Books and pictures

Some discussion with librarian Thonevath Pou at the weekend, who is working on efforts at the National Library.

Khmer has a number of words we use in the discussion of comic books:

cipau (book)

roop (picture)

roopheap (picture-ness)

roong (story)

komplaing (funny)

Sometimes people say ‘cipau roop’ or ‘cipau roong komplaing’.

The term I’ve been using lately (after some discussion with friends) has been

‘cipau roong roopheap’.

T.P. is compiling a dictionary of bibliographic terms and this may just become

the official term for comic book! I’ll have to see what other people say colloquially.

And as regards ‘roop’ some of Thonevath Pou’s art can be seen on sale at Reyum gallery.

Mail Moment

Sent mail off to Korea today, hope to do a long distance jam strip with the Bucheon Cartoon Festival.

An enthusiastic late night call from Ms. Pirom – she’s finished her autobiographical page! This may be the first story she’s done about herself. Autobiographical comics are a relatively new genre in Cambodia, though not unknown.

Ung Bunhean published cartoons in his book with Martin Stuart-Fox, ‘The Murderous Revolution’.

Uth Roeun

Above: 1966 comic.

A meeting with Uth Roeun today, at the Association of Cambodian Artist Friends. Hopefully we can exhibit some of his masterful art. He has two major unpublished works that he would like to print.

Most people know his art but not his name from his adapted cassics Tum Teav and Torn Chey, which are still copied today – illegally.

Em Satya

Met with famed comics artist Em Satya yesterday, who has some amazing comics hidden away. Why is he not publishing them? The state of the market is not the best. Publishers print his old stories over and over again, he is in competition with himself. And commercial art pays better. The art below is part of a three part story that may someday see the light.

Spent some time recently with retired artist Sin Yun Phyrum. She did about 80 comics during the 1980s and 1990s. She hasn’t retired voluntarily, market conditions led her to work at a food stall instead to support her growing family.

What is impressive is that once she received approval from the Ministry of Culture, she would have her comics printed and distribute them personally, cutting out the middleman. Years later, comics are still on the newsstand – reprinted by the same middlemen.

Publishing sometimes ain’t a pretty picture here. Stay tooned for more news.