A SOLEIL UPDATE

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Richard Isanove (The Dark Tower: Gunslinger Born cover artist).
Humberto Ramos (X-Men).
Francisco Herrera (Soulfire: New World Order.
Teddy Kristiansen (It's a Bird).
Carlos Meglia (Superman/Tarzan: Sons of the Jungle).
Clement Sauve (Pantheon City).
Skottie Young (New X-Men).

In an interview with Newsarama from February 2005, Jean Wacquet confirmed that those listed above were but a few of today's high profile and big name creators working on various projects for one of French's top publisher, Soleil Productions.

A month later, we learned that Arthur Suydam (Marvel Zombies cover artist) had signed with Soleil to illustrate La Geste des Chevaliers Dragons.

We checked in with Wacquet to talk about new and upcoming projects involving other creators familiar to our readers.

But first, Ramos' K and Herrera's Ashes were released in 2006. "Both worked well," Wacquet told Newsarama. "K 2 is coming next October," he added.

Other than those, Kristiansen's Red Diary, Meglia's Canary, Sauve's Black Bank (previously titled Insider) had been printed and released in the French and European markets, with former Wolverine, Incredible Hulk and Punisher artist Leandro Fernandez's Hunter being the latest addition to the publisher's growing body of works to see publication next week.

As for the other projects, Wacquet, who is Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Director of Soleil, said that Isanove's Shindo is delayed because "Rich is too busy with Dark Tower." Some of the projects which have since been postponed include Young's Wolf and Meglia's project with Crisse entitled The Little Goddesses. Suydam's Dragons, Ashley Wood's 8-page short story for a new Sky.Doll anthology, and the Nykky Mystery project illustrated Carlos Olivares ([b]Teen Titans Go![b] with words by Hicks (K, Ashes) and Debois (Hero Academy) had been cancelled.

Nevertheless, acclaimed W.I.T.C.H. and Monster Allergy creators Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa saw three volumes of their popular creation, Sky.Doll translated, collected and printed in Heavy Metal Magazine Summer 2006 – Sky.Doll Special. According to Wacquet, Soleil is currently negotiating with publishers to translate its vast library of projects into English for the North American and worldwide markets. When asked just how many publishers had approached him, he said, "All [of them.]" and that it's not just limited to the projects mentioned above but also for "some of our best selling series."

As for new projects, Wacquet revealed that former New Avengers artist and X-Men: Endangered Species cover artist David Finch has signed on to draw a new chapter of Le Prince la nuit, the best-selling series created by Belgian artist/writer Yves Swolfs.

Teddy Kristiansen will be drawing a one-shot for Soleil’s upcoming The Worlds of Lovecraft anthology written by Sky.Doll's Canepa. “[He] is [also] working with legendary French writer Serge Le Tendre on a short story based on [the lives of Jewish children during World War II in France]. This 4-page story will be included in Paroles d'Etoiles (or Words of Stars) coming next Fall and edited by myself,” Wacquet added. “This book is the third in my series of Paroles. The first one, Paroles de poilus (based on letters of WWI soldiers) was a huge success here.”

Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead) is on board to illustrate Le souffle du Wendigo, written by Mathieu Missoff and will be part of Soleil’s Secret Earths collection. All three projects are currently due in 2008.

Accomplished illustrator, fine art artist and winner of the 1976 NY Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, Barron Storey (Sandman: Endless Nights, has an 8-page strip in next month’s Paroles de Verdun. Storey’s known for his influence on Bill Sienkiewicz, Kent Williams, Dan Clowes, and George Pratt.

Speaking of Pratt (Enemy Ace: War Idyll, Wolverine: Netsuke, and upcoming Haunted Tank OGN with 100 Bullets writer Brian Azzarello), the multi award-winning artist has also done three pages for the same book, which will feature a cover by Mathieu Lauffray (Dark Horse’s Star Wars cover artist, storyboard artist for 2001’s Brotherhood of the Wolf which also starred Monica Bellucci).

Finally, the recently announced World of Warcraft comic book series from DC Comics, which is based on the widely popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) from Blizzard Entertainment, will feature art by Soleil artist Ludo Lullabi. The ongoing monthly series will be written by industry veteran Walter Simonson with Wacquet co-editing.

For more info on Soleil, visit the official site at www.soleilprod.com

[finn5fel]

Great news! The first volume of K was very cool, and I've been eagerly awaiting the second one.

[Truthseeker]

I want these so badly! I looked at alot of these titles at San Diego. They were all so beautiful and I wanted to buy some but they were all in french

I hope they get more things translated soon. That and i need BlackSad volume three NOW!!!

[Skinshark]

I love Soleil's stuff.

Such a great variety...Amazon.com Canada here I come!!!

=s=

[Hobowatcher]

Originally Posted by Skinshark

I love Soleil's stuff.

Such a great variety...Amazon.com Canada here I come!!!

=s=

I thought Amazon Canada doesn't mail to the US?

[BKole]

Anyone got any idea where i might be able to buy these from?

I'm really struggling to find a place to get them, which is ironic considering Im in Kent, and about an hour away from Dover. I could just jump on a ferry and sail there.

[ParisCub]

Originally Posted by BKole

Anyone got any idea where i might be able to buy these from?

I'm really struggling to find a place to get them, which is ironic considering Im in Kent, and about an hour away from Dover. I could just jump on a ferry and sail there.

Try Amazon.fr, for example.

[ShinAkuma666]

Originally Posted by Skinshark

I love Soleil's stuff.

Such a great variety...Amazon.com Canada here I come!!!

=s=

Too bad Amazon.ca does not sell most of the Soleil titles, I wish Soleil would made them available trough that outlet I will have to go to a book store and order Ashes and Hunter, I loved Fernandez art on The Punisher.

Does anyone know of a good site for reviews on Soleil titles ? Or maybe I will just go on the Amazon french site and search for Soleil...

[Mek]

Lord, the way Sky Doll was translated and published in 'Heavy Metal' was utterly DEPRESSING.

Soleil needs to get up off of their butts and give Sky Doll a PROPER release: i.e. hardcover and with loads of extras. I'd pay at least $150 for that. Something as thought provoking and beautiful as that series needs a decent translation and release here.

[hondo]

These guys seriously need to translate !

Heavy Metal is very exasperating. They've always had some of the best talent in the world, and yet, the worst editing and packaging of anyone I've ever seen. Ever.

If they translate material that's already paid for itself, and sell to the U.S. market, I don't see how they could go wrong, esp with a limited numbered production.

I'm very pumped about their output. It really looks great and the stories really sound good too.

Dark Horse, why not step up ?

I don't understand how stuff like this is ignored and 90% of the manga being translated is less than desirable, at least to me.

[Hobowatcher]

Originally Posted by hondo

These guys seriously need to translate !

Heavy Metal is very exasperating. They've always had some of the best talent in the world, and yet, the worst editing and packaging of anyone I've ever seen. Ever.

If they translate material that's already paid for itself, and sell to the U.S. market, I don't see how they could go wrong, esp with a limited numbered production.

I'm very pumped about their output. It really looks great and the stories really sound good too.

Dark Horse, why not step up ?

I don't understand how stuff like this is ignored and 90% of the manga being translated is less than desirable, at least to me.

DC tried it with 2000 AD and Les Humanoids, and they barely broke even. You can still order some of the books in Previews. And with the creators they brought works by over (Moore, Ennis, Ellis, Bilal, Moebius, etc), you'd think it would have sold like gangbusters, but it didn't. And it makes me sad that its being ignored by the american public so easily.

[hondo]

Yes, I knew all that when I posted. I think the problem is that it didn't sell enough copies at that price to bother with. They could do a print run, number each one, sign some of the earlier numbered editions for extra incentive, and sell them as a prestige item to the upper end of the market, perhaps in addition to instead of an exclusive format, to the previous format you cited with more advertising and a lower price point to get it in the hands of more people who see just how mature and dynamic some of this European stuff really is.

[Hobowatcher]

At such higher, more exclusive price levels, there would be even less of a demand and would only further not warrant production.

And the price points were highly affordable. $15-20 was the general range, and printed on quality paper.

[hondo]

I'm saying make an extremely high end limited collector's edition numbered and maybe signed and that would be one way of selling to the handful of collectors, like myself, who want to see it and have the top end package.

To appeal to the masses and build more share, you put it in an affordable paperback collection, maybe even sell advertising in it to court the demographic that would be drawn to Soleil and have the advertising help subsidize the cover price, much the same way as some newsstand magazines are very, very inexpensive but have tons of ads in them like lots of the women's magazines do, esp upper end.

[Hobowatcher]

If there was a market for them in such deluxe editions, NBM's Brussel would have all the volumes in English, not just the first few, and Corto Maltese would never go out in print.

And buying a trade with ads, people would feel ripped off no matter what the price because they don't want a trade with ads that aren't at least house ads.

[hondo]

There is a market for high end deluxe. The reason it hasn't succeeded in the past is because too many have been made and glutted the market. If they were produced in a conservative number, maybe even 1,000 or so, those copies would sell.

You may not think the idea of ads would work but the general marketplace i.e. not most comic collectors, would disagree. If it brings the price down and they can have good content while putting up with ads to subsidize the cover price, then so be it. Back in the day, when some of us were still buying comics off the newsstand we had ads. It was just part of the package. I didn't care and still don't. I'm not forced to buy anything from them. Marvel Comics, the number 1 publisher, has ads in some of their titles and I don't think it's a big drag on sales.

[Pepoy]

Hi! Here are a few good sources for Soleil books (and other French comics). There's the previously mentioned Amazon.ca, which has a limited selection, but the site's in English and the shipping's not too bad. A better Canadian option is www.imaginaire.com, out of Quebec City. Their site is available in both French and English, and they have a very good selection of French comics. Also, their comics manager, Frederick, speaks English and is very helpful. Amazon.fr has even more French comics, and even if you can't speak French, if you're used to Amazon.com, it's pretty much the same, so you can operate the checkout system, even if you can't read the descriptions. The site with the best selection I've found is www.bdnet.com. Again, it's in French, but it's not too hard to figure out. I can't speak French, and I've managed to order from both. However, with these last 2, the shipping can be hefty, but not so bad if you order a bunch or books at once to make it worth it. Hope that helps.

[hondo]

when I don't speak French ?

Comics are words and pictures, not just pictures. Much as I appreciate the art, I want the words to go with the pictures.

I want them translated. I refuse to believe that there are not enough fans here to warrant an English translation of a reprint of a previously paid for book, even if the book is an extremely limited run so books aren't languishing unsold and the project is considered a "failure."

The failure is overprinted to what the market will accept. Keep the print run brief and go back to press with a slight variant if necessary later.