by BK Munn
I’ve been a big fan of Geneviève Castrée’s comics for years now, since 2004’s Pamplemoussi (L’Oie de Cravan) was nominated for the first Doug Wright Award for Best Book. She’s put out a ton of work since then, but most of it has been fairly obscure, either published by small houses in Quebec or Europe or in various artcomix anthologies like Kramers Ergot. I reviewed her 2005 short story “We’re Wolf” (published in Drawn and Quarterly Showcase 3) here, but her North American comics production has sort of taken a backseat to such musical projects as Ô PAON and Woelv (although many of her records include comics/illustrations). That’s why I was super excited earlier this year when D+Q announced they would be publishing a new autobio-style memoir by Castrée called Susceptible, scheduled for Fall 2012. The book is now available for pre-order on Amazon with a promised October 30 release date and rough cover image.
The publisher’s blurb reads:
A TRANS-CANADIAN EXPLORATION OF IDENTITY FROM A MULTITALENTED ARTIST AND MUSICIAN
Geneviève Castrée has long been beloved for her mini-comics, comics, visual art, and music. There is a unique quality to all of her artistic endeavors—quiet, serene, depressing. Castrée’s keen eye for detail and her fearless ability to probe the depths of her troubled past make Susceptible a stirring portrait of an artist coming into her own.
Susceptible is the story of Goglu (Geneviève), a daydreamer growing up in Quebec in the ’80s and ’90s with a single mother. From a skillful artist comes a moving, beautiful story about families, loss, and growing up. Whether she’s discussing nature versus nurture or the story of her birth, Castrée imbues her storytelling with a quiet power and a confidence in the strength of imagery.
I can hardly wait!