picault/Free Love). The films will have their world premieres at special screenings scheduled throughout the festival, which runs from June 12 to 17. Delisle and Trondheim will attend the screenings.
Comic books and animated film are deeply embedded in the cultural identities of both Canada and France. Creatively combining the two forms by pooling the skills of top cartoonists and the expertise of two veteran animation producers was a natural step.
“In terms of storytelling, it’s a small step from comic books to cinema, but animation involves ever so many more drawings! Comic Strip Chronicles came about when five cartoonists—two from Canada and three from France—were invited to bring their cartoon-strip characters to the big screen. Adding sound and movement to the drawings has, I feel, given their work a whole new dimension,” said Marc Bertrand, NFB producer.
“For the most part, animated films are the first films children see. They’re also immersed in illustrated children’s books at a young age. Through the collection, we set out to recapture this period and merge the two art forms while targeting older audiences; the result is Comic Strip Chronicles. Here’s to illustration and animation!” said Ron Dyens, producer, SacreBleu Productions.
Quick facts
The Comic Strip Chronicles collection
Comic Strip Chronicles explores the close affinity between two colourful art forms: comic books and animated films. The four three-minute animated shorts bring to life the distinctive styles and vivid imaginations of these acclaimed artists from Quebec (Guy Delisle and Zviane) and France (Aude Picault, Lewis Trondheim and Jean Matthieu Tanguy). A chance to discover the humour, creativity and with of five cartoonists-turned-filmmakers.
A Canada/France international co-production: NFB (Marc Bertrand and Julie Roy), Canal+ and Sacrebleu Productions
Four animated shorts receive world premiere at the Annecy Festival:
- The Tooth, directed by Guy Delisle (Canada)
Synopsis: The tooth fairy is a no-show in this whimsical look at fatherhood starring the “bad dad” from Quebecker Guy Delisle’s popular cartoon collection, Le guide du mauvais père.
Biography: Cartoonist and animator Guy Delisle was born in Quebec City. His extensive travels to countries such as Germany, France, China, Vietnam and North Korea have inspired several award-winning graphic novels, including Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea, Shenzhen: A Travelogue from China, Burma Chronicles, and Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City. In 2013 he published Le guide du mauvais père, his satirical guide to neglectful parenting.
Featuring the voices of actors François Létourneau and Frédéric Larose
- Sweet Childhood, directed by Zviane (Canada)
Synopsis: Cartoonist Zviane is transported back to her childhood when she stumbles across a cassette she recorded back in the day. Using an actual recording from the cartoonist’s youth, the film hilariously captures the vivid imagination of a child.
Biography: Zviane is the pen name of Sylvie-Anne Ménard. Born in Longueuil, Quebec, she studied music before becoming a cartoonist. Since 2004, she’s created several graphic novels and stories—including Mauve ciel, Esquive, Le bestiaire des fruits, and Les deuxièmes—that have won awards both in Quebec and English Canada. In addition to the popular series of graphic novels L’ostie d’chat (co-authored with Iris), Zviane is the author of cartoon blog zviane.com.
- Panoramic Chronicle, directed by Lewis Trondheim and Jean Matthieu Tanguy (France)
Synopsis: What do people think about while riding on a train? French cartoonists Lewis Trondheim and Jean Matthieu Tanguy wittily imagine the inner lives of a series of passengers in this insightful film narrated by Canadian singer-songwriter Jim Corcoran.
Biography 1: Lewis Trondheim is the pen name of Laurent Chabosy, a French writer, illustrator and publisher of graphic novels. The creator of the comic-book series Shampooing (Éditions Delcourt) and founder of several experimental cartoonist collectives, he’s published an impressive number of award-winning works, including the graphic-novel series Les formidables aventures de Lapinot, which features his signature anthropomorphic animal characters.
Biography 2: Jean Matthieu Tanguy is a French animator with a background in cartooning and illustration. In addition to corporate projects and creative collaborations with other cartoonists and musicians, he’s worked as a 2D animator on various television programs for children. He’s also the long-time collaborator of cartoonist Lewis Trondheim, whose work he has animated, and he has directed music videos for French singer/songwriter Thomas Fersen.
- Free Love, directed by Aude Picault (France)
Synopsis: Two women meet in a café to catch up, but the air is heavy with things left unsaid… French cartoonist Aude Picault takes a sly look at the jealousy that sometimes lies beneath friendships.
Biography: French cartoonist and musician Aude Picault is known for her spare drawing style and semi-autobiographical storylines. In 2005, her graphic novel Moi je, about a woman who likes to drink, pick up men and play the trombone, was a huge success. Since then, she’s gone on to publish a number of series with Glénat, Delcourt and Dargaud in addition to writing and illustrating children’s picture books. Her popular comic strip L’air du rien appeared in the weekend supplement of the French newspaper Libération from 2013 to 2015.
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The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) produces groundbreaking animation at its studios in Montreal and at NFB centres across Canada, as well as via international co-productions with many of the world’s leading auteur animators. The NFB is a leader in developing new approaches to stereoscopic 3D animation and animated content for new platforms. The NFB has created over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 18 Canadian Screen Awards, 17 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.
Quick Facts
- The Comic Strip Chronicles collectionComic Strip Chronicles explores the close affinity between two colourful art forms: comic books and animated films. The four three-minute animated shorts bring to life the distinctive styles and vivid imaginations of these acclaimed artists from Quebec (Guy Delisle and Zviane) and France (Aude Picault, Lewis Trondheim and Jean Matthieu Tanguy). A chance to discover the humour, creativity and with of five cartoonists-turned-filmmakers.
A Canada/France international co-production: NFB (Marc Bertrand and Julie Roy), Canal+ and Sacrebleu Productions
Four animated shorts receive world premiere at the Annecy Festival:
- The Tooth, directed by Guy Delisle (Canada)
Synopsis: The tooth fairy is a no-show in this whimsical look at fatherhood starring the “bad dad” from Quebecker Guy Delisle’s popular cartoon collection, Le guide du mauvais père.
Biography: Cartoonist and animator Guy Delisle was born in Quebec City. His extensive travels to countries such as Germany, France, China, Vietnam and North Korea have inspired several award-winning graphic novels, including Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea, Shenzhen: A Travelogue from China, Burma Chronicles, and Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City. In 2013 he published Le guide du mauvais père, his satirical guide to neglectful parenting.
Featuring the voices of actors François Létourneau and Frédéric Larose
- Sweet Childhood, directed by Zviane (Canada)
Synopsis: Cartoonist Zviane is transported back to her childhood when she stumbles across a cassette she recorded back in the day. Using an actual recording from the cartoonist’s youth, the film hilariously captures the vivid imagination of a child.
Biography: Zviane is the pen name of Sylvie-Anne Ménard. Born in Longueuil, Quebec, she studied music before becoming a cartoonist. Since 2004, she’s created several graphic novels and stories—including Mauve ciel, Esquive, Le bestiaire des fruits, and Les deuxièmes—that have won awards both in Quebec and English Canada. In addition to the popular series of graphic novels L’ostie d’chat (co-authored with Iris), Zviane is the author of cartoon blog zviane.com.
- Panoramic Chronicle, directed by Lewis Trondheim and Jean Matthieu Tanguy (France)
Synopsis: What do people think about while riding on a train? French cartoonists Lewis Trondheim and Jean Matthieu Tanguy wittily imagine the inner lives of a series of passengers in this insightful film narrated by Canadian singer-songwriter Jim Corcoran.
Biography 1: Lewis Trondheim is the pen name of Laurent Chabosy, a French writer, illustrator and publisher of graphic novels. The creator of the comic-book series Shampooing (Éditions Delcourt) and founder of several experimental cartoonist collectives, he’s published an impressive number of award-winning works, including the graphic-novel series Les formidables aventures de Lapinot, which features his signature anthropomorphic animal characters.
Biography 2: Jean Matthieu Tanguy is a French animator with a background in cartooning and illustration. In addition to corporate projects and creative collaborations with other cartoonists and musicians, he’s worked as a 2D animator on various television programs for children. He’s also the long-time collaborator of cartoonist Lewis Trondheim, whose work he has animated, and he has directed music videos for French singer/songwriter Thomas Fersen.
- Free Love, directed by Aude Picault (France)
Synopsis: Two women meet in a café to catch up, but the air is heavy with things left unsaid… French cartoonist Aude Picault takes a sly look at the jealousy that sometimes lies beneath friendships.
Biography: French cartoonist and musician Aude Picault is known for her spare drawing style and semi-autobiographical storylines. In 2005, her graphic novel Moi je, about a woman who likes to drink, pick up men and play the trombone, was a huge success. Since then, she’s gone on to publish a number of series with Glénat, Delcourt and Dargaud in addition to writing and illustrating children’s picture books. Her popular comic strip L’air du rien appeared in the weekend supplement of the French newspaper Libération from 2013 to 2015.
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