Lewis Trondheim
Encyclopedia
Lewis Trondheim born 11 December 1964, is an extremely prolific French cartoonist
and one of the founders (in 1990) of the independent publisher L'Association
. Both his silent comic La Mouche and Kaput and Zösky
have been made into animated cartoons. He explained his choice of pseudonym
after the Norwegian city of Trondheim
as follows: "As a last name I wanted to use a city's name, but Lewis Bordeaux
or Lewis Toulouse
didn't sound so good. Then I thought about this city, Trondheim… Maybe someday I will publish an album under my real name, in order to remain anonymous."
After his book Slaloms was awarded what was then called the Alph'Art Coup de coeur
(First comic book prize) in 1993, Trondheim was offered to bring his burgeoning series to a major publisher, Dargaud
, while he continued churning out more personal books for L'Association
and other independent French publishers such as Cornélius. From there onwards, Trondheim began to enjoy a steady rise in popularity.
The following years represented a period of increasing activity, as Trondheim began to work on many different projects. He first created La Mouche ("The Fly") for the Japanese market, and then redrew a French version from scratch, after which the character was adapted as an animated cartoon.
Trondheim's greatest breakthrough after Lapinot is arguably Dungeon (in French, Donjon), an ambitious series which he created with Joann Sfar
, and which has enjoyed a fair amount of popular success.
It has long been speculated he used this time partly to create another ambitious work, Le blog de Frantico, which was a comic strip blog
published daily on the web for a whole year under the Frantico pseudonym. In interviews and on his web sites, Trondheim alternately admits and denies having written Le blog de Frantico, though another author, Sébastien Lesage eventually stepped up and claimed to be the real author, saying he had asked Trondheim to help him maintain the mystery. To this day however, the true identity of Frantico remains unconfirmed.
Another recent Trondheim occupation is that of editorial director at Delcourt
, where he direct Shampooing, a collection of comic books for young readers.
In 2006, Trondheim was awarded the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême
at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
, arguably the most prestigious award in the field.
has published Dungeon, both in comic book and graphic novel formats, as well as Little Nothings, a collection of autobiographical one-page vignettes. English versions of A.L.I.E.E.N. (retitled A.L.I.E.E.E.N.) and Le Roi Catastrophe (retitled Tiny Tyrant) have been published by First Second
.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
and one of the founders (in 1990) of the independent publisher L'Association
L'Association
L'Association is a French publishing house which publishes comic books. It was founded in May 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu, Lewis Trondheim, David B., Mattt Konture, Patrice Killoffer, Stanislas, and Mokeït, who left soon thereafter...
. Both his silent comic La Mouche and Kaput and Zösky
Kaput and Zösky
Kaput and Zösky is a French comic book series from the cartoonist Lewis Trondheim. It was made into a cartoon, Kaput and Zösky: The Ultimate Obliterators...
have been made into animated cartoons. He explained his choice of pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
after the Norwegian city of Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
as follows: "As a last name I wanted to use a city's name, but Lewis Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
or Lewis Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
didn't sound so good. Then I thought about this city, Trondheim… Maybe someday I will publish an album under my real name, in order to remain anonymous."
Biography
Lewis Trondheim was first known as the author of Les formidables aventures de Lapinot (later to be translated to English as The Spiffy Adventures of McConey). He invented the character in the late 1980s as a way to learn cartooning. The result was an initial 500 page graphic novel, Lapinot et les carottes de Patagonie. All the while, he was publishing short stories for the satirical French magazine Psikopat.After his book Slaloms was awarded what was then called the Alph'Art Coup de coeur
Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for First Comic Book
This Prize for First Comic Book is awarded to comics authors at the Angoulême International Comics Festival between 1985 and 1988, when it was replaced by the Coup de Coeur, an award for the best comic book by authors with at most three publications...
(First comic book prize) in 1993, Trondheim was offered to bring his burgeoning series to a major publisher, Dargaud
Dargaud
Les Éditions Dargaud is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It was founded in 1943 by Georges Dargaud.Initially, Dargaud published novels for women...
, while he continued churning out more personal books for L'Association
L'Association
L'Association is a French publishing house which publishes comic books. It was founded in May 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu, Lewis Trondheim, David B., Mattt Konture, Patrice Killoffer, Stanislas, and Mokeït, who left soon thereafter...
and other independent French publishers such as Cornélius. From there onwards, Trondheim began to enjoy a steady rise in popularity.
The following years represented a period of increasing activity, as Trondheim began to work on many different projects. He first created La Mouche ("The Fly") for the Japanese market, and then redrew a French version from scratch, after which the character was adapted as an animated cartoon.
Trondheim's greatest breakthrough after Lapinot is arguably Dungeon (in French, Donjon), an ambitious series which he created with Joann Sfar
Joann Sfar
Joann Sfar is a French comics artist, comic book creator and film director.-Life and career:Sfar was born in Nice. He is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L'Association which was founded in 1990 by...
, and which has enjoyed a fair amount of popular success.
Trondheim's "retirement"
In 2004, after a long and intensive period during which he steadily released new books at a frantic pace, Lewis Trondheim announced he was more or less retiring from the world of comic strips, stating he did not want his passion to become a "job". He did draw and write a few stories within the following year, including a book reflecting on his decision to slow down, though the releases occurred at a much slower pace.It has long been speculated he used this time partly to create another ambitious work, Le blog de Frantico, which was a comic strip blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
published daily on the web for a whole year under the Frantico pseudonym. In interviews and on his web sites, Trondheim alternately admits and denies having written Le blog de Frantico, though another author, Sébastien Lesage eventually stepped up and claimed to be the real author, saying he had asked Trondheim to help him maintain the mystery. To this day however, the true identity of Frantico remains unconfirmed.
Another recent Trondheim occupation is that of editorial director at Delcourt
Delcourt (publisher)
Delcourt is a French publishing house that specializes in comics and manga.It was founded in 1986 through the fusion of the magazines Charlie Mensuel and Pilote...
, where he direct Shampooing, a collection of comic books for young readers.
In 2006, Trondheim was awarded the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême
Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême
Every year, the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême is awarded during the Angoulême International Comics Festival to an author for his body of work and/or for his achievement in the evolution of comics....
at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
Angoulême International Comics Festival
The Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
, arguably the most prestigious award in the field.
About English translations
Two volumes of McConey have been published in English by Fantagraphics in editions close to the original. Fantagraphics has also published a range of shorter pieces by Trondheim in the comic The Nimrod. NBMNBM Publishing
NBM Publishing is an American publisher of graphic novels. The company specializes in non-superhero comic genres and has translated and published over 150 graphic novels from Europe and Canada, as well as several works by Americans...
has published Dungeon, both in comic book and graphic novel formats, as well as Little Nothings, a collection of autobiographical one-page vignettes. English versions of A.L.I.E.E.N. (retitled A.L.I.E.E.E.N.) and Le Roi Catastrophe (retitled Tiny Tyrant) have been published by First Second
First Second Books
First Second Books is an American publisher of graphic novels. An imprint of Roaring Brook Press, part of Holtzbrinck Publishers, First Second publishes fiction, biographies, personal memoirs, history, visual essays, and comics journalism.-History:...
.
Awards
- 1994: Award for First Comic BookAngoulême International Comics Festival Prize for First Comic BookThis Prize for First Comic Book is awarded to comics authors at the Angoulême International Comics Festival between 1985 and 1988, when it was replaced by the Coup de Coeur, an award for the best comic book by authors with at most three publications...
at the Angoulême International Comics FestivalAngoulême International Comics FestivalThe Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
, France - 1999: 2 nominations for the Harvey AwardHarvey AwardThe Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
for Best American Edition of Foreign Material - 2000: Best German-language Comic—Import at the Max & Moritz PrizesMax & Moritz PrizesThe Max & Moritz Prize is a prize for comic books, comic strips, and other similar materials which has been awarded at each of the biennial International Comics Shows of Erlangen since 1984...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-
- - Inkpot AwardInkpot AwardThe Inkpot Award, bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International, is given to some of the professionals in comic book, comic strip, animation, science fiction, and related pop-culture fields, who are guests of that organization's yearly multigenre fan convention, commonly known as...
, USA - - nomination for the Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material
- - nominated for Best Long Comic Strip at the Haxtur AwardHaxtur AwardThe Haxtur Award is a Spanish award for comics published in Spain. It is awarded annually at the Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias ....
s, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- 2001: nomination for the Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material
- - nomination for the Humour AwardAngoulême International Comics Festival Humour awardThe Humour award was presented to a comic at the Angoulême International Comics Festival from 1989 until 2001.-1990s:* 1990: Raoul Fulgurex: Le secret du mystère by Tronchet and Gelli* 1991: Le pauvre chevalier by F'Murr...
at the Angoulême International Comics Festival - - nomination for Outstanding Story at the Ignatz AwardsIgnatz AwardsThe Ignatz Awards are intended to recognize outstanding achievements in comics and cartooning by small press creators or creator-owned projects published by larger publishers. They have been awarded each year since 1997, but skipped a year in 2001 due to the show's cancellation after the September...
, USA- 2002: nomination for the Harvey Award for Best Presentation of Foreign Material
- - nomination for the Dialogue AwardAngoulême International Comics Festival Other awardsA number of awards was only presented at the Angoulême International Comics Festival for a short time.-Award for best French artist:* 1974: Alexis* 1975: Jacques Tardi* 1976: André Cheret* 1977: Moebius* 1978: Paul Gillon-Award for best foreign artist:...
at the Angoulême International Comics Festival- 2004: Best International Series at the Prix Saint-MichelPrix Saint-MichelThe Prix Saint-Michel is a series of comic awards presented by the city of Brussels, with a focus on Franco-Belgian comics. They were first awarded in 1971, and are the second oldest comics award in Europe still presented, behind the Adamson Awards...
, BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
- 2004: Best International Series at the Prix Saint-Michel
- - nomination for the Series AwardAngoulême International Comics Festival Prize for a SeriesThis Prize for a Series is awarded to comics authors at the Angoulême International Comics Festival since 2004.As is the customary practice in Wikipedia for listing awards such as Oscar results, the winner of the award for that year is listed first, the others listed below are the nominees.* 2004:...
at the Angoulême International Comics Festival- 2005: Series Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
- - nomination for the Prize for ArtworkAngoulême International Comics Festival Prize for ArtworkThis Prize for Artwork is awarded to comics authors at the Angoulême International Comics Festival.As is the customary practice in Wikipedia for listing awards such as Oscar results, the winner of the award for that year is listed first, the others listed below are the nominees.-2000s:* 2002: Le...
at the Angoulême International Comics Festival- 2006: Grand Prix de la ville d'AngoulêmeGrand Prix de la ville d'AngoulêmeEvery year, the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême is awarded during the Angoulême International Comics Festival to an author for his body of work and/or for his achievement in the evolution of comics....
, France - 2007: nominated for the Ignatz AwardsIgnatz AwardsThe Ignatz Awards are intended to recognize outstanding achievements in comics and cartooning by small press creators or creator-owned projects published by larger publishers. They have been awarded each year since 1997, but skipped a year in 2001 due to the show's cancellation after the September...
for Outstanding Series - 2008: nominated for the Eisner AwardEisner AwardThe Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
s for Best Short Story and Best Lettering - 2010: nominated for the Eisner Awards for Best Publication for Kids and Best U.S. Edition of International Material
- 2006: Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême
- - nominated for the Award for Best Youth Comic at the Prix Saint-Michel
- - Inkpot Award
External links
- Lewis Trondheim official site
- Lewis Trondheim biography on Lambiek Comiclopedia
- Lewis Trondheim biography at Fantagraphics.com
- Dungeon catalogue NBM Publishing
- The Comics JournalThe Comics JournalThe Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
: Interview with Lewis Trondheim (Long excerpt from TCJ #283)