The Farewell Song of Marcel Labrume

by Attilio Micheluzzi, Jamie Richards (Translator)

Overview

The first 21st century English language translation of Italian master Attilio Micheluzzi, a rousing adventure story that takes place in the Middle East during World War II.

The first act of this thrilling two-part adventure tale takes place in Beirut in 1941, when renegade journalist Marcel Labrume crosses paths with the beautiful and mysterious American millionaire Carol Gibson, who the Germans suspect of being a spy. With the help of Labrume, the young woman works to deliver a Jewish man wanted by the Germans to Palestine. Then, in 1942, Marcel Labrume is captured during the Battle of Bir Hacheim and becomes a prisoner of war. With his usual style and aplomb, and by the skin of his teeth, Labrume manages to narrowly escape death.

The Farewell Song of Marcel Labrume is Fantagraphics’ first entry in its planned Micheluzzi library, which will reprint all of his most significant works. Micheluzzi is one of the most iconic graphic stylists of the European comics scene known for his elegant line and stunning draftsmanship. He drew many graphic novels between 1974 and 1990, mostly of adventurous stories grounded in historical reality with a patina of romanticism, in the tradition of Milton Caniff and Hugo Pratt. Micheluzzi’s artwork in these Fantagraphics editions have been meticulously and lovingly restored by the artist’s daughter Agnese Micheluzzi and will be the finest reproductions in the artist’s career.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683969587
Publisher:	Fantagraphics
Publication date:	09/17/2024
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	10.60(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Attilio Micheluzzi (1930-1990) was an Italian comics artist. Born in Umag, which was then part of Italy, Micheluzzi graduated in architecture and worked for several years in Africa. Returning to Italy in the early 1970s, in 1972 he started collaborating with the magazine Corriere dei Piccoli, often under the pen name Igor Arzbajeff. Among the best-known comics created by Micheluzzi, there were the science fiction series Roy Mann, with texts by Tiziano Sclavi, and the adventure series Petra Chérie and Johnny Focus.

Jamie Richards is an Italian-to-English translator from Southern California currently based in Milan, Italy. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Oregon and an MFA in Literary Translation from the University of Iowa.

Editorial Reviews

"Incredible black and white artwork. ... stellar shading... masterfully crafted pages. ... Based on the strength of this phenomenal debut release ... I can’t wait to see more of [Micheluzzi's] works in the future."— Cinema Sentries

"The dialogue and writing is snappy and vernacular. The arrangements within the panels feel dramatic and theatrical. The atmosphere is superb — the shadows and background cast of characters and objects create a real sense of place. You can nearly smell the humidity or touch the dusty heat."— The Comics Journal

"A master of the comics medium."— Forces of Geek

"Another Fantagraphics line collecting an untranslated European master. ... Micheluzzi's composition excels in the balance of black & white."— Living The Line

"I'm so glad that we are getting more European books over here in America. We are living in an amazing time of collected editions."— Near Mint Condition

From the Publisher