Im Londoner Verlag Blank Slate Books ist mit “Berlin and that” der abschliessende Band der Reisetrilogie Oliver Easts erschienen. Konzept der Reihe sind ausgedehnte Wanderungen auf Bahnlinien oder an ihnen entlang, die den Autor in diesem Fall von Berlin bis an die polnische Grenzen führten. Seine Eindrücke und Gedanken verarbeitet der Autor in Beobachtungen und Assoziationen, die er in Comicform festhält.

Oli has a unique art style, as he came to comics from fine art and without knowing the conventions of comics has created his own language. At times difficult but always memorable these are comics stretching the enevelope of the artform.

In this volume Oli traverses Berlin and makes for the Polish border, armed with no German and a dodgy cut-up map. Adventures ensue. The book has contributions by 58 other artists and friends – some well known – Guy Garvey of Elbow – and some guys Oli knows from down the pub.

Bei Blank Slate Books erscheinen Comics unterschiedlicher Art, darunter waren bisher auch zwei Titel des Berliner Autors Mawil, dessen “Wir können ja Freunde bleiben” und “Meister Lampe” auf Deutsch beide bei Reprodukt veröffentlicht worden sind.

Da hierzulande leider kaum ausführlichere Interviews mit jungen deutschen Zeichnern geführt werden, muss das Ausland in die Bresche springen: Bart Croonenborghs hat für “Broken Frontier” anlässlich der Veröffentlichung von “Sparky O´Hare” (Blank Slate Books) ein Interview mit Mawil geführt, das am 12. Januar veröffentlicht wurde.

Mawil and the heartbreak of youth

Mawil, a strange name in a stranger land: German alt comics. He was introduced to American audiences through his Top Shelf publication Beach Safari, but firmly cemented his name on the english language scene with his second book We can still be friends, published by UK resident Blank Slate. From funny animals, We can still be friends to the trouble with girls and publishers, Mawil bears it all in this Crossing Borders interview.

BROKEN FRONTIER: How did you get started doing comics? What attracted you to this form of expression?

MAWIL: As a child I stayed at home a lot. I didn’t have many friends around my block because I went to a special school further away. I just drew a lot and imagined my own stories (like all kids do, I guess). The first comic I made was when I was 8 years old. It felt great, it was just the best thing for me, drawing and telling stories in one medium.
We didn’t have comics in the GDR, the former East Germany, except a really good historical adventure magazine called Mosaik (the only one without propaganda) and some stuff from West Germany, like Mickey Mouse and some Asterix. mehr