Inside the restless underground sphere, far from conventional and edicted ways, fanzine is often chosen as a way to express oneself. For some independent and/or alternative comic writers, being and working in the margin is not a plan B but a real choice. This outsider status is sometimes a chance to investigate their own creative area and there, fanzine becomes not only a way but THE way to do it.
This is where we find Yvan Guillo, questioning, for 25 years, the limits of his own field.
Seeing his self-produced fanzines appeared in the 90’s and the many well-defined work he did since, we could be tempted to qualify his behavior as typical underground author.
But, around 2010, his strong will and interest in comics as a full artistic (codified) language, made the difference. Creating a new project, the author was far from thinking the huge scope it would have. We can find the origins of his narrative explorations through the diversity of his inspirations. Not only comics of course but poetry, radio, abstraction and surrealism, which can explain his interest for inter-iconic gaps and non-linear narrative experiences.
Using mainstream comics (mostly from the 50’s) as a material, Yvan Guillo/Samplerman generates a new hypnotic, fascinating, vibrant, experimental dimension. Patterns, cut-ups, iterations, blasting before your eyes, making you wonder about what «reality» means. The way he pushes the boundaries of narration is like an earthquake transcending, mutating comic art. More than a pictorial world you could and would easily get lost into, his avant-gardist work is a real sensorial experience.
Online : samplerman.tumblr.com
Bibliography :
- Ocmics (2018, auto-édition)
- EIIDIDIIE (2017, auto-édition)
- Bad Ball (2017, Kuš!)
- Prurit IV (la méga nique du je) (collectif ; 2017, Factotum)
- Gorgonzola 22 (collectif ; 2017, L’Égouttoir)
- Gouffre (collectif ; 2017, Revue Lagon)
- Miscomocs Comics (2017, Le Dernier Cri)
- Fearless Colors (2016, Kuš! / Ediciones Valientes / MMMNNNRRRG)
- Street Fights Comics (2016, auto-édition)
- Samplerman (2015, Brain Dead and SHQ)
