Categories
Graphic novels and comics

The graphic novel “Magnum Generation (s)”.

The graphic novel "Magnum Génération (s)".
The graphic novel “Magnum Génération (s)”.

Through drawings and superb photographs, this graphic novel recounts the events that contributed to the creation of Magnum, the famous international photography agency.

Before Magnum, there were only photographers trying to make a name for themselves and earn a meagre living in the face of media giants like Time. These big companies reframed original images, did not recognize copyright and made gigantic profits on the backs of photographers like Robert Capa, David “Chim” Seymour, Gerda Taro, Henri Cartier-Bresson and George Rodger. It was in reaction to this abuse that these photographers created the new agency.

The book makes us aware of the enormous risks involved in bringing back images of the world’s various conflicts. Robert Capa and Gerda Taro lost their lives in the heat of the action.

A page from the graphic novel "Magnum Generations".
A page from the graphic novel “Magnum Generations”.

Magnum’s evolution, its internationalization and the change in its primary vocation are brought to life. From an initial focus on war coverage, photographers gradually turned to diversifying their activities, to accommodate the specific needs of both the media and film productions.

The agency now protects them from abuse. However, photographers remain mindful of the need of support from contractors to survive financially. Still, they reserve some leeway for pure creativity, depending on each photographer’s personality and the mood of the day.

Keeping this agency alive, made up of professionals with different ambitions, is no small task. There are crises, schisms and reinventions, all essential to the evolution of this internationally renowned institution.

For those who know nothing about Magnum, this graphic novel offers a very accessible first approach.

Click on the link for other graphic novels and comics on my blog.

Title: Magnum Generation (s)

Scenario: JD Morvan

Drawings: Arnaud Locquet, Scietronc, Rafael Ortiz

Colours: Hiroyuki Ooshima

Edition: Caurette, ©2022

ISBN: 978-2-38289-028-8 (French version)

Categories
Graphic novels and comics

Lovecraft’s works: Les montagnes hallucinées.

Cover page of the manga "Les montagnes hallucinées", by Gou Tanabe.
Cover page of the manga “Les montagnes hallucinées”, by Gou Tanabe.

Gou Tanabe presents H.P. Lovecraft’s masterpiece “Les montagnes hallucinées” (the French version of “At the Mountains of Madness”) as a two-volume manga. Leafing through Lovecraft is in itself a journey into the strange, but to do so by starting at the end of a book and reading from right to left adds to the weirdness of the experience.

This transposition of Lovecraft into manga is a success. And the statistics prove it. The 382 reviews left on Amazon show clear customer satisfaction, with a total of 4.9/5 stars at the time of writing.

I normally prefer color comics and graphic novels, but the black-and-white interpretation of Lovecraft’s work is a perfect match for the fantasy world into which Tanabe plunges us.

A page from the manga "Les montagnes hallucinées" from Lovecraft, by Gou Tanabe.
A page from the manga “Les montagnes hallucinées” from Lovecraft, by Gou Tanabe.

Lovecraft makes a phantasmagorical work credible by integrating a well-balanced mix of real and fictional elements into the plot. Unless you’re an archaeologist and paleontologist yourself, it’s hard to tell which data really belong to science. This helps to frame the reader. You recognize moments of pure imagination, but you’re still hooked.

I put myself in the shoes of someone who lived in Lovecraft’s time, when Antarctica was still a mysterious continent, unexplored in its entirety. A story filled with elements of fiction would gain in credibility, while no one could really confirm or deny some of the author’s statements.

A page from the graphic novel "Les montagnes hallucinées".
A page from the graphic novel “Les montagnes hallucinées”.

In “Les montagnes hallucinées”, we read about sailing, aviation, extreme weather and survival in icy, isolated spaces. Readers witness the problems experienced by the various crews exploring Antarctica. The scientists’ increasingly startling discoveries force them to make risky decisions that plunge them into an unknown world. In short, themes that still appeal to most people today.

The two volumes total around 650 pages, which can be flipped through with interest in a single day, since many plates include no text at all.

Click on the link for more graphic novels and comics on my blog.

Title: Lovecraft’s Masterpieces – Les montagnes hallucinées tomes 1 and 2.

Author: Gou Tanabe

TANABE Gou, 2017. Printed in Italy August 2022.

ISBN: 979-10-327-0398-4

Graphic adaptation: Clair Obscur

Translation: Sylvain Chollet

Categories
Graphic novels and comics

The graphic novel “Jours de sable”.

The graphic novel "Jours de sable" by Aimée de Jongh.
The graphic novel “Jours de sable” by Aimée de Jongh.

The graphic novel “Jours de sable” is a historical reminder of the famous Dust Bowl which struck the central United States between 1930 and 1940. These were ten years of misery that inspired John Steinbeck for his work “The Grapes of Wrath“.

The sand and dust storms that engulfed parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado came from a multitude of combined causes, including farmers’ overuse of the soil and repeated droughts.

The American Dust Bowl.
The American Dust Bowl.

Add to these factors linked to the economic crisis and multiple epidemics, and we can understand the mass exodus of American households. They left everything behind, including many family members who died of dust-related respiratory complications. Most headed for the West Coast, but this massive influx of people only served to increase the region’s already high unemployment.

A page from the graphic novel "Jours de sable".
A page from the graphic novel “Jours de sable”.

The strangest thing is that, decades later, the climate changes experienced today in these same states could help to repeat the phenomenon, without it necessarily covering such a long period.

Author Aimée de Jongh uses fictional characters, but the scenario respects the reality experienced by the population. In her story, a young photographer leaves New York in 1937 to report on the Dust Bowl. He has been briefed on the subjects to be covered, but soon realizes that he is dealing with a human tragedy of unsuspected proportions.

The main character in the graphic novel tries to do his job in the sandstorm.
The main character in the graphic novel tries to do his job in the sandstorm.

Asking suffering people who have lost everything to pose for the New York media was not as simple as he had thought. The situation becomes even more complicated when he gets to know these people and experiences their difficulties first-hand.

In addition to the deftly drawn panels that delight the reader, there are plenty of period photos gleaned from various museums, as well as official historical content. I loved this award-winning book.

Click on the link for more graphic novels and comics on my blog.

Title : Jours de sable

Author : Aimée de Jongh

Edition: Dargaud, 2022

ISBN: 978-2-5050-8254-5

Categories
Flight Simulation

The Dornier DO X in flight simulation.

Dornier DO X stops its engines on a Swiss lake with Microsoft's flight simulator
Dornier DO X stops its engines on a Swiss lake with Microsoft’s flight simulator

Microsoft has made the famous German Dornier DO X seaplane available to flight simulation enthusiasts. Designed in 1929 by Claude Dornier, this seaplane far surpassed anything else on the market at the time, in terms of weight, length and power.

Flyingboat Dornier DO X.
Flyingboat Dornier DO X.

Unfortunately, the Germans couldn’t make a commercial success of it, as the aircraft was really too heavy to cover long distances at high altitude in an economical way. What’s more, bad experiences were piling up during the various stopovers: the left-wing canvas caught fire in Portugal, there was some problems with tropical weather, the tail was torn off during a poorly-planned ditching in Passau. What remains of the empennage after the accident can now be seen in the Dornier Museum in Friedrichshafen.

The Germans built the three DO X models at Altenheim, on the Swiss side of Lake Constance, to get round the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles.

Inside the flyingboat Dornier DO X with Microsoft flight simulator
Inside the flyingboat Dornier DO X with Microsoft flight simulator

One crew member was in charge of controlling and monitoring the engines. He obeyed the captain’s instructions.

Dornier DO X engine control

Dornier DO X engine control
Dornier DO X engine room with Microsoft flight simulator
Dornier DO X engine room with Microsoft flight simulator

The layout of the engines caused headaches for the mechanics. Six propellers pulled the aircraft forward, while another six pushed the DO X. The engines driving the rear propellers received less air than those in front of the aircraft. This led to cooling problems, which reduced reliability on long-distance flights.

Dornier DO-X flyingboat over the Atlantic ocean with MSFS 2020 flight simulator.
Dornier DO-X flyingboat over the Atlantic ocean with MSFS 2020 flight simulator.

The seaplane made its first test flight from Lake Constance (Bodensee)  in 1929. Below, a screenshot of the flight near Lake Brienz in Switzerland.

Dornier DO X flyingboat over Lake Brienz in Switzerland with Microsoft flight simulator.
Dornier DO X flyingboat over Lake Brienz in Switzerland with Microsoft flight simulator.

On its international routes, the DO X made stopovers in several European countries, Africa, South America, Miami, New York and Newfoundland. At the time, Newfoundland was not yet part of Canada. Newfoundlanders issued a stamp to commemorate the plane’s passage through Hollyrod. Naturally, those who kept a copy of the stamp have seen its value rise sharply over the years.

trans-atlantic-west-to-east-per-dornier-do-x-may-1932-air-mail-newfoundland-stamp
trans-atlantic-west-to-east-per-dornier-do-x-may-1932-air-mail-newfoundland-stamp

This legendary seaplane is still admired by aviation enthusiasts today. It’s available as a glue-on model, a desktop model and even as a remote-controlled model.

The Dornier DO X 1929 desktop flyingboat.
The Dornier DO X 1929 desktop flyingboat.
Small-scale radiocontrolled Dornier DO-X
Small-scale radiocontrolled Dornier DO-X

Click on the link for flight simulation articles on my blog.

Categories
Graphic novels and comics

Blake and Mortimer in painting.

Blake and Mortimer "La vallée des immortels tome 1" final version of my 24x36 acrylic painting.
Blake and Mortimer “La vallée des immortels tome 1” final version of my 24×36 acrylic painting.

I finally completed the final stage of the 24″ x 36″ canvas of Blake and Mortimer ,  “The Valley of the Immortals, Volume 1”. I had hoped to finish the whole thing before the summer, but other more pressing obligations disrupted the planned schedule.

The whole project will have taken around 200 hours and required the creation of some 130 colors in an attempt to imitate the album, at least in part.

I deliberately lightened the original work, especially the left-hand side, as I hang the painting on a wall and found the scene far too dark. My version respects the idea of chiaroscuro while adding a little light. Painting the canvas yourself also lets you play with the different shades of the bricks on the left-hand wall.

Painting of Blake and Mortimer : la vallée des immortels.
Painting of Blake and Mortimer : la vallée des immortels.

For the progression of the various stages over the past year, click on the link to the graphic novels and comics on my blog. There are several publications in that section, but you’ll get there gradually.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Photography in the Jacques-Cartier national park.

First accumulation of snow and ice of the river. Jacques-Cartier national park, Québec 2023.
First accumulation of snow and ice of the river. Jacques-Cartier national park, Québec 2023.
Jacques-Cartier National Park during a light snow shower, Québec 2023.
Jacques-Cartier National Park during a light snow shower, Québec 2023.

Every week brings a slight change in the vegetation and snow cover of Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier. Earlier this week, I was there as a light snow fell on the region. The ice doesn’t yet completely cover the river, but you can see in the first photo that it now surrounds the rocks in the middle of the stream.

Click on the link for other pictures of the province of Quebec on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Pointe-au-Père and L’Islet 2023

Musée maritime du Québec in l'Islet 2023
Musée maritime du Québec in l’Islet 2023

While in L’Islet, a stop at the Musée maritime du Québec is a must. Above, the icebreaker Ernest Lapointe, responsible for clearing the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Trois-Rivières for 37 years.

The Bras d'Or hydrofoil at the Musée de l'Islet
The Bras d’Or hydrofoil at the Musée de l’Islet

Also on the grounds is the famous HMCS Bras d’Or. This hydrofoil was created in Canada during the Cold War to monitor Canadian waters against possible Soviet submarine intrusion. As this museum boat explains, “it was compulsory to have a dual pilot’s licence for aircraft and navigation in order to operate this self-supporting winged craft“.

HMCS Onondaga submarine museum in Pointe-au-Père, Québec 2023
HMCS Onondaga submarine museum in Pointe-au-Père, Québec 2023

A little further east, we reach Pointe-au-Père, in the Rimouski region. Here you’ll find Canada’s only submarine museum.Visitors can tour the interior of the HMCS Onondaga, used until 2000. Travelers pass through 17 stations to learn about life aboard a submersible.

Inside the canadian submarine HMCS Onondaga in Pointe-au-Père
Inside the canadian submarine HMCS Onondaga in Pointe-au-Père

The mechanic worked for periods of two months at a time, monitoring the engines in this noisy, diesel-smelling environment. A German spy disembarking from a submarine at night in Gaspésie was spotted in a bus because it smelled strongly of diesel.

Empress of Ireland museum in Pointe-au-Père, Québec 2023
Empress of Ireland museum in Pointe-au-Père, Québec 2023

Above, a shot of one of the rooms in the Museum of the Empress of Ireland. Her sinking in the St. Lawrence River was the second most costly in human lives after the Titanic. Among all the objects recovered from the wreck is this porcelain skeleton that one of the passengers had in his cabin.

Skeleton head found in the Empress of Ireland
Skeleton head found in the Empress of Ireland

Click on the link for more photos from the province of Quebec on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

November in the parc national de la Jacques-Cartier.

Parc national de la rivière Jacques-Cartier, province of Quebec 2023
Parc national de la rivière Jacques-Cartier, province of Quebec 2023

In November, in downtown Quebec City, green still predominates on the grounds of properties, even if the trees have lost their leaves. But a short twenty-minute excursion north to the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier reveals the arrival of winter.

Jacques-Cartier river, November 2023.
Jacques-Cartier river, November 2023.

Fifteen centimetres of snow already cover the ground and, after kilometer 10 in the park, the road becomes inaccessible to cars. At the main kiosk, there’s a large parking area for those wishing to continue on foot along the surrounding trails. You’ll come away more relaxed, and with a few photos.

Click on the link for more photos from the province of Québec on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Rivière-du-Loup region 2023

Kamouraska and the St.Lawrence river 2023
Kamouraska and the St.Lawrence river 2023

The photograph shows a view of the fertile land along the St. Lawrence River in the Kamouraska region. A public observatory allows visitors to admire the panorama.

Sea kayaking on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Rivière-du-Loup
Sea kayaking on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Rivière-du-Loup

In the evening, in Rivière-du-Loup, these two kayakers enjoy the tranquility of the St. Lawrence River as they indulge in their favorite sport.

The St.Lawrence Seaway seen from Rivière-du-Loup
The St.Lawrence Seaway seen from Rivière-du-Loup

This HDR shot of a unit at the Auberge de la Pointe in Rivière-du-Loup features seven superimposed photos, for a total of 354 megabytes of data. This ensures that the sky is correctly exposed and that the rooms in the foreground are not completely obscured.

Orange rocs in Rivière-du-Loup
Orange rocs in Rivière-du-Loup

Near the Rivière-du-Loup – Saint-Siméon ferry, the rocks here and there take on an orange hue. It’s a nice contrast to the blue sky.

Ferry towards St-Siméon in the province of Québec 2023
Ferry towards St-Siméon in the province of Québec 2023

The journey takes us to Saint-Siméon on a calm seaway. A Canon EF 11-24mm F/4 USM wide-angle zoom lens captures the scene without exaggerated distortion.

Île-aux-Lièvres and the St. Lawrence river, Québec 2023.
Île-aux-Lièvres and the St. Lawrence river, Québec 2023.

Above, Île-aux-Lièvres from the ferry. The multiple cloud layers create streaky effects on the St. Lawrence River.

Auberge la Châtelaine Saint-Laurent, La Malbaie 2023.
Auberge la Châtelaine Saint-Laurent, La Malbaie 2023.

Here’s a shot of one of the corridors of the Auberge Châtelaine, in La Malbaie. One of the reasons to stop by is the excellent breakfast included after a good night’s rest. No fat bacon or greasy potatoes here: just homemade bread and jams.

Click on the link for more photos from the province of Québec on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Quebec

The Domaine Cataraqui in Autumn.

Apples and autumn colors in Quebec City, 2023.
Apples and autumn colors in Quebec City, 2023.
Autumn colors in the domaine Cataraqui in Quebec City, 2023.
Autumn colors in the domaine Cataraqui in Quebec City, 2023.
Autumn colors in Québec City in 2023.
Autumn colors in Québec City in 2023.

Here are three photos taken during a walk through the Domaine Cataraqui in Quebec City. I used a Canon EF 11-24mm f/4 USM   lens mounted on a Canon 5DSR camera.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Autumn on my blog.