Freezing cold it was in St. Petersburg. The first thing I had to do, was to buy a cap.
The festival itself was warm, intense and cheerful. 10 years ago I was a visitor at the first issue of the Boom-Festival, until today there was a huge progress going on in the Russian alternative comic scene. Actually back than there seemed to be non, the invited guests from Belgium, Kanada, Netherlands, Sweden a.s.o were the main audience of their lectures. This year I found a vivid scene with lots of young artists, lots of different drawing styles in the exhibitions, lot's of students drawing in their sketchbooks. No doubt, the unstinting engagement of the festivals organizers, namely Dmitry Yakovlev was a big influence for this development.
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| Victor Melamed, Dmitry Yakovlev, Elena Chetverik, Pavel Grishin |
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| by Nina Stadnik |
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| Nina Stadnik |
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| Elena Chetverik, Kristina Kolesnikova |
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| Gary Baseman shows his findings from yesterday at the breakfast table |
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| always aside of him: Toby |
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| Art School |
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| The founder of the Art School |
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| Applying study candidates touch him gently for good luck. Would he have dared to dream about that? |
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| Kati Rickenbach, Mawil and me give lectures for the students in more
prosaic rooms. Here Kati is drawing the students while we are waiting
for to start. |
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| Kati Rickenbach and her sketchbook |
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| Mawil and the Russian edition of his book "Kinderland" |
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| During the opening at the Puschkin Museum part of the audience is drawing in their sketchbooks |
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| Exhibiton
for Comic reports and Graphic reportage (with Joe Sacco, Victoria
Lavrenteva, Juhyun Choi, Aleksandar Zograf, Ulli Lust, Kati Rickenbach,
Elettra Stamboulis & Gianluca Constantini) |
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| Party at night |
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| Kati Rickenbach |
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| Lecture of Richard Mc Guire |
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| Gary Baseman with Wild Girls and Toby. |
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| Brecht Evens and a student, who wants to know more about his favor for panels without frames |
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| Gary, drawing with students |
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| by Varvara Pomidor |
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| by Olga Lavrenteva |
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| Aleksandar Zograf, Victoria Lomasko, Olga Lavrenteva and me |
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On the last evening, Gary Baseman left the dinner table early to catch a plane to Kazan.
Hey, Gary, if you see this: This poor little pencil was left alone by you and is now held in hostage. |
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| He was abused by a wild Russian girl! |
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| The previously nice acting Norwegian children's book illustrator makes bad jokes with him |
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| The Russian princess lipsticked him |
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| Victoria Lomasko was less tender, she bit forcefully. |
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| Mawil made him play cards |
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| Anna Sommer used him to draw pubic hair |
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| Oh my god! |
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| Thank goddess, finally he was able to escape to Taschkent! |
