The French Switch!

And, 'where I get my crazy ideas from'.

Hello! Welcome back to the KIOSK.

Sorry for the slight absence, but it's summer in my part of the world, and I've been tempted outdoor by various adventures. Perhaps that will be the subject of my next newsletter? But I'm here now, and I'm sure you haven't missed me too much, as I suspect you've all been busy too.

This newsletter has a bit of a ‘bonus holiday feel’, and dare I say a small moment of celebration? Basically, I'm very pleased to announce that The Hard Switch is now out IN FRENCH!

It's in a slightly bigger, hardback format and under the new title of, ‘Le Jour Du Dépassment’. For those who don't speak French (myself included), it roughly translates as ‘the day of overtaking’, which may not make a huge amount of sense, but I’m reliably informed is a turn of phrase used by NGOs and such to mark a point when resources are depleted to a point of no return, which is very appropriate.

It is published by the great, Sabacane.

If I could trouble you with a little sincerity for a moment, this means a huge amount to me. I grew up on Tintin and have been greatly influenced by the Franco-Belgian, ligne claire, bande dessinée style, so to be accepted into that world is kind of incredible to me. I hope the French speakers among you enjoy it and it should be available wherever you get your books from!

Ada, Haika and Mallic thank you for your interest in their strange and precarious lives. Here they are, hanging out in the sunshine.

But you're not here for me being earnest, are you? And what about my English speaking subscribers, or those who have already got it? Well, as a treat, here's a little look behind the scenes.

When the book first came out, there was a very limited edition booklet that had sketches and concept developments in it. I was really happy how it came out, so I thought I would share a few pages, as I know how much you all like to see how the (vegetarian) sausage gets made.

Enjoy!

I hope you found that interesting. It's actually quite useful for me to be reminded how things came about too. Like any design, it's the meeting of a pure/mad idea, and then the practicality of what it needs to achieve. Both narratively, and aesthetically.

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The English softcover edition is still very much available too, which, confusingly, has ‘French flaps’. You can get it HERE.

Alright, go back to enjoying the sunshine and coffee (if that’s possibility for you), and I'll get back to you soon with some exciting adventures.

Owen D. Pomery