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Christophe Chabouté in the spotlight at Maison de BD

By John Freeman on April 24, 2024 • ( 0 )

The Maison de BD in Blois, France is currently hosting an exhibition of work by Christophe Chabouté (aka, simply, “Chabouté”), the creator of the award-winning graphic novel, Alone, The Park Bench, Yellow Cab, and other wonderful works.

Exposition: Chabouté - details here - runs until 15th June 2024 | Maison de la BD - 3 rue des Jacobins - BP 70239 - 41006 Blois

Christophe Chabouté published his first work, Stories, based on the work of Arthur Rimbaud, in 1993, in France. Since then, he has received numerous prizes for his very personal illustration and storytelling style, creating some 20 graphic novels so far across his award-winning career. His work is imbued with reflection on everyday life, on the perception we have of others and the world around us.

"Chat" (Cat) by Christophé Chaboute © Christophé Chaboute — *Some of Christophé Chaboute’s cat artworks, previously exhibited at the Huberty & Breyne Gallery*

Alone, first published in French and in English by Faber & Faber in 2018, translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger, was widely hailed as his masterpiece and was an Official Selection at France’s prestigious Angoulême International Comics Festival. He is also the illustrator-storyteller of the sublime and moving collection of stories, The Park Bench, also published by Faber & Faber in English, in 2017, first released in French in 2012; the Eisner Award-nominated To Build a Fire, based on the story by Jack London, published in English by Gallery 13 and Moby Dick, still available digitally in English from Dark Horse; Yellow Cab, with Benoît Cohen (Idea & Works, 2022) ; and his most recent work, Musee, not yet available in English, published last year.

Hosted in partnership with the Huberty & Breyne Gallery, the exhibition at Maison de BD features 80 works by Chabouté, featuring New York vertigo, jazz stars, umbrellas, Parisian roofs and also cats – a lot of cats! Christophe Chabouté also challenges visitors about our relationship to art by inviting us to a stroll at this Museum.

The Maison de la BD, a centre of thriving comic creative energy, location of exhibitions and activities through the year, is located right in Blois town centre, just a stone’s throw from the Loire and Place Louis XII.

Web Links

• Follow Christophe Chabouté on Facebook | Instagram

• The Mission – Out of Frame: An Interview with Christophe Chabouté

When he’s not putting out award-winning graphic novels and exhibitions, Christophe Chabouté can usually be found travelling around France in his custom-built fly fishing van. The Mission chats to him about solitude, comics, art, fly tying, and why he never takes photos with fish

• The Hubert Breyne Gallery in Paris offers prints of Chabouté’s work, and a catalogue off his 2020 exhibition, “Cats” – but British buyer be warned, although the catalogue is a reasonable €30, shipping to the UK is a staggering €61 on top

Chabouté in English

The Park Bench (2017)
by Christophé Chaboute

The Park Bench (2017)
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Chabouté’s enchanting story of a park bench was first published to critical acclaim in France in 2012. Faber now brings his work to the English-speaking world for the first time.

Through Chabouté’s elegant graphic style, we watch people pass, stop, meet, return, wait and play out the strange and funny choreography of life. Fans of The Fox and the Star, The Man Who Planted Trees and Richard Linklater’s Boyhood will find this intimate graphic novel about a simple park bench – and the people who walk by or linger – poignant, life-affirming and brilliantly original.

Herman Melville's Moby Dick, adapted by Christophé Chaboute

Herman Melville’s Moby Dick (2017)
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A masterful adaptation of the timeless literary classic, faithfully and beautifully rendered by an award-winning artist. In striking black-and-white illustrations, Chabouté retells the story of the Great American Novel.

Captain Ahab strikes out on a voyage, obsessively seeking revenge on the great white whale that took his leg…

Alone (2018)
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On a tiny lighthouse island far from the rest of the world, a hermit lives out his existence. Every week a supply boat leaves provisions, yet the fishermen never leave their boat, and never meet him.

Years spent on this deserted rock, with imagination his sole companion, has made the lighthouse keeper something more than alone, something else entirely. For him, what lies beyond the horizon might be… nothing. And so, why would you ever want to leave? But, one day, as curiosity gets the better of him, a new boatman steps onto the island.

Intertwining tenderness, despair, and humour, Alone captures how someone can be an everyman, and every man is someone.

To Build a Fire by by Christophé Chaboute

To Build a Fire (2018)
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From the “master of black and white” artwork (Paste Magazine) and the bestselling illustrator-storyteller of The Park Bench and Alone comes a starkly beautiful graphic novel adaptation of Jack London’s most famous short story.

Discover the beloved author of White Fang and The Call of the Wild, Jack London’s renowned short story “To Build a Fire” in a new and evocative way from master artist Christophe Chabouté. With his signature “stunning black-and-white art” (Publishers Weekly), Chabouté illustrates London’s gripping story of man versus nature in the harsh and unforgiving Yukon that has enthralled readers for over a century.

The Yellow Cab by by Benoît Cohen and Christophe Chabouté

Yellow Cab (2022)
by Benoît Cohen and Christophe Chabouté
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A burnt out filmmaker finds new inspiration behind the wheel of an iconic New York City taxi cab, exploring a world where he is the stranger and the city his new workplace.

After 20 years working on film and series shoots, Benoît Cohen is drained. His enthusiasm gone, a desire to stop writing and put down the camera takes over. In the city for a year, he still wonders about how best to absorb the rich diversity of the cosmopolitan metropolis, settling on a simple idea: he will become a taxi driver.

Behind the iconic Yellow Cab, behind the fantasy of freedom and independence, behind the faces of his thousands of passengers, Benoît discovers a world in which he is a stranger. First, the administrative maze that leads to the taxi driver’s license. Then the world behind the scenes. And, finally, the prejudices that surround the profession and lead the customers, cops and entire city to look at it, quite randomly, either with indifference, kindness, or aggression.

Benoît Cohen dives into his new life with the idea of turning it into a screenplay for a future film, but the material he collects from this social experiment marks him deeply, leading down unsuspected paths. The project transforms into an autobiographical novel interspersed with reflections on the creative process.

With the help of Chabouté, it is now a sensitive, deeply human graphic novel, with breathtaking illustrations that pay vibrant tribute to the most famous of American cities.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.