Fabuleuses Aventures Des Freak Brothers
I've recently acquired an interesting comix. This is an 84 page (80 if you don't count the covers) comix of the The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. And it's all in French. From what I've been able to glean, it is most likely and unauthorized (pirate) edition.I've traced down each story in it, and they are from a variety of comix. Selected shorts from Freak Brothers #1, #2, and #3. Also from Feds 'n' Heads Comics, Facts o' Life Funnies, and Hydrogen Bomb and Biochemical Warfare Funnies.
There's only one thing I'd really like to know. There is a two-page preface, and its all in handwritten French. Does anyone out there know enough French to translate it for me?
posted by Sir Real | 1:16 PM
4 Comments:
Hello Sir Real (Hello from Paris, France.)
I was reading your blog and thought I could help you a bit.
You said you bought an unauthorized (pirate) French edition of the Freak Brothers.
At first I thought, you were right because the Freak Brothers and all Shelton’s book in French are published by a really small (tiny) independant publisher called “Tête Rock” => “Rock Head” who in fact only publishes the Shelton’s books. (He’s published a few other books but a tiny amount and you probably could count these on your fingers.)
The man behind Tête Rock is very much a hippie himself, he has a coffee shop (which is more a tea shop decorated 70’s Indian style) called Thé Troc (Thé is tea in French , Troc means to exchange, to swop) May be you could/ or can exchange things with him. I don’t know. You can buy tea there, of course drink tea, buy alternatves CD’s, underground comics (in French or English), 70’s books, books on drugs, etc. (It’s not very big: Half of it is a tea room, the other half sales anything that is Alternative/Underground/Hippie stuff/ Etc. It is located in the center of Paris (11th district)
[Trivia info: When you pronounce “Thé Troc” in French, it sounds phonetically “Tête Rock” so that’s where the name comes from, nothing to do with “Rock” music, although may be...you never know ;-) ]
I think that Shelton lived or stayed there for a while. (I think but I’m no way sure.) But you could find all his books and a lot dedicated with neat drawings.
Getting back to your Mag. It says 6 frs on the cover (0.9$) We dont have francs anymore, we use the Euro currency and nothing can be bought at that price, so it had to be from the 70’s. It also says “Actuel Nova Press.” Actuel begun in 1968, it was a very small fanzine mag about Jazz that soon switched to Pop music. In 1970, with a new crew, it became a small leftist paper that treated anything to do with the hippie/underground mouvement. They stopped in 1975 when they started making money (900 $!!!) There was a new ‘Actuel’ with a new formula in 1979, a slick magazine with lots of picture that sold very very well but that had nothing to do with the “original” (Underground) Actuel.
Actuel published the comic you have in January 1974 (01/1974) - It had 77 pages and is a “Hors-serie N°38” (A Hors serie means it was an “extra” issue, it was not published in the “regular” magazine. ) If you’re interested, it’s worth 10 to 15 euros (Approximately 13 to 20 dollars.)
If your copy is from 1976 and 84 pages long. I has only a ‘sentimental’ value. It could be be a reprint (a second edition) or indeed be a rip-off, a real (Priceless) Pirate edition!!! ;-D
I can’t translate you the entire two pages because translation is an awfully long thing to do (Especially to me.)
And there is nothing really interesting that you probably don’t know already. But to please you , I’ll translate the Shelton interview on page 2:
Starts with: « Shelton n’aime pas trop causer. Nous avons réussi à lui tirer ces quelques mots…
Shelton doesn’t really like to speak. We’ve managed to get these few words out of him.
-What is your favorite artist?
-Crumb, he has incredible facility, he’s drawn many comics that he’s never published like the yum yum book*, more than 100 superb pages in color. Otherwise among classic strips: Bc, Dick Tracy, Lil Abner, but by no means the Peanuts (1)
[The (1) says it was published in ‘Charlie.’ Sadly It doesn’t explain why he doesn’t like the Peanuts.
(Charlie was a french comic magazine named after’Charlie Brown’ that published American comics strips. The magazine no longer exists)]
-Are you going to continue the Freak Brothers?
- (Laconic:) as long as it’ll last.
-Are they going to stop smoking?
- Mm...(Interrogative)
-By the way, in your opinion, how old are they? Twenty-five?
-Yes, there’s still time before they become real adults. And me too. But beginning this year, I’ll make them work a little, you’ll see.
-Do you think that all freaks look like the Freak Brothers?
- If they did, it would be more fun, no?
-But this willingness to get stoned?
-The Freak Brothers are the heroes of a story. The exagerrated expression af an era. You are the first one to insist on the fact that they’re stoned.
But the French seem to be very worried about smoking. For me, this social fact is an argument to be funny, it’s the sharp edge of a wider mockery.
-Did you live like them?
-I like rock music, I’ve been to concerts, I’ve been a students, it’s normal (life), no?
“Et shelton retourne a sa table de travail…And shelton goes back to his working table....”
(*For info: The yum yum has been published since in English and French)
I hope it was helpful and pleased you! :-D
Have a good day... Guillaume (William in french)
Gtreguer@hotmail.com
HI MONSIEUR REAL !
I JUST DISCOVERED YOUR SITE , I'M ALSO AN UNDERGROUND COMIX AMATEUR.
I AGREE WITH GUILLAUME ABOUT HIS COMMENT ABOUT YOUR FRENCH VERSION OF THE FFB'S COMIX ( I HAVE ONE FIRST ED OF IT)
I WAS A FRIEND OF THE PUBLISHER OF ACTUEL MAGAZINE; JEAN FRANCOIS BIZOT WHO DIED EARLIER THIS YEAR ...
ACTUEL PUBLISHED MANY AMERICAN COMIX INCLUDING WORKS BY CORBEN,IRONS CRUMB ECTS
THAT'S HOW I DIVED INTO IT !
IF YOU WANT ANY INFORMATIONS , JUST ASK !
THANKS FOR ALL THE INTERESTING STUFF YOU PROVIDE ON YOUR PAGES !
SEE U
TRISTAM
tristamde4@hotmail.fr
Long delayed emailing of a translation just sent (with some comments by me basically for your reference rather than web use. Hope I used still valid addresses. If it bounces I'll check the site for a different address. If you don't get it or have questions let me know.
If I'm not still in your address book you know where to get my attention.
You can translate it yourself at one of the handy dandy free translation services out there. Here is one link: http://translation.babylon.com/french/to-english/
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