Arriving back at Champignac after their resounding victory over Zorglub and his Zorglmen – poor souls enslaved by a terrible will-negating wave – Spirou, Fantasio and the count discover the entire village paralysed! Another potential use of the zorglwave, and a sign that Zorglub’s remorse and his promise to free all of his men may not have been entirely sincere. Discovering the truth will take time, though, and send our friends on a trip far from home...
Sometime after their adventures in Attack of the Zordolts, Spirou, Fantasio and the Count of Champignac have nearly finished repairing the damage done by Zorglub’s ridiculous plans. Until that morning when they wake up in what appears to be their bedrooms, except ... on the moon! The moon, yes, where Zorglub – again – has built a massive laboratory. Unfortunately, the cost of such a construction is colossal, and the somewhat-reformed evil mastermind had to find financial backers ...
Spirou and Fantasio are spending a few days at Champignac Castle, keeping an eye on the estate while the Count is away visiting family. One night, as they are preparing to watch a comet pass in the sky, Fantasio’s clumsiness causes them to lose consciousness. They awaken to the very noisy arrival of de Champignac aboard one of his strange machines – except that the old man claims to be not the Count himself, but one of his descendants ... back from the future!
This is a collection of darkly comic standalone strips by a cartoonist Herge (Tintin) idolized. Die Laughing, which is executed in stark black and white, takes aim at everyone and everything in its scathing critique of modern life, but is particularly ruthless toward animal abusers, the military industrial complex, and death penalty enthusiasts. Franquin’s loose but meticulous line work features expressionistic shadows and silhouettes that infuse his depressed, repressed, and oppressed characters with a disturbing manic energy. Die Laughing is filled with visual gags and gag-inducing visuals that will haunt you.
In “Asterix and the Cauldron,” when a local Gaulish chief wants a cauldron full of money kept out of Roman hands, he entrusts Asterix to guard the loot. When the cash disappears, Asterix and Obelix must find a way to make money… fast! “Asterix in Spain” features our Gaulish hero heading to the Iberian peninsula to rescue the Gran Chen Huevos y Bacon’s son. But with the return of the Chief’s son to Hispania, comes a culture shock for Asterix and friends. Could Cacofonix the Bard finally find a culture that enjoys his awful singing? “Asterix and the Roman Agent,” starts when rumors are spread that Asterix leaked the recipe for the power potion to Rome Asterix must find who started these terrible rumors. These three classic graphic novels are newly translated for an American audience. Includes a new afterword by Alexander Simmons providing historical and cultural context for Asterix, both in 50 B.C. and in the time the classic comics were made addressing various racial depictions
The Durrell family are immortalised in Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals and its ITV adaptation, The Durrells. But what of the real life Durrells? Why did they go to Corfu in the first place - and what happened to them after they left? The real story of the Durrells is as surprising and fascinating as anything in Gerry's books, and Michael Haag, with his first hand knowledge of the family, is the ideal narrator, drawing on diaries, letters and unpublished autobiographical fragments. The Durrells of Corfu describes the family's upbringing in India and the crisis that brought them to England and then Greece. It recalls the genuine characters they encountered on Corfu - Theodore the biologist, the taxi driver Spiro Halikiopoulos and the prisoner Kosti - as well as the visit of American writer Henry Miller. And Haag has unearthed the story of how the Durrells left Corfu, including Margo's and Larry's last-minute escapes before the War. An extended epilogue looks at the emergence of Larry as a world famous novelist, and Gerry as a naturalist and champion of endangered species, as well as the lives of the rest of the family, their friends and other animals. The book is illustrated with family photos from the Gerald Durrell Archive, many of them reproduced here for the first time.
In “Asterix the Legionary,” one of the three classic Asterix graphic novels collected here, Asterix and Obelix do as the Romans do and join the Roman Legion in hopes to get closer to Obelix’s big crush in the process. Instead, the troops are sent far from Gaul to North Africa. Then, in “Asterix and the Chieftain’s Shield” with the village chief away, Caesar and his men come to play—and get their hands on a priceless Gaul shield! Asterix must foil their search and protect his village. Then Asterix heads to Greece to participate in the Olympic games. But how do the Gauls register themselves? As Romans? And is their powerful potion an ancient form of performance enhancers? It’s an international bout for the ages and just when you think you know what to expect in Asterix, the creators Goscinny and Uderzo throw things at you that you never could’ve imagined. Includes a new afterword by Alexander Simmons providing historical and cultural context for Asterix, both in 50 B.C. and in the time the classic comics were made addressing various racial depictions
Spirou and Fantasio’s friend, the Count of Champignac, asks them to join him in Australia, where he has heard that an ancient monolith is still standing. When they arrive, Champignac’s colleague Walker Donahue informs them that Champignac has been abducted by local gangster Sam. The monolith they’re after stands in the vicinity of an aboriginal mining village, which is constantly prey to white prospectors trying to steal indigenous resources. Spirou and Fantasio must save Champignac from Sam’s clutches and help him find the legendary monolith while standing by the aboriginal people.
