Today I'm thrilled to welcome authors Bastien Vives, Michael Sanlaville and Balak to the blog to answer a few questions about their hugely entertaining Last Man series. This week is apparently my week to step outside my comfort zone as I don't read too many graphic novels, but I had a great time meeting protagonists Richard and Adrian, and as always, was fascinated by the artwork. I hope you all enjoy the interview, and don't forget to check the bottom of the post for the full list of participating blogs!
Richard Aldana, young Adrian’s mysterious partner in the fighting tournament, has a very blunt way of dealing with people. If he were teaching a class in the art of fighting instead of Mr. Jansen, what would his first three tips to students be?
Number 1: Don't do it. Have a beer. Smoke good cigarettes. Life is too short to spend it being punched in the face.
Number 2: Don't listen to adults. They may look like they know what they're doing, but it's just pretend. Hell, don't listen to me.
Number 3: God dammit, why are you still here?
If Adrian found his way into our world, which martial artist or professional fighter, past or present, would he be most fascinated by?
Bastien: Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Balak: Gina Carano. Or... allow me some French "Pied Noir" pride here, and let's say the great Marcel Cerdan.
Michael Sanlaville: The Great Khali!
What villainous character from any other piece of fiction or film would Richard most enjoy facing down in the tournament if he could?
Balak: Bloody Ivan Drago in Rocky IV!!! This bastard must go down twice for what he did to Apollo Creed. And that would be a fight we would like to see.
Bastien: Adolf Hitler.
Each volume of the Last Man series leaves us on a cliffhanger of sorts. What one other series has the most brutal cliffhanger you’ve ever come across?
Bastien: When Joey proposed Rachel in Friends, season 8.
Balak: When Kelly Kapowsky cheated with her boss, leading to Zach Morris and her breaking up in season two of Saved By The Bell. I was twelve and the pain was real.
Michael Sanlaville: When CC Babcock and Niles kiss eagerly after years of wickedness in "The Nanny"... OUCH!
*Jenny dies laughing*
If Adrian knew his and Richard’s adventures were detailed in book form, what one reason would he give potential readers to encourage them to pick up his story?
Bastien: "Buy this book, the royalties are good."
Balak:"That's the best comic book I have ever read. Well, comic books don't exist in my world, so I don't know if that is a valuable piece of advice, but still."
• • • • • • • • • • •
LAST MAN: THE ROYAL CUP
(Volume 2)
Richard Aldana, the mysterious stranger who entered the Games in the first volume of Last Man, continues to defeat all of his competitors, despite his outlandish refusal to use any magic, and to rely solely on martial arts. With young Adrian fighting at his side, he’s beginning to look like a likely contender for the Royal Cup.
But in a breathtaking twist, everything changes: this world is not what you thought it was, and Richard Aldana is certainly not who he claimed.
With the same fast-paced action-oriented storytelling and gorgeous art as The Stranger, the second volume of the Last Man series changes all the rules, and will leave readers eagerly awaiting book three!
• • • • • • • • • •
THE AUTHORS
Bastien Vives studied illustration and animation at the Ecole des Gobelins. After movie-making classes, he dived into comics, and his first title came out in 2007.
Michael Sanlaville graduated from the Emile Cohl school, and later the Gobelins, after which he followed twin careers in animation (at the Xilam studio) and in comics with Casterman Publishers.
Balak (aka Yves Bigerel) works as a storyboard artist, 2D animator and TV show director in France. He works with Marvel Comics on the new digital Infinite Comics brand, as a storyboard artist (Avengers VS X-men with Mark Waid, Guardians of the Galaxy with Brian M. Bendis, Wolverine: Japan's Most Wanted with Jason Aaron and Jason Latour).
• • • • • • • • • • •
THE TOUR
Each stop on this tour will be featuring a fantastic Q+A with the authors, so be sure and follow along for more magic and martial arts!
Good OK Bad, 6/15http://goodokbad.com/
Supernatural Snark, 6/16 http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/
The Book Wars, 6/17 https://thebookwars.wordpress.com/
Alice Marvels, 6/18 http://www.alicemarvels.com/
Comics & Cola, 6/19 http://www.comicsandcola.com/
Fleen, 6/22 http://fleen.com/
Graphic Policy, 6/23 http://graphicpolicy.com/
The Book Rat, 6/24 http://www.thebookrat.com/
Graphic Novel Resources, 6/25 http://graphicnovelresources.blogspot.com/
Women Write About Comics, 6/26 http://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/
If these graphic novels have the same sense of humor as the authors, they are a must read!
ReplyDeleteThey were really fun reads! :)
DeleteLOL fun interview! I can tell this is one of those books that would just be a blast to read and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this Jenny and great interview everyone!!
YES! I had a great time with these characters Ali, such fun books:)
DeleteOh yes the CC and Niles kiss
ReplyDeleteI loved that show so much.
DeleteGreat interview Jenny! Cliffhangers are always evil, but I'm still munching on the one from Dance of Dragons that I have been reminded of now because of the show! ;)
ReplyDeleteCliffhangers are evil, but they do their job so well!
DeleteI need to step out of my comfort zone & read a graphic novel, Jenny. The characters in this one seem hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThese were quick, fun reads Z. I highly recommend if you're in the mood for something different:)
DeleteWell that was an entertaining interview. :D
ReplyDeleteThe Joey proposing to Rachel cliffhanger though. I'm still not over it. It nearly ruined the show for me.
Thanks for sharing, Jenny!
I'm completely spacing on that moment Nick! I need to do a massive Friends re-watch:)
DeleteI can only imagine how much fun these three had working on this. Fun interview!
ReplyDeleteRight? I want to be a fly on that wall:)
DeleteFunny and clever. I enjoyed the interview :)
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm so glad:)
DeleteAhaha, Ivan Drago! I haven't thought about him in ages, and now I'm suddenly in the mood for a Rocky marathon. I read few graphic novels too, but I recently read Saga because my friend Flannery sent me a copy and I loved it.
ReplyDeleteCan you believe I've never seen Rocky? Or Rambo? I think Cliffhanger was my first Stallone movie:)
DeleteSeriously?! Why can't my author/s interviews be this interesting? Lol. I love graphic novels. I need to check their work. :)
ReplyDeleteI love when an author's personality shines through in their answers, and these three are hilarious:)
DeleteYES! I was laughing the whole way through when I got their answers:)
ReplyDeleteSo clever. Thanks for the grins and giggles. I will ask my son and niece to check this series out.
ReplyDeleteROFL, I love the Saved by the Bell reference. Yes, it broke my little heart too.
ReplyDeleteOMG those cliffhanger answers have me giggling! :) Amazing interview Jenny!
ReplyDelete