Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Only lovers left alive - Why I quit working with Fantagraphics/Zombierella/autobiography book project - International Artists




A Simple John Doe writing and searching his memories
I've thought on starting this narrative with a mesmerizing song by American band Sonic Youth titled "Nevermind
 (What Was It Anyway)" 
as a first interlude in a 
multimedia narrative.

Below is the video and its written lyrics

 

"Best and sexy what was it anyway
Jean-Michel what was it anyway
Saw you there what was it anyway
Kneel right down what was it anyway
Guitar on the ground what was it anyway
Lost yr hand what was it anyway
Hipsters stand what was it anyway
Glitter tongue what was it anyway
Gave you a flower what was it anyway
Gave you the power what was it anyway
Saintly ghost what was it anyway
Tingling down what was it anyway
Nevermind what was it anyway
Soot me over
Feel me naked
Soot me over
Feel me escape
Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider
Girls go to Mars, become rock stars
Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider
Girls go to Mars, become rock stars
Boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider

 Girls go…" 

Sometimes narratives are in my mind inside a tiny corner of it.
Writing a narrative such as "only lovers left alive" is not an easy task, but I know that since I was a teenager nobody gave me anything in life without work.
 Being a bit lost in my memories since 2014, when I started developing a book collection in my mind from Italian maestro Guido Crepax and organizing another one from its roots from Argentine maestro Alberto Breccia  during months and hours of research/advice/contracts/translation while communicating/trying to find the best printed book editions all over the world with artworks for American publisher Fantagraphics (that can be read in previous posts in this same blogue with exclusive interviews from their heirs before them coming to public), I've thought this towards myself:
- They are Americans and they only care about money like most Americans do and I'm only a simple guy that was born in the prettiest city in the world located in maybe the oldest country that exists with borders.
 I knew that this publisher would try to take all my credits or my work on their printed books by messing the artists heirs minds that are mentioned above. (This book collection started in my mind and was organized by me and this enterprise will earn thousands of dollars with this).
 I also know that this publisher doesn't earn its money by selling books only, but by licensing them (obviously mostly American artists because they simply don't care about european artists at all, only if they're immediately cash in their bank account because of their big names like Crepax, Breccia, Tardi or books that already are a huge sucess in their respective countries).
to other countries in different languages while trying to sell to other publishers their own created files and even audiovisuals with work of other people putting them in a finished product with an excellent design and good information in their books (always with other people's help).
 I always knew that the true genius behind Fantagraphics was Kim Thompson and even his work wasn't held up high in this book publishing company, that simply is a publisher that survived by jumping in the 80's grunge movement with huge bands such as Nirvana 
 and that was located near their headquarters in Seattle - U.S.A while selling comic books in a truck to teenage kids that returned from some concerts in this city.
I also know that U.S.A has 50 states with 325 million people that comunicate in English, I thought this towards myself several times:
- Fantagraphics is a bunch of guys that work on a niche market that is the comic books one and they only sell 25.000 copies of their best selling title all over the world living in a country that has 325 million people?
- Are these numbers right?
- In France these numbers are way bigger and they're 67 million people and they only comunicate in French.



A saying that I love where is shown what money is on life


Later, I've started to think what U.S.A always was and still is in world's history (maybe most americans that think like this deserve Donald Trump as their solemn leader because they're exactly like him, no matter how many masks they put on themselves).
  Most of them always were European settlers, cowboys, gold diggers and they will always be like this, destroying people's work if necessary when money is the issue. 
 I know that living in Europe is strange since in here we communicate in several languages and sometimes we're lost in "babylon".
 Returning to my main point of view, this American book publisher was discovering masterpieces by European artists such as Italian maestros Hugo Pratt, Milo Manara,Crepax, Belgium maestro Tardi in the 21st century when European readers knew about these same artists and their stories since the 70's.
 Beholding myself as a simple John Doe, I also discovered that foreign movies in U.S.A from European directors such as Fellini, Bergman, Antonioni, Sergio Leone, Lars von Trier were also being discovered in U.S.A in the 21st century and we "Europeans" knew these directors and their movies really well and also american movies since their debut.
 So, what does Fantagraphics do as a publisher?
 They sell a product to the world according to their own standards with small talk (and British band Bauhaus told me since I was a teenager in one of of their awesome songs that "small talk stinks") 
neglecting those who helped them getting admired all over the world.
 I'm proud of my work that contributed for them to produce fantastic graphics books, but I always knew that they're simply "Young Americans" like British Singer David Bowie described in the song with this same name.
 What I know is a simple thing, this publisher doesn't pay (or only pay small amounts of dollars) to their collaborators and they profit thousands of dollars with them all over the years.
 I also know that this same blogue where I write on, is mentioned on their own books in published printed pages with my name on them spread all over the world, in stores, in newspaper international articles, in several languages, in readers homes, in plataforms such as Youtube, Amazon, websites, blogues, social networks, etc. 
 I could write a story/narrative based on this publisher's 40 years real history, but I don't care about them that much because I actually believe in "Columbus eggs" theory.
 I also know that more than 100 international artists entered on this fandom wagon with tributes to Crepax main characters Valentina and Belinda or to Alberto Breccia's creations with my work while communicating with them in several languages and exhibiting or trying to publish their awesome art skills in this publisher and that it all started in a tiny/ancient/pretty city filled with History.
 I'm not part of this publisher "team" anymore, because I'm not a huge fan of cowboys movies or how they try to sell a product by destroying their collaborators lives if they're far away.

Second and Third interlude shown below in a multimedia narrative performed by Scottish band Mogwai (that also love football).







 I know that I'm an ex-cowboy trying to write and edit several books to be published in english or other languages in several countries, because I'm sure that I can imagine excellent books with awesome design/paper and info in them with help by some of the best essayists or international artists that I know, also without help by short or long narratives such as this one named "only lovers left alive" that's in my mind since 2016 due to personal events that happened in my life.



A beautiful lady that helped me starting this concept that dwells on my mind named "only lovers left alive".



 Only lovers lovers left alive was conceived in my mind with help of the beautiful lady that can be seen above.
 Knowing that we live in a "free" world where everything can happen, I always trusted my life to ladies (sometimes with good or bad luck) and I owe part of this narrative to her while thinking this towards myself:
- Who's this girl?


A pretty lady from my past that love to be upside down like a common vampire bat


Memories are what we must hang deeply into, otherwise we'll lose ourselves on our identity, the lady above was part of my life for a brief period of time but I'm pretty sure that she'll be in my heart and soul until the end of my life with her smile for a while, imagining her as a bat or a simple woman being also sure that she isn't a lover left alive.

Below, I've thought on posting a beautiful cover by Nouvelle Vague's french musical band with Bauhaus song "Bela Lugosi's dead" to 20 or 21st Century women who know what life is all about with the fourth interlude shown below in a multimedia narrative.




Written lyrics

"White on white translucent black capes
Back on the rack
Bela Lugosi's dead
The bats have left the bell tower
The victims have been bled
Red velvet lines the black box
Bela Lugosi's dead
Undead undead undead
The virginal brides file past his tomb
Strewn with time's dead flowers
Bereft in deathly bloom
Alone in a darkened room
The count
Bela Lugosi's dead 

undead 
undead"  

A quote from Westworld TV series by its main character Robert Ford and a random sentence that is on my mind.


I believe in faerytales and all sort of fictional stories, sometimes "I think that I don't have a story, but I believe in dreams", like it's written in the above picture.


An artwork based on direct communication
Sometimes people tell me that I do care a lot about my image or that I do have charisma or character and I only tell them that I believe in direct communication with words, images and music.



Picture of an artwork based on myself by Italian artist Rolando Cicatelli, an artwork based on a 21st century woman by Spanish maestro Eduardo Alvarado, a picture of myself with a saying and a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 


Being a sort of character in narratives written or created by me, I think this to myself:
- What have I learned while being a teenager that loved Bauhaus music band or Bauhaus art school?
- What have I learned with pretty ladies all my life like the artwork above based on one by Spanish maestro Eduardo Alvarado?
- Will I be some kind of lover left alive in a chaotic, anarchist world where image is everything?
 I listen to some answers for these questions in my head:
- You never were a lover.
- You'll never be a lover left alive.




Picture of an artwork based on myself and a kitty that was stolen from me by Spanish artist Jon Ander Azaola and a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles


Memories can be marvellous and real hard when you think on some pet that you loved and lost due to your work that was never credited in a good/normal way by an American publisher.
 I'm sure that my kitty Ilvie will forever live in my heart, soul and memories, like in the artwork shown above by Spanish Artist Jon Ander Azaola and below by Argentine maestro Mr Ed and Croatian Artist Danijel Zezelj.



Picture of an artwork based on a kitty that was stolen from me by Argentine maestro Mr Ed, a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles


Picture of an artwork based on myself and a kitty that was stolen from me by Croatian Artist Danijel Zezelj and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 

I never know where I am or what I'll do in the upcoming future, but I know one thing:
- I've ideas and I do try to show them by writing narratives with them.
 In the picture below are three quotes that I do believe in about life itself:
"If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard way that makes it great."
"I tried to be normal once, worst two minutes of my life"
"You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." - Martin Luther King Jnr


Where sometimes ideas dwell on my heart and soul


T-shirts always were something that I loved since I was a teenager, I remember Bauhaus music tribute to Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi where they mentioned him always as "undead" because he was extremely attached to British writer Bram Stoker's character "Dracula" and after no longer being hired to portray this character in movies, he felt a bit sad with this fact, because he thought in his own mind that nobody could show the
same passion that he had for this character leaving a testament in order to be buried with his own Dracula cloak.

 This song is still one of my favorite songs ever because Bauhaus members sensed the passion that Bela had for the above mentioned character.


Wearing a t-shirt with tribute to Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi by British music band Bauhaus 

Sometimes people think that I'm Spanish or that I was born on another country, I do tell them that I was born in the prettiest city in the world, that my native language is Portuguese (that's the fourth language most written and spoken in the world) and I don't understand when Portuguese people hate a guy such as José Mourinho that is one of the best coaches in football world history, that helped other Portuguese to work on the same job that he has, that he's proud of being a Portuguese citizen and I do love football and the way his teams that he coaches play, some international artists knew my admiration for Mourinho and drew him for me like examples shown above by Argentine Artist Mr Ed and Spanish maestros Santiago Sequeiros and Eduardo Alvarado.


the fifth interlude shown below in a multimedia narrative with Mourinho talking about intelectual prostitution.




 Lost in my thoughts I think towards myself this:
- Is Fernando Pessoa a better writer than William Shakespeare?
(My humble reply to myself)
- Of course that he's, but he's Portuguese.
(More rethorical questions in my mind)
- Were Henry, the Navigator or Fernão de Magalhães (both born in Porto), wild men trying to discover a new world or were they both madmen and never existed? (I know that in a simple atlas mundi map, we can actually see there the name Magalhães or is it possible that this name is from a gold digger or a settler?) for fucks sake.
- Where did British writer J.K. Rowling started writing worldwide know character Harry Potter
- Was it in Porto with the city as her inspiration or was it in some small city in U.S.A
 World History in books provide info that she created it in Porto and I even have friends who were teachers in the same school and at the same time when she gave english lessons to students in Porto.

 She also lived in the street where I was living two years ago and I strongly believe that some parts of Harry Potter's movies were filmed in Porto, but maybe I'm wrong and World History/Geography is upside down.    



Wearing a personalized t-shirt with an artwork by Spanish maestro Santiago Sequeiros based on Portuguese football coach José Mourinho and a picture of himself.


Picture of an artwork based on Portuguese coach José Mourinho by Spanish maestro Santiago Sequeiros and a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 

First picture of an artwork on Portuguese football coach José Mourinho by Argentine maestro Mr Ed, a common lighter and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

Picture of an artwork based on myself and Portuguese football coach José Mourinho by Spanish maestro Eduardo Alvarado, a common lighter and a pen and pencil with Portuguese tiles


Second picture of an artwork based on Portuguese football coach José Mourinho by Argentine maestro Mr Ed, a common lighter and a pen and pencil  decoratedwith Portuguese tiles


My memories are a bit tricky (maybe this is due to the fact that I'm becoming old) but I remember that english singer/actor David Bowie gave me and to all the world, real dreams while putting ourselves wondering about "Sound and Vision" or about "Life on Mars".


Wearing a personalized t-shirt with an artwork by German Artist Lars Henkel and a picture of musician/actor David Bowie in his "sound and vision" tour from 1990 by Brazilian photographer Alex Korolkovas

I know that I love American directors Buster Keaton that performed his characters in his own movies without stunts and David Lynch, that's an artist that ressembles Italian director Federico Fellini and he states several times that Fellini was one of his main influences.  Below is an artwork by Spanish Artist Daniel Esteve based on myself with a simple question "Buster or Lynch?" that I've asked Daniel to put in it as a sort of tribute to these magnificient American artists.


Picture of an artwork based on myself by Spanish artist Daniel Esteve and a notebook with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 



Picture of a David Lynch's script for his masterpiece "Eraserhead" and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 

Wearing a Bauhaus t-shirt with a tribute to Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi and a quote that I love by American director David Lynch


David Lynch's quote: "ideas are like fish, if you want to catch a little fish, you can stay in the shallow waters, but if you want to catch the big fish, you've got to go deeper"


Picture of an artwork/poster based on myself by Spanish artist Daniel Esteve, a picture of American director David Lynch seeing British actor David Bowie in his masterpiece movie "Fire walk with me" with some thoughts by myself and a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

I clearly know that it's different thinking things towards yourself than actually be in a movie, so sometimes I think some thoughts towards myself like are in the above picture from David Lynch's masterpiece movie "Fire walk with me" where Bowie is an agent that was lost in another reality or through some looking glass:
"What do you do when you've something real strong to write while knowing that you're not Bowie or David Lynch in some motion picture?"


the sixth interlude shown below in a multimedia narrative with Bowie at David Lynch 's masterpiece "Fire walk with me" talking about weird things.





 I also know that Finnish Artist Terhi Ekebom is one of the best artists ever with a gentle soul and that believes in the power of nature and I love communicating with her because she gives me ideas all the time and she truly believes in my skills since 2016.
 I know that I've personally met extraordinary German Artist Lars Henkel at an arts festival in 2012 that I've organized and where his artworks and extraordinary Animations directed by him and by German artist Anja Struck were exhibited and shown to an audience.
 I've told  him this:
- You live in an orange planet.
He replyed:
- I'm ok in it.
Below are some of Terhi awesome mural paintings, some of her artworks shown with her masks in movement with her own face and printed artworks by Lars.




Picture of an artwork/mural by Finnish artist Terhi Ekebom, a picture of American director David Lynch seeing British actor David Bowie in his masterpiece movie "Fire walk with me" with some thoughts by myself in a notebook decorated with sardine cans, a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles


Picture of an artwork/mask by Finnish artist Terhi Ekebom, a picture of a coffee, books, an artwork by German artist Lars Henkel in a notebook decorated with sardine cans, a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles






Wearing a personalized t-shirt by German artist Lars Henkel with pictures shot by Brazilian photographer Alex Korolkovas




Picture of an artwork by German artist Lars Henkel and another one with me wearing a personalized t-shirt by Finnish Artist Terhi Ekebom with a female children, a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 


 Knowing that we live in a digital era, I was influenced several times in my narratives or work in Grant Morrison's "The Invisibles" masterpiece.
 I remember asking Polish Artist Bartosz Jekiel to draw me for an exhibition with other international artists with a mirror panel of this series.
 Below are some covers created by British artist Brian Bolland (that drew three versions of Valentina that were exhibited by me with other international artists in several countries and published on Crepax first limited booklet with other international artists organizing four booklets with 52 tributes to Crepax main character to promote Fantagraphics Crepax book collection where I was series editor), for this comic book series with some hidden messages (with a female character named Ragged Robin coming from the future to help the main character of them King Mob in this adventure series). I know that Grant firmly expressed to his readers that "The Invisibles" comic book series was what he was living and passing in life at the time when he was writing it.
 I've thought on Grant's messages in the 90's about the turning of the XXth century to XXI and it all makes sense in it, because Morrison thought that he was dying at that time being a bit lost in a narrative named "only lovers left alive".



Picture of an artwork based on myself with a mirror panel of Scottish writer Grant Morrison masterpiece The Invisibles by Polish artist Bartosz Jekiel along a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles


Picture with a saying about a writer, an artwork by Phil Jimenez based on King Mob and Ragged Robin characters, an issue cover by Scottish writer Grant Morrison masterpiece The Invisibles along a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles



 In the picture above in issue 13 from February 1998 these dialogues appear on its cover:
 King Mob character:
 "We are now leaving the 20th century! 
Join the revolution! 
Demand the Impossible! 
Overthrow the spectacle! 
Beneath the sidewalk, the beach! 
Disobey all imperatives!"
Ragged Robin character: "So exacly what's our revolutionary agenda, boss?
Lord Fanny character: "Consume!"
Jack Frost character: "Buy!"


Picture with two issue covers by Scottish writer Grant Morrison masterpiece The Invisibles along a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

 In issue 16 from June 1998 above appear this monologue by main character King Mob on its cover with this sentence: "Brit pop is dead"


Picture with the third page from issue 14 published in April 1998 by British artist Chris Weston of Scottish writer Grant Morrison masterpiece The Invisibles with the title "only lovers left alive", a picture by Brazilian artist Alex Korolkovas with L.A models Vika Costa from Russia and Katya Kulizhka inspired in 20st century women characters Valentina and Belinda in flesh and bone, a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

Dialogue between The Invisibles main characters nemesis Sir Miles and a soldier.
Sir Miles: "And you did insist on meeting me outwith the material plane."
Soldier: "I've been asked to commend you for the assassination of the moon Godess, Diana. Or ar least her earthly representative in this time section. The accompanying emotional climatic made quite a feast for our... Governs. In the Tarot, the moon card signifies a traumatic gateway experience. A passing through darkness. A new spirit is coming to visit the world Sir Miles, and it has teeth."


Picture with an isue cover by Scottish writer Grant Morrison masterpiece The Invisibles and a tribute to American musician writer/actor Tom Waits by Argentine artist Mr Ed along a glass of water and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

Swedish maestro Max Andersson's artworks are always filled with surrealism, dreams, irony, sarcasm, joy, life and death, inside my mind it was interesting to vision his inner world within my physical body while wearing personalized t-shirts by him (one of them as myself as a carboy character that often appear in his graphic stories) and that will have his complete short stories published in Fantagraphics because I've asked Max if I've if I could try to publish them in Portuguese.



Wearing two t-shirts by Swedish maestro Max Andersson to promote his stay in Beja - Portugal international comic book festival where I was supposed to be his ghost there with a live talk with him in 2018


Picture with me wearing a personalized t-shirt by Swedish maestro Max Andersson, a printed artwork by Argentine Artist Vanesa Carosia, a cigarette box, a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 

Being a bit lost in between projects, I've asked Argentine Artist Vanesa Carosia to print some of her artworks with hidden messages about society like the ones mentioned below her artworks.

Picture with an awesome artwork by Argentine Artist Vanesa Carosia with a hidden message along a cigarette box, a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 



"The thing's free and looses focus, starting a new "ALIEN stage, give it to me right now, doesn't matter how it's" - translated from Spanish

First picture with two awesome artworks by Argentine Artist Vanesa Carosia with hidden messages about society, a cigarette box, a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 

"And she gives everything to her bosses... Ahá... Totally agree"... - translated from Spanish


Second picture with two awesome artworks by Argentine Artist Vanesa Carosia with hidden messages about society, a cigarette box, a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 

"Hey, are we going to have a coffee? Watch a movie? How much do you earn?" - translated from Spanish


Third picture with two awesome artworks by Argentine Artist Vanesa Carosia with hidden messages about society, a cigarette box, a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 

 "Small talk musical band" - translated from Spanish


Being a writer is hard because one must gather in his mind, the work that he has previously wrote, done or worldwide exhibited with help by international artists, below are some examples of some work that I've gathered in a team spirit along pictures of movies with powerful messages towards society such as Chinese director Wong Kar Wai and Portuguese director João César Monteiro and with comic book character Hellblazer.


Picture of an artwork/poster based on myself by Spanish artist Daniel Esteve and another picture with a saying about what being a writer is with a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 


Wearing a personalized t-shirt by French Artist Walter Minus based on a 21st century woman

Picture of an artwork based on myself by Spanish artist Pedro Rodriguez along a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

Wearing a t-shirt with a tribute to Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi by British music band Bauhaus with a picture based with a quote based on friendship in Chinese director Wong Kar Wai's masterpiece "Days of being wild"


Picture of an artwork based on myself by Catalan artist Toni Benages Gallard along a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

Wearing a t-shirt with a tribute to Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi by British music band Bauhaus with a picture with comic book character Hellblazer created by British writer Alan Moore talking to himself about what life's in British writer Paul Jenkins and British Artist Sean Philips in their magnificient run in this masterpiece comic book series.



Hellblazer monologue (that I think that fits well in this narrative) in the picture above in issue 120 published in December 1997 with the title "Desperately seeking something".
"What you saw outside today Arch an' Chloe an' all that, eh? I mean my world's all about magic an' lies an' old mates with shady pasts - Who's to say any of it's real? Or me for that matter?Am I simply this - black lines on white papers, an iconic representation of an idea? Or am I as real as you are? Maybe the real question isn't "what is real and what's alive?", maybe it's "what is reality?"



Wearing a t-shirt with a tribute to Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi by British music band Bauhaus with a picture of Portuguese director João César Monteiro masterpiece movie "God's comedy"

Below is a frame picture of this movie with João César Monteiro saying this to himself in Portuguese:
"I'm not understanding what's happening here".- translated from Portuguese




Seventh interlude in a multimedia narrative with an interview to Portuguese director João César Monteiro during the premiere of his 2000's movie adaptation of Austrian writer Robert Walser's Snow White that was shot in grey and in a dark movie screen towards the media as a manifest due to "strange things" in XXI century society.







Picture of an artwork based on myself by Argentine artist Mukor Bazan along a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 




Trying to write while wearing a personalized t-shirt by Spanish maestro Santiago Sequeiros based on a 20th century woman along a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles.


Picture of an artwork based on myself by Finnish artist Terhi Ekebom, along a common lighter, a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles 

A simple John doe trying to be normal.



Picture of an artwork based on myself by Polish artist Magdalena Minko, along a notebook decorated with sardine cans and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

Picture of an artwork based on myself by Brazilian artist Éder along a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

Picture of an artwork based on myself by Japanese artist Shiro Baba along a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles



I know that I love photography as an art form and Brazilian photographer Alex Korolkovas is one of the best contemporary artists that I know, because he loves the image of simple women and understands them (being them from the XXth or XXIst century).
Below are some examples of his awesome photographs.

Wearing a personalized t-shirt by German Artist Lars Henkel and a picture of an Argentine model named Vicky Furnari shot by Brazilian Artist Alex Korolkovas


A picture of a 21st century woman in flesh and bone in the role of a 20th century female character by Brazilian model Barbara Nogueira shot by Brazilian Artist Alex Korolkovas along a pen and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles.





A picture of two 21st century women/models shot by Brazilian artist Alex Korolkovas along two pens and a pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles.




Eight interlude in a multimedia narrative with an interview to Portuguese director João César Monteiro about society in the XXI century.






Santiago Sequeiros artwork is awesome while showing to his readers what are human beings inside themselves.
 Below is a sketch art study that I love by him and he was kind enough to give me permission to print it (I've even have a personalized t-shirt with it), since it was a study that was finished later in an awesome artwork published and worldwide exhibited in a team effort of other international artists and that was curated/organized by me.
 I also remember that I've tried to publish his complete bibliography at Fantagraphics but its owner wasn't interested on publishing it.


Picture of a sketch art study based on a 21st century woman by Spanish maestro Santiago Sequeiros in a simple notebook and a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles.


Women were and always will be fascinating and beautiful human beings and I love to observe and talk/communicate with some.
 Arts world always belonged to women as the main subject of this blue planet where we live in.
 Below is an awesome artwork by American artist Erik Von Erik based on Catalan model Ninette Shibara, pictures of a XXIst Century woman and an actual picture of Catalan Model Ninette Shibara holding a samurai sword.        



Artwork by American artist Erik Von Erik based on the Catalan model Ninette Shibara along a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles

First picture of a XXIst Century woman along a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles  

Second picture of a XXIst Century woman along a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles  


Catalan model  Ninette Shibara holding a samurai sword along a pen and pencil decorated with Portuguese tiles


Working with women is a bit tricky sometimes, because they use social networks in the right way.
 I remember that my friend and excellent musician Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva told me that she was sad because she was fired from Messer Chups russian band, while the male members of it answered to their fans at social networks something like this: "Messer chups and Zombierella are no longer together because we had different tastes in food and music".
Being my friend Svetlana sad about this, I've told her that I could organize an exhibition with artworks based on her character with help by international artists (which I did) and that I would write and try to publish a book about her character with international artists artworks (and I'm doing this).
 I know that Svetlana's again with Messer Chups (maybe male members of this band started having the same tastes in music and food with Zombierella or vice versa) and she's happy and I'm quite happy because I don't love sad women and I know that this band without Svetlana's physical presence and beauty in this band pictures, posters or videos would be only one more rockabilly/surf music band.      
 I know that she admires bassist/singer Kim Deal from American band The Pixies and that she thinks that she has the potential to be like Kim, so I've decided to put here a fifth interlude with a live song from them called "Tame".
Below is the video and its written lyrics.



   
Got hips like Cinderella
Must be having a good shame
Talking sweet about nothing
Cookie I think you're
Tame 
Tame, tame 
Tame
I'm making good friends with you
When you're shaking your good frame
Fall on your face in those bad shoes
Lying there like you're

Tame
Tame, tame

Tame 
Tame, tame 
Tame
Tame
Tame, tame

Tame 
Tame 
Tame
    .   

Picture with three artworks by Argentine Artist Paulo Burman, German Artist Oliver Blees and Italian Artist Rolando Cicatelli based on two great bassist female musicians.

First picture of my friend and excellent Russian musician Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva from Messer Chups rockabilly/surf music to whom I'm writing a book based on her own character Zombierella with help by almost fifty international artists that drew or that are drawing her for an upcoming published book.

Second picture of my friend and excellent Russian musician Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva from Messer Chups rockabilly music to whom I'm writing a book based on her character Zombierella with help by almost fifty international artists that drew or that are drawing her for an upcoming published book.


I really admire women (always did) and when I'm communicating with a pretty lady about football (including football player Cristiano Ronaldo and football coach Mourinho being both Portuguese), what should I want more from her?

Below are pictures of her and a tribute drawn also based on her by Polish artist Nikodem Cabala


Picture of a XXist century woman that's an awesome musician holding vintage phones.

Random pictures of a female musician who I comunicate with about football.
A tribute artwork by Polish artist Nikodem Cabala based on a Bassist woman of a Russian Band 

I think that sometimes I'm writing stories in a constant loop in my mind.
  I know that I love women of all ages and if they're from my own family, they are even better since some of my blood is in them.
 Below are some pictures of me with some young women that are part of my life.  


A picture of myself being inside a theater play with a young cousin of mine that I'm sure that was born in this century and that will turn into an awesome XXIst century woman




With Cecilia that is the best friend of my youngest niece Letícia 


With my youngest niece
 Letícia and her best friend Cecilia.



I know that German artist Anke Feuchtenberger was in Portugal in 2003 with a magnificient exhibition and that I've personally met her along German artists Martin Tom Dieck and Ulf K.   

 She was real nice then and had (and still has) a gentle soul.

 I know that I've invited her to a comic book festival that I've organized in Porto in 2012  and that she couldn't come because she was sick and some years later she provided me an excellent interview that can be read in this same blogue in previous posts.

 I also know that I've tried to pitch her books to American publisher Fantagraphics, but its owner didn't show any interest on her books.

 I know that in August 2016 (after talking with Finnish Artist Terhi Ekebom) that I was supposed to be in Helsinki-Finland talking to an audience because of an exhibition that I've curated there with more than 100 international artists based on a XXth century woman and that I could personally meet her again and my friend, extraordinary artist and ghoulish creature Terhi Ekebom, but I couldn't be there due to personal issues.        

Below are some pics of myself wearing a Bauhaus t-shirt and showing some printed artworks from her in a place where I was happy for several years near the sea.    

01


02


03




04

05

06


07

08

09

10

11

12



I clearly remember being "normal" several years within a love story in a small village named "sonhos" that translated from Portuguese to English means "dreams".
 Some people say that I'm still stuck in them and I do reply them this:
"I'm finishing several book projects with a sentence inside my mind named "only lovers left alive".How can I live in dreams?"
Below are some proofs that this village real exists and that it has a black kitten on a yellow house and a special person inside it also.     
   


01

02

03

05

06




Ninth and final interlude in a multimedia narrative with an interview to Portuguese director João César Monteiro about his movies and how he felt due to the fact that he was born in Portugal.





Having a nice cup of coffee in old Europe, I send my deepest thanks to all international artists who helped me or that are helping me in present time in my work. (You're more than one hundred and I'm only a simple guy)
 Special thanks to my family, to the kind and pretty lady Svetlana Zombierella Nagaeva (that sometimes borrows me her character), 
to my friend and extraordinary Argentine Artist Patricia Breccia, to my unique friend, gentle soul, ghoulish creature of the night and extraordinary Artist Terhi Ekebom, to Argentine Artist Mr Ed, (that was several times my right and left arm on the last two years with exhibitions and books design), to my youngest niece Letícia, to special people in my life and to my five kitties named Jacky, Nuala, Maya, Pimpolha and Ilvie that I've used to have by my side when I was simply writing or thinking on upcoming ideas while protecting them (or they were protecting me as the guardian angels that they were to me), gazing and caring for me with their feline movements, because I know that they weren't my lovers and they are alive without my presence in their lives and this leaves me with a black hole inside my heart.
Manuel