Various Reviews
I wanted to make a dedicated space for links to reviews, interviews, and press that my various publications have received over the years, both glowing and not-so-good. I will update this post occasionally as new reviews, etc, come in or are discovered.
Interviews
“Believe it or not, I was well into the project before I realized that I was tapping into a rich vein of “big girl” sexiness in the comics, R. Crumb and Johnny Negron and what not.”
Interview with Suzette Smith, Gridlords
Why We Love What We Do, Three Guys One Book
Zinesters Talking, Multnomah County Library
Interview with Jason Sacks, The Karl Show! (with Jason)
Titan
“François Vigneault’s Titan was one of, if not THE, best comics discovery of 2015 for me.”
“Hard sci-fi usually prioritizes technology over characters, but Vigneault beautifully illustrates inter-class dynamics, and, in doing so, foregrounds the very human relationships that make Titan more than a bushel of techno-babble.”
“This series is a romance set in a distant and foreboding place, with some definite mature reader content. And though it’s populated with people far different than us they’re still fundamentally human. If you like your love stories mixed with space and politics this is the series for you.”
“Like the best futuristic science-fiction, François Vigneault’s webcomic Titan has a lot to say about the world that we live in right now.”
“TITAN proves to be a comic in the best sci-fi tradition: a compelling exploration of the human psyche.”
“Not only a more serious comic, but also one that is much more socially and politically charged…”
—The Comics Alternative Podcast
“Through suspicious characters, group tension and even song lyrics, there is a real feeling of isolation…”
“Vigneault is telling a very human story of immigration and diversity tensions…”
“If you are looking for a good, hard sci-fi comic this was awesome.”
“One of the most realistic scifi webcomics we’ve read in ages… it’s that blend of the human moments with the plausible futuristic technology that leaves us so invested in Titan and the ultimate fate of its labor force.”
“The book’s printing is top-notch, from the painted covers to the spot-colored newsprint interiors. Vigneault’s lines are generous and his characters friendly. The book is beautiful on its original webpage, and somehow even better in the printed edition.”
—Andy Zeigert, Comic Book Daily
“Vigneault’s really cleaned up a lot of the rough edges in his art (I credit that in part to those excellent bird minicomics he likes to draw) and has added a layer of style that makes this a smooth but still highly personal read. The format, design and every aspect of production make this a beautiful comic to look at. Fans of ‘hard’ sci-fi will enjoy the way that certain details regarding life on Titan play out sociologically and in terms of technology, especially in the way that technology has the potential to completely erase a way of life.”
“There’s no false utopia presented in Vigneault’s future world, merely an aspirational sci-fi narrative that allows us to reflect back on our own social issues through the lens of this re-contextualization process. Vigneault’s lines dance between a sort of Herge influenced European classicism, complete with ligne-claire coifs of hair, and the full-bodied beady sweat style of many modern alt cartoonists, running the erratic lineage from Robert Crumb to Charles Burns to Noah Van Sciver.”
“François Vigneault has created a multifaceted, fully dimensional universe in these opening two chapters of a six-part series. Any science fiction fan can quickly find themselves comfortable in the setting of this tension-filled moon. But the setting on the moon feels unfamiliar because it’s so specific, so unique to Vigneault’s imagination and so full-fledged in its vision.”
“I breezed through Operation: Pineapple Sparkle with no problems whatsoever. That’s partly my taste, but also partly because O:PS is a clearly presented story with recognizable sides and no backstory to drag me down.”
Scout Books
“But upon turning the page of the first installment of Scout Books’ War Stories series, we find an illustration that cannily reduces the distance between us and the condemned man peering off the page at the river awaiting his corpse.”
—Kristopher Jansma, The Believer (War Stories)
“…a series of pocket-sized classic short stories accompanied by new illustrations, such as Francois Vigneault’s fantastic comic illustrations for Ambrose Bierce’s “’An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.’”
“The sort of thing you might want to keep in your desk drawer for whenever you’re having a Lost Generation sort of Hemingway moment during Meyer lemon season.”
—Jenn Garbee, L.A. Weekly Squid Ink (The Cocktail Hour: Rum, Gin, & Vodka)
“These are actual pocket books–3.5 by 5 inches in size, with 32 pages–and really nicely made, from good-quality all-recycled paper.”
—Caustic Cover Critic (American Shorts)
“As electronic books and readers become increasingly popular, it’s especially charming to hold such a thoughtfully made, physical book. Someday I hope my kids will inherit a nice library of titles form ‘ol dad, and the Scout Books will be a very nice addition.”
“What a great way to add a fresh and modern take on some of American’s most unforgettable classics!”
—Nadia, A Bookish Way of Life (American Shorts)
“The illustrations are cool, though there aren’t very many (only about three to five in each volume that I have seen), and the print is tiny, but at less than five dollars apiece, they’re seem great for a mass purchase and giveaway.”
—Short Story Reader (American Shorts)
ELFWORLD Vol. 2
“Elfworld is a welcome refinement to what has now become a trend, and a challenge to others to come up to its level of craft, attention and care.”
—Rob Clough, The Comics Journal
“The nicest production values I’ve seen in minicomics.”
“Elfworld exhibits a strong, if still coalescing, vision, one that’s unfiltered by the layers of input that go into the larger publishing houses’ anthologies… Little flourishes on the Elfworld books–the French flaps, the amazing designs on end papers, the very, very cool portrayal of the table of contents as a castle/mountain cavern . . . the personality goes far beyond the content.”
“I also need to mention the production design, as that Sammy Harkham cover and the work that Francois put into designing this book were both top-notch.”
—Whitey, Optical Sloth
“Vigneault, a cartoonist and designer of the ridiculously sophisticated book (it’s a comic book pamphlet with endpapers), recruits the likes of David Enos, Ben Costa and Dash Shaw to create a retrospective; an almost nostalgic reimagining of fantasy tropes and images.”
ELFWORLD Vol. 1
“Elfworld does have some enjoyable moments and a few very good contributions like those from Jeffrey Brown, Dave McKenna and Kazimir Strzepek, among others. A concept like Elfworld (alternative comic artists making fantasy stories) is just so exciting that I know it can do better.”
—Sarah Morean, The Daily Croshatch
“Elfworld, for its part, is almost ruthlessly cohesive. While there’s no one must-have short story within its pages, there are a number of solid shorts… Unfortunately, because it fails to offer one or two superior pieces, the individual reader’s appetite for Elfworld likely depends on that person’s enthusiasm about such material in the first place.”
—Tom Spurgeon, The Comics Reporter
“While I appreciate Vigneault’s attempt to bring a variety of approaches (serious and otherwise), the next volume may work better as a whole if every artist successfully walks the line between genre fantasy and playfulness.”
“We’ve recently encountered the most wonderful comic book anthology — 16 stories by alternative creators, all taking place in the swords & sorcery genre. They range from hilarious to touching to just plain wrong… In any case: overall great art, very good writing, high quality throughout, and cast of indie darlings that are definitely, definitely deserving of more attention.”
“I also liked Vigneault’s contribution, a story of humans versus elves and the young man caught in between the conflict. Wordless, the artwork and the expressions on the character’s faces carry the story from beginning to tragic ending. I kinda wish Vigneault had gone a different way to finish the story, though, as this ending seemed just a bit too pat for my taste.”
Bird Brain
“Beautiful little journal minicomics… Every bit as revealing and autobiographical as a standard diary strip.”
—Rob Clough, The Comics Journal
“Luckily there are a few things of interest to the rest of us too, not to mention the fact that reading about these different birds was vastly more entertaining than I would have figured.”
—Whitey, Optical Sloth (Bird Brain #4)
“If anybody out there hates birds, it’s probably best to move along to the next review. Who hates birds? Well, somebody is bound to, right?”
—Whitey, Optical Sloth (Bird Brain #2)
Friends
“There are layers and layers of meaning here and the art has made another leap forward. Absolutely, positively essential reading.”
—Whitey, Optical Sloth (Friends #3)
“The art in the main story, about two friends both named Jack taking off to Vegas to join a band of card counters, just doesn’t feel as warm as the art in issue one. Often several panels in a row are just talking heads against a white background. Vigneault does a nice job mixing up the panels, but this one feels a bit flat next to the first comic.”
—Shawn Hoke, Size Matters (Friends #2)
“Well, the second issue is usually the one that convinces me of a book, and I’m officially won over with this one.”
—Whitey, Optical Sloth (Friends #2)
“The art is a bit raw here and there, and yes, that cover is off-center, but this is also his first comic (or at least I got that impression from the letter) and those kinds of things tend to work themselves out after a few issues.”
—Whitey, Optical Sloth (Friends #1)
“Vigneault’s art is warm and I enjoy the way he draws his faces… In this first issue of Friends, the faint pencil lines are almost like seeing through the skin of the story. It’s like you can see the bones, muscles and ligaments, and it adds to the organic nature of the book.”
—Shawn Hoke, Size Matters (Friends #1)