Comic Art Museum - Brussels

‘Salto’, which is a first collaboration between Mark Bellido and Judith Vanistendael, is enjoying a tremendous success. We featured Bellido and his previous graphic novel ‘El Mesías’ in our gallery last year, and this new work yet again shows proof of his outstanding story-telling talent. Vanistendael, whilst retaining the drawing style we have come to know from her first comic books, has nevertheless decided to push her boundaries by adopting a new technique in ‘Salto’. The use of colouring pens has enabled her to really bring out the contrast between the vivid colours of the scenes that take place in Southern Spain and the greyness of the scenes set in the Basque Country. Even if she already had an immense following before, there is now no way of denying that Vanistendael is currently the greatest Belgian female author.

Willem De Graeve, Comic Strip Museum

 ‘Salto’ tells the story of a time in the life of Miquel, who sells confectionery in the surrounding area of Castellón. This bread and butter work does not leave him much time to realise his dream, which is to become a writer. Being a dreamer by nature, it takes him every ounce of effort to earn a living, to spend time with his family, and to focus on his literary work. Miquel therefore decides to take drastic action. He and his family move lock, stock and barrel to Pamplona, in the Navarre region, and he starts work as a bodyguard to local personalities living under the threat of ETA. Miquel hopes that this experience will infuse him with inspiration.

Mark Bellido was born in Seville in the spring of 1975, where he studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts. He subsequently gained an interest in nursing, psychology, oceanography and industrial design. Some would consider him to be a war photographer-journalist, whereas the Spanish authorities view him as a political militant. However, in reality, he is only a teller of lies, through the medium of imagery and words. Always on the lookout for a new story, and armed with his camera, he has experienced wars and has even spent a few nights in prison. Over a period of four years, he protected Basque politicians living under the threat of ETA. Everything he writes about he has experienced first-hand. His name is Mark Bellido, but that may also be an untruth...

Judith Vanistendael was born in 1974, and she is a Belgian comic strip author and illustrator. She instantly bowled over the general public with her first comic book ‘The Young Girl and the Negro’, which is a love story between a Togolese political refugee and a young Belgian girl. This two-part story gained two nominations in Angoulême and has been translated into several languages. In 2012, she published her intimate graphic novel ‘When David lost his voice’, which was widely acclaimed by the critics upon its release and was nominated for 3 Eisner Awards. In ‘Salto’, Judith Vanistendael describes a completely different universe, and she has generously treated us to more than 300 delightful drawings executed entirely in colouring pencils.

Le Lombard Publishers