The following is a list of works perpetrated by the denizens of The Metabunker and info about how to get hold of them or where to learn more.
books
FROM WONDERLAND WITH LOVE — DANISH COMICS IN THE THIRD MILLENIUM
Edited by Steffen P. Maarup
As good an introduction to the best Danish comics has had to offer for the last decade or so, this anthology — co-published by Aben Maler and Fantagraphics Books, and thus available internationally — collects short comics works by the following artists: Zven Balslev, Vibe Bredal, Simon Bukhave, Allan Haverholm, HuskMitNavn, Peter Kielland-Brandt, Ib Kjeldsmark, Johan F. Krarup, G. R. Mantard, Søren Mosdal and Jakob Ørsted, Julie Nord, Signe Parkins, Mårdøn Smet, Jan Solheim & Maria Isenbecker, Thomas Thorhauge, Nikoline Werdelin, and Christoffer Zieler.
“An eye-opening cornucopia of visual storytelling styles traversing a wide variety of narrative avenues, this anthology gives a strong representation of contemporary Danish comics as a thriving comics culture…. An essential volume for those interested in comics’ global development and newest voices.”
– Publishers Weekly, starred review
“…if you love the place where art challenges the status quo and breaks new ground, you will feel at home here.”
– Ulf Reese Næsborg, Tegneseriesiden.dk
Copenhagen/Seattle, 2009, Aben Maler/Fantagraphics Books, 176 pages, colour, English language, DKK 240/$29.99. Order from Fantagraphics or from one of the internet bookstores.
KOM HJEM
Thomas Thorhauge’s second graphic novel, telling the story Thea who, for a fresh start in life, goes to Normandy to live in a activists’ collective, while two people back home are thinking of her.
“Kom hjem […] is without comparison the most ambitious and successful Danish, no, Scandinavian graphic novel — actually, it is fully commensurate with its international paragons… Kom hjem is an expansive work that treats serious subject matter without ever becoming didactic, but what makes it particularly great is its synthesis of form and content. It is in this respect, more than any other, that the book deserves an audience, also internationally. In every scene, Thorhauge probes the possibilities of the medium without ever losing himself in empty formalism. Perhaps the greatest achievement is that he so effortlessly experiments and thinks outside the box without ever losing sight of his story.”
– Benni Bødker, Information
“Its level of ambition recalls Chris Ware’s melancholy masterpiece Jimmy Corrigan. […] It is greatly encouraging to read such an ambitious Danish comic, which so elegantly walks the fault line between the serious and fun.”
Nikolaj M. Lassen, Weekendavisen
****** (of 6) “Kom hjem is amongst the best and most joyful things that have happened in Danish comics in a long time. And it also rates fully in an international perspective.”
– Hans Bjerregaard, Ekstra Bladet
Copenhagen, Rosinante, 210 pages, full colour, Danish language. DKK 249.95. Order from the publisher here. More information can be found on Thorhauge’s blog.
JØRGEN LETH
24-page comic in which T. Thorhauge gives us his disturbingly symbolic and wickedly funny take on Danish writer, filmmaker and sports commentator Jørgen Leth.
“It is fantastic to see this man, living according to aethetic principles, not giving a shit, indulging his curiosity and following his impulses. Totally and unflinchingly. I am happy to see that there are still eccentrics of his kind amongst us here in Denmark — people who march to the beat of a different drummer.”
– T. Thorhauge, to Euroman.
“Extraordinary”
– Hans Bjerregaard, Ekstra Bladet
Copenhagen, Aben Maler, 24 pages, black and white. DKK 35.00. Can be ordered from the publisher, who also offers excerpts. Additional information can be found on Thorhauge’s blog.
BLÆK
Edited by Matthias Wivel & T. Thorhauge, designed by Frederik Storm
BLÆK is a delerious smorgasbord of comics and nonsense from 29 of Denmark’s finest cartoonists and picturemakers. It seeks to simultaneously define and challenge the state of the art form in Denmark today and thus presents everything from traditional narrative comics to a variety of fine arts approaches to the form. Frivolous yet focused, hard yet smooth.
Includes contributions by: Zven Balslev, Nina Jan Beier and Marie Jan Lund, Søren Behncke, Simon Bukhave, Cav Bøgelund, Jan Oksbøl Callesen, Ole Comoll Christensen, Anna Gulmann, Ingen Frygt, Peter Kielland-Brandt, Ib Kjeldsmark, Loka?, Ina Kjølby Korneliussen, Peter Madsen, Søren Mosdal and Jakob Ørsted, Julie Nord, REBUS, Michael Rytz, Johan Nørgaard Pedersen, Christian Skovgaard Petersen, Mårdøn Smet, Jan Solheim, Jens Thegler, Thomas Thorhauge and Kathrine Ærtebjerg.
The book was selected as one of the books of the year in 2006 by the Danish Association of Bookbinders for the design work on the cover by Frederik Storm and the artwork of Jan Solheim.
****** (6 out of 6) “Of staggeringly high quality”
- Kristian Lindberg, Berlingske Tidende
“An almost monstrously sovereign publication. Do buy it - this breakthrough manifestation of the graphics of a new age.”
- Søren Vinterberg, Politiken
Copenhagen: Politikens forlag, 2006, 224 pages, full colour, DKK 199.00. SOLD OUT from the publisher. Danish language, but contains large amounts of wordless material.
FORANDRINGSTEGN — DE NYE TEGNESERIER
By Matthias Wivel & T. Thorhauge, designed by Frederik Storm
Forandringstegn is an introduction to the new wave in comics that has changed the landscape of Western comics so thoroughly over the last decade and a half.
In addition to both a written and a comics form-introduction to the field by the authors, the book contains short comics by, and extensive interviews with David B., Ben Katchor, Anke Feuchtenberger, Martin tom Dieck, Jim Woodring, and Dylan Horrocks.
The book was selected as one of the books of the year in 2004 by the Danish Association of Bookbinders for the design by Frederik Storm.
“Prophetic… Overturns the status quo”
- Søren Vinterberg, Politiken
“One of the very best books on comics ever written in Scandinavia”
- Fredrik Strömberg, sekventiellt.se
Copenhagen: Forlaget politisk revy, 2004, 240 pages, black & white/colour, DKK 198.00. Can be ordered by sending an email to the Metabunker. Danish language.
BLÆK — BANDES DESSINÉES DANOISES
Edited by Matthias Wivel
Anthology published in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name at the Maison du Danemark in Paris, Summer of 2003. In addition to an introduction to comtemporary Danish comics by the editor, it contains comics by the following cartoonists: Simon Bukhave, Ole Comoll Christensen, Ivar Gjørup, Peter Kielland-Brandt, Peter Madsen, Søren Mosdal, Mårdøn Smet, Jan Solheim, Jakob Martin Strid, T. Thorhauge and Nikoline Werdelin.
Paris: Éditions Frémok, 2003, 110 pages, black & white, €16.00. Can be ordered from the publisher or via French internet booksellers such as amazon.fr and fnac.com. French language.
articles, interviews, essays, etc.
COMIX
Edited by Anna Krogh
Catalogue of the exhibition of the same name, shown at Brandts klædefabrik, Odense, Denmark in the Fall of 2007. It contains short primers of the work of the participating artists: Yoshitaka Amano, Søren Behncke, Martin Bigum, Robert Crumb, Jesper Dalgaard, David B., Kristian Devantier, Nathalie Djurberg, Marcel Dzama, Claus Ejner, Inka Essenhigh, Anke Feuchtenberger, Phoebe Gloeckner, Huskmitnavn, Killoffer, Ida Kvetny, Peter Land, Anders Nilsen, Paperrad, Dan Perjovschi, Anne Marie Plough, Fredrik Raddum, Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen, David Shrigley & Chris Shepherd, Thaddeus Strode, Tal R, Magnus Wallin, and Yokoland. Furthermore, it includes essays on the relationship between comics and the fine arts by Anna Krogh, Sanne Kofod Olsen and Matthias Wivel (who contributed a slightly different version of this article).
Odense, Brandts klædefabrik, 2007, 112 pages, full colour, DKK 138.00. Can be ordered from the Museum. Available in both English and Danish versions.
THE COMICS JOURNAL
The Emmanuel Guibert Interview, by Matthias Wivel, in THE COMICS JOURNAL #297
An in-depth interview with the French cartoonist. Read an excerpt here.
Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 2009, $11.99.
The Jason Interview, by Matthias Wivel, in THE COMICS JOURNAL #294
An in-depth interview with the Norwegian comics auteur. Read an excerpt here.
Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 2008, $11.99.
The Lewis Trondheim Interview, by Matthias Wivel, in THE COMICS JOURNAL #283
An in-depth interview with the cartoonist and L’Association co-founder. Read an excerpt here.
Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 2006, $11.95.
The Jean-Christophe Menu Interview, by Matthias Wivel, in THE COMICS JOURNAL #277
An in-depth interview with the cartoonist and L’Association co-founder. Read an excerpt here.
Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 2006, $12.95.
The David B. Interview, by Matthias Wivel, in THE COMICS JOURNAL #275
An in-depth interview with the cartoonist and L’Association co-founder. Read an excerpt here.
Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 2006, $9.95.
“The Old World of the Present — The Narrative Work of Palle Nielsen”, by Matthias Wivel, in THE COMICS JOURNAL #244
Article on the narrative cycles of Danish graphic artist Palle Nielsen (see Palle Nielsen — In Memoriam, below, for more).
Seattle: Fantagraphics Books, 2002, SOLD OUT.
In addition to this, installments of Wivel’s regular column on European comics, “Continental Drift” can be found in issues #296, 299 & 300. The column for the latter, on Moebius’ Hermetic Garage is also online here.
These and other back issues of The Comics Journal can be ordered directly from the publisher.
“MODERNITETENS GØGEUNGE BANKER PÅ” (Wivel) og “DET FILMISK!” (Thorhauge) in KULTURO #22
Wivel and Thorhauge both contributed articles to this special issue of the Copenhagen University Journal of Modern Culture. It can be downloaded in PDF form here, and an updated version of Thorhauge’s essay is available here.
Copenhagen, Kulturo, 2006. Danish Language.
“PALLE NIELSEN — HELHEDEN I FRAGMENTET”, in PALLE NIELSEN — IN MEMORIAM
Edited by Mikael Wivel
Article by Matthias Wivel on the Danish graphic artist Palle Nielsen (1920-2002) examining the relation of his work to comics and cartooning. The book is an anthology of text and images by Nielsen himself, as well as articles on his work by Mikael Wivel, Poul-Erik Tøjner, Erik Fischer and Jørgen Gammelgård. It was published in conjunction with the retrospective of Nielsen’s work held at Sophienholm in Lyngby, Denmark, March 23 — June 9, 2002.
Lyngby, Sophienholm, 2002, 180 pages, black and white, DKK?. Can be ordered from Sophienholm. Danish language.
“FACE TO FACE — ON ECKERSBERG’S AND KØBKE’S DISCOVERY OF THE MODERN”, in STATENS MUSEUM FOR KUNST JOURNAL 2001
Article on the modern aspects of the art of Danish Golden Age artists C. W. Eckersberg (1783-1853) and Christen Købke (1810-1848), published in the journal of the Danish national gallery.
Copenhagen, Statens Museum for Kunst, 2002 (pp. 50-73), full colour, DKK?, can be ordered from the museum book store. English language.
rackham
Rackham was a critical journal on comics and cartoon art in Danish, five issues of which were published between 2000-2005. Rackham also exists in an extensive online version, active between 2002-2006 and now placed in hibernation. It can be found here.
RACKHAM #1: Interview with Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean; articles and essays on the work of Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman; more. DKK 29.75.
RACKHAM #2: Comics essay on Scott McCloud by T. Thorhauge; interview with Jason Lutes; articles on David B., Will Eisner, more. DKK 29.75.
RACKHAM #3: Interview with and essays on Carl Barks by Frederik Stjernfelt, William van Horn, Donald Ault and others; interview with Joe Sacco; a review of Saccos Safe Area Gorazde by Karsten Fledelius; essay on Prince Valiant by Per Kirkeby; more. DKK 39.50.
RACKHAM #4: In-depth interviews with, and sketchbook sections by 9 contemporary Danish cartoonists: Ole Comoll Christensen, Ivar Gjørup, Peter Kielland-Brandt, Peter Madsen, Søren Mosdal, Mårdøn Smet, Jan Solheim, Jakob Martin Strid and T. Thorhauge; comics essay on Claus Deleuran by T. Thorhauge; more. DKK 99.50.
RACKHAM #5: Interviews with John Romita Jr., Peter Snejbjerg; gigantic essay on the life and work of Jack Kirby by Matthias Wivel; comics essay on the Danish political situation 2005 by T. Thorhauge; more. DKK 59.50.
All issues of Rackham are available. They are available individually or at a package price of DKK 160.00 + postage, and can be ordered by sending an email to the Metabunker. The official website has more info on their contents. All of them are Danish language.
rapspot
Rapspot is a Danish hip hop-site, offering news, reviews, interviews and other editorial content on hip hop music and culture. Matthias Wivel has been an irregular contributor since 2001, and has amongst other things conducted interviews with Jneiro Jarel and Khujo Goodie (Willie Isz) — English version here — Alias, Passage, Bomarr Monk, Telephone Jim Jesus & Dosh of Anticon, Anti-Pop Consortium, Birdy Nam Nam, El-P and Aesop Rock — English version here — Gift of Gab, The Perceptionists, RJD2, and Saïan Supa Crew. With few exceptions, everything is Danish language.