French artist Simon Bournel-Bosson started his artistic journey with graphic design in mind. After graduating from La Martinière in Lyon with a degree in Applied Arts, he began his career in graphic design and artistic creation. However, his love for comic books inspired him to pursue that avenue as well. Les Trompettes de la Mort (Trumpets of Death) is his first solo comic book.
Coming on August 5th, Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group will be bringing Simon’s “Trumpets of Death” to an American audience with English translation by Edward Gauvin. In preparation of this exciting debut, we caught up to Simon to discuss his artistic beginnings and his thought-provoking story about intergenerational conflict and “showing how nature (human and otherwise) shapes us all, for better or worse.” So, let’s welcome talented cartoonist Simon Bournel-Bosson to GVN Talking Comics.
Artistic Beginnings
GVN: Thank you, Simon, for sharing just a bit of your time with us. Since this is our first opportunity to talk, let’s start with your creative beginnings. When did you first discover your first love of art and whose work inspired that appreciation?
SIMON: Thank you so much for your interest in my book! It’s wonderful to think that people will read it on the other side of the Atlantic. I discovered my interest in art, and comics in particular, very early on. I’ve been drawing since I was little to keep myself busy. In middle school, I was average at everything except drawing! So, pictures were a way for me to access stories. I had more trouble with just words. I started reading Tintin very early on. Like many others, it was a revelation. A world of possibilities. I grew up in small towns in central France, where people were pretty bored.
For me, Tintin was a window on the world. A vicarious journey. I knew early on that I wanted to tell stories, but I had to follow a more traditional educational path because it scared my parents. As I grew older, I was able to assert my desire and pursue design, which has a huge influence on my approach to comics today.
“Places are Characters”
GVN: You have worked on several different books before you did Trumpets of Death which was your first graphic novel. Was this a medium that you wanted to explore from the beginning or was it a natural step in your artistic growth?
SIMON: At first, I struggled to consider myself an author. I thought I had nothing to tell. So I drew in partnership with a journalist. Together, we produced several comic book reports in France. In a festive and social atmosphere, we met many people who talked about a France that was less successful. One where factories were closing. Or where the population was declining year after year. This experience was formative for me. It gave me self-confidence. It also gave me a taste for stories rooted in a place. For me, places are like characters. I love telling them.
Comic books were a natural progression when I wanted to tell my own stories. With my experience in graphic design, I was able to experiment visually, especially with color. This desire to highlight certain actions rather than others. Create ergonomic images. Powerful images that breathe. I think my way of making comics is imbued with many influences outside of comics. Notably cinema. Almost all my panels resemble a screen. My stories are first and foremost a film in my head. It’s in motion.
Trumpets of Death
GVN: If you could, please explain the premise of ‘Trumpets of Death’ and what inspired this story? It is a thought-provoking exploration of family relationships and those reflections of nature.
SIMON: I was keen to talk about the incomprehension between generations. I’m a city dweller; my grandparents live in the countryside. This created a lot of silence and mistrust. For me, this is the intimate foundation of the book, which nevertheless remains fiction. I wanted to portray this incomprehension as a confrontation. I wanted a dynamic story like a blockbuster. But also personal at the same time. The principle of the trumpets is to mirror reality with fantasy. When emotions don’t speak in reality, when silence prevails, fantasy comes to the rescue to poetically explain things. It’s simply like a metaphor.
I conceived my story like a patchwork quilt. Fueled by quite a few film references (Jean-Jacques Annaux’s The Bear, Rambo: First Blood). In this sense, it’s a tale imbued with nostalgia. But also, a tale that questions it. Antoine embodies a blank page who wants to free himself from his patriarchal heritage and build his own path.
The English Translation
GVN: This story was originally published in your native French and is being translated into English by Edward Gauvin. Having no knowledge of how a translation works in a written prose (I apologize for my ignorance), does it require any editing, or does it directly translate without any changes required?
SIMON: I haven’t read the book in English yet, but I know a lot of work went into it. There are obvious references to both French and American characters, like the Power Rangers or Casper the Ghost, who are in the book. But I’m intrigued to see how he handled it with Edouard Balladur (a French politician). There were adaptations to bridge the cultural divide where necessary, without detracting from the story.
Graphic Universe
GVN: You are working with Lerner Publishing Groups, Graphic Universe in the publishing of this book. How did that collaboration come about?
SIMON: Lerner approached my French publisher, L’Agrume, several months ago. I was put in touch with their team regarding the graphic design choices for the American version. And now I’m in touch with the marketing and media team. They’re super enthusiastic. It’s really great to feel their support. They believe in the project.
GVN: Thank you again Simon for your kind indulgence. Before we go, I want to give you the opportunity to tell our readers about any other works you have upcoming.
SIMON: I’m currently finalizing the storyboard for my next big project, which will be published. It’s a comic strip about boxing. It tells the story of a small group of boxers who train in a shed in an old lady’s garden while waiting for a real gym. It’s a collective story. Far from the spotlight. It’s about boxing practiced downstairs. A story also driven by the energy of a collective.
“Trumpets of Death” by Simon Bournel-Bosson comes to bookstores on August 5th, published by Graphic Universe™, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
