Sunday, September 25, 2016

Comic book festival Mab in Porto organized by Manuel Espírito Santo, Paula Fonseca and a team at Porto in 2012

Mab was conceived in my head in 2011 while I was thinking in doing a multimedia comic book festival in my hometown Porto, that didn't have a comic book festival since 1998, so I've gathered a team of people who believed in it and I'm always grateful for them to be part of it while helping me develloping my ideas. Jorge Grator Ferreira, Miguel Ângelo, André Faria, Andreia Gomes and my ex-wife Paula Fonseca.

Poster for the comic book festival - Mab designed by German Artist Lars Henkel 
Article at Portuguese National newspaper "Jornal de Noticias" about the presence of Belgium artist Dominique Goblet at Mab 


Promo in a Portuguese newspaper named "Jornal de Noticias" about the comic book festival Mab

Mab team with British Artist David Hine and American Artist Melinda Gebbie



 Mab had no funds whatsoever, only partnerships, so we were the ones promoting it everywhere (Portuguese newspapers, television, radio, Metro do Porto, blogues, physical places). 

Mab organization promoting the festival



Mab organization promoting the festival


Mab organization - Paula Fonseca promoting the festival at Livraria Lello



Mab organization promoting the festival



Mab organization - Paula Fonseca  promoting the festival at Candelabro coffee in Porto



Mab organization promoting the festival at Ovelha Negra Store




Mab organization - Paula Fonseca promoting the festival at boémia Caffé



Mab organization promoting the festival



Mab organization - Paula Fonseca promoting the festival at espaço 77



Mab organization promoting the festival

 Mab organization promoting the festival at Portuguese National TV - RTP 1


 Mab organization promoting the festival at Portuguese National TV - RTP 1




We made several extensions of it, like at Casa Viva for young Portuguese Artists and collective Portuguese published works such as Zona

Poster at Casa Viva in Porto to promote Mab


Mab organization - Paula Fonseca and myself promoting the festival at espaço Casa Viva



Exhibition At São Bento metro station to Hal Foster's Prince Valliant character.- 1st angle


Exhibition At São Bento metro station to Hal Foster's Prince Valliant character.- 2nd angle



At Portuguese Press National Museum to show the works of the father of  Portuguese comics Stuart de Carvalhais


 At Niepoot Douro Region and our homebase in the University of Fine arts in my hometown Porto.
 There were present in days 10 and 11 May, Uk comic book Artist David Hine and American comic book Artist Melinda Gebbie who made a conversation panel with me about her experience as an artist in San Francisco U.S.A, where she met people like Robert Crumb, Janis Joplin among many others and her projects with her husband Alan Moore and even a memories book that she was planning that can be watched at YouTube.

Me and British artist David Hine while Melinda Gebbie was looking at us.


British artist David Hine sketching books



Conversation panel with me and American artist Melinda Gebbie


American artist Melinda Gebbie sketching books at Mab 

 German illustrator and animation director Lars Henkel (Artist who provided the image for the poster of Mab) also released there some books and did signings while showing and talking about his animation movies and the ones by German animation director Anja Struck with myself.


German artist Lars Henkel sketching his books


 Belgium comic book Artist Dominique Goblet and French comic book Artist Olivier Deprez (founders of French publishing company Fremok) were also present aswell as German comic book Artist Kai Pfeiffer.

German artist Lars Henkel talking with French artist Olivier Deprez


 Portuguese Artists were present also there like Ricardo Cabral, Rudolfo, Marcos Farrajota, Felipe Melo, Mário Freitas and João Mascarenhas, all these artists had books for sale at Mab and Portuguese publishers and stores were there aswell with some of his works exhibited and an exhibiution homage to Italian publisher Sergio Bonelli who've passed away a few months ago that year.

Portuguese artist - Ricardo Cabral sketching his books


Me with Portuguese artist - Rudolfo


Books for sale of the artists that were at Mab 


Portuguese collective artists "A Zona" sketching books at Mab -1st angle


Portuguese collective artists "A Zona" sketching books at Mab -2nd angle


Exhibition homage to the late Italian publisher Sergio Bonelli


 Animation Portuguese director Regina Pessoa was also at Mab with her husband Abi Feijó and showed and talked about her animation movies "A noite" and "Tragic story with a happy ending" narrated by Elina Lowensohn that is an actress that appeared in movies by American director Hal Hartley such as "Simple men" and "Amateur". 

Me and Portuguese director - Regina Pessoa 


"A noite" movie by Regina Pessoa being watched


 At 12,13 and 14 March of the same year, Mab team were also invited to organize labels for wine bottles for the company Niepoort to be sold in markets such as Belgium, Uk, Germany and France with the presence of Portuguese animation directors Regina Pessoa and Abi Feijó and American Artist Melinda Gebbie that lives in Northampton-England with her husband and comic book legend Alan Moore (I'm sure that Alan Moore tasted some excellent Portuguese wine), Belgian Artist Dominique Goblet, French Artist Olivier Deprez , German Artists Lars Henkel and Kai Pfeiffer were there aswell drawing labels to be shown in bottles as labels and later sold.

Drawing portrait of me by Belgium artist Dominique Goblet


Me with Mab team members  - Jorge Grator Ferreira and Andreia Gomes at Douro Region


Me with German artist Kai Pfeiffer at Douro Region


Me with American comic book artist Melinda Gebbie and French artist Olivier Deprez at Douro Region


Belgium Artist Dominique Goblet sketching at Douro Region


Artists making labels for wine bottles at Douro Region


American artist Melinda Gebbie making drawings for labels for bottles at Douro region


Drawing study  for a wine label by American artist Melinda Gebbie


Second Drawing study  for a wine label by American artist Melinda Gebbie


Third drawing study  for a wine label by American artist Melinda Gebbie


 Drawing study  for a wine label by Belgium artist Dominique Goblet and German artist Kai Pfeiffer 


Second drawing study  for a wine label by Belgium artist Dominique Goblet and German artist Kai Pfeiffer


Drawing study  for a wine label by French artist Olivier Deprez


Drawing study  for a wine label by German artist Lars Henkel


Second drawing study  for a wine label by German artist Lars Henkel



Finished wine label by Belgium artist Dominique Goblet and German Artist Kai Pfeiffer


Finished wine label by Belgium artist Dominique Goblet, German Artists Kai Pfeiffer and Lars Henkel, French artist Olivier Deprez and American artist Melinda Gebbie


Another finished wine label by Belgium artist Dominique Goblet and German Artist Kai Pfeiffer


Finished wine label by Portuguese artist and animation movie director Regina Pessoa 


Finished wine label by in bottle by Belgium artist Dominique Goblet and German Artist Kai Pfeiffer

Another finished wine label by in bottle by Belgium artist Dominique Goblet and German Artist Kai Pfeiffer


Finished wine label by in bottle by French artist Olivier Deprez, Belgium artist Dominique Goblet  and German Artists Kai Pfeiffer and Lars Henkel

Finished wine label by in bottle by German Artists Kai Pfeiffer and Lars Henkel, French artist Olivier Deprez and American artist Melinda Gebbie 


 At 17 and 18 March of 2012 were present Italian Artist Fabio Civitelli who made a conversation panel with me and José Carlos Francisco about the comic book character Tex Willer that can also be watched at YouTube. Portuguese Artists Derrade and Geral and Rudolfo were present aswell to do signings on their books.
 It was fun doing this event, but in the end of it I was totally exausted.


Me and Paula Fonseca seeing sketches being done by Fabio Civitelli


Mab organization Paula Fonseca and me with José Carlos Francisco


Mab organization Paula Fonseca and me with Italian artist Fabio Civitelli


Mab organization Paula Fonseca with a book with a drawing by Italian artist Fabio Civitelli

Me with a friend and Italian artist Fabio Civitelli 


Italian artist Fabio Civitelli signing and sketching his books at Mab


Another photo with Italian artist Fabio Civitelli signing and sketching his books at Mab


Portuguese artists Geral and Derradé skecthing their books at Mab


Portuguese Artist Rudolfo skecthing his books at Mab


 But from time to time, I remember all this in my mind and I must say thanks to all people who helped me in this wild ride, since I'm not an amnesiac kind of person and I do believe in my memories and work made with people that were part of my life.

Manuel Espírito Santo 

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