The Making Of by Brecht Evens

The Making Of Reviews

• 
  lucy black

  arg I'm torn about this. On one hand I like it cos the art is beautiful and the story is interesting and the plot is original enough. On the other hand I fucking hate it cos I am so sick of graphic novels about dudes in their 30s being hip wankers and shitting on those around them who feed their macho bullshit egos. The main character of this graphic novel was just so unlikeable, what a fucking douche! I mean minor SPOILER ALERT--------------------------------------------------------------------
  the way he treats Dennis is appalling (I was just waiting for Dennis to get his own back and he doesn't, WHY?), Lesley's tragic idolizing and Peterson's playing on it is horrible to watch, AND, AND he fucks a 17 year old even tho he has a girlfriend, WHAT? I got so mad at the author for just laying all Peterson's bad behavior out on a plate for us to gawk at and then not calling him up on any of it, for fucks sake. I am so, so sick of macho, art wanker, ironic, hip shit graphic novels and the people who publish them. Why couldn't this story have been told from the point of view of the Curator's wife or even Chloe? I don't need to get inside the head of yet another white, loser, snob 'artiste'. I really hope that this wasn't autobiographical.
• 
  Jan Philipzig

  This humorous and multi-layered meditation on the function and social status of art features painfully convincing characters, lush watercolors, and an inventive grammar that manages to reconcile highbrow with lowbrow ambitions. One of the most interesting comic books to come out of Europe in recent years!
• 
  juicy brained intellectual

  nice to look at but insufferable man shit
• 
  Dave Schaafsma

  Beautiful artwork and funny and insightful story about the function of art in a community. A sort of marginal hipster artist who is not very likable gets invited to a community biennial event, to help them create art and he is the Real Artist, though all the motley crew of locals does art of some kind.. balloon art, a schizophrenic named Dennis who only does swirls on everything, etc. But art gets made and the story is sort of like that hilarious mockumentary about theater in a small community, Waiting for Guffman, that seems to mock the community for their small town ways but also finally affirms the value of art. The "artist" in The Making Of is kind of a jerk, too, though he really does pull the whole cast of oddballs together to do something and i guess it is useful that he is not just a hipster hero, he has his (many) faults, too… The art in this tale about art is stunning, wildly colored over some quick sketched characters and scenes, some wildly beautiful pages… I might have wished for an edgier story that wasn't just a simple affirmation of art, but it is a very good story, still, and gorgeous art to hold and see.
• 
  George Marshall

  Superb- this really moves comics to a new level. Evens is one of those creators who come along once in a while to show how limitless is the expressive potential of comics. On one level Making Of is a gentle and often very funny satire on a circle of untalented provincial artists, and their neuroses. But there are much deeper and more satisfying things going on. For one there is the way that Evens quotes high art as an ironic counterpoint - so there are sudden lapses into pointilism and cubism. The cover has a flower strewn ground that is directly quoted from the 15th century Flemish Unicorn Tapestries (at the New York Met)- as is a later page of an electrical horse walker. In the middle of the cover the 'artists' are building the frame for their ludicrous giant papier mache gnome. The scaffolding is, I suspect, another reference - this time to 'Belvedere', an optical illusion by the Dutch graphic artist Escher. If this all sounds odd, well, it is, but it works.
  
  And then there are the transitions of view, angle and style. Objects, people and walls can be opaque, transparent or nothing more than outlines. A building becomes a cut away, revealing layers of activity. The point of view suddenly disappears into the bushes to reveal a world of insects. As characters drive through a suburb it becomes a birds eye map. These constantly changing view points seem to be inspired by the sense of the freedom you find in good story book art for young children - maybe the wilder work of Richard Scarry.
  
  The transitions can be metaphorical- in one noteworthy example we move, in successive panels from an overview of the box of a plasterboard walled art installation, to the box of a fish tank, then the box of a room (with the fish tank in the corner)in which people are watching television, then to the box of caged birds (which are the subject of the television programme) and then back up again to an aerial view over the tv studio which, we can see, if made of multiple interlocking boxes...
  
  It is stunning stuff- and Evens moves with such unpretentious and self confident ease through this material that you need to take a step back to see how damned clever it is...except when you remember how hard he has worked for that ease because, working in watercolour, he has had to know exactly what he is doing every time he puts brush to paper.
  
  What can I say- superb!
  
  
• 
  Olivia Linn

  Hmm.. I am not quite sure what I think about this graphic novel. The Art was beautiful and the story was both interesting and original, yet I am left rather confused by it. I had hoped for it to take a different turn at some point, but it didn't and then the ending just left me rather lost. Most of the characters were very interesting, but I found the main guy to be so unlikeable that it deducted a bit from the story, but I loved the artistic expression of it. Consensus is three stars from me.
• 
  Drew Canole

  A very abusive and pretentious man organizes an art festival, especially concerning organizing a collective art piece.
  
  I'm not sure if the protagonist ever did see the errors of his ways.
  
  The story is nice to read. The characters are varied and interesting. The art work is beautiful and unique; the sequencing is well-done.
• 
  Stewart Tame

  Excellent book! An artist, Peterson, travels to a small town to participate in an arts festival. Once there, he discovers that the whole thing is a bit less organized and more amateurish than he anticipated. He attempts to work with everybody and suggests a group collaboration. Although he seems to do his best to be gracious and not be the center of attention, his very presence seems to throw things off kilter. The artwork in this is magnificent, very lovely watercolor work. I spotted at least one homage to a famous work of art, and there are likely more that I missed (while I do know one or two things about art, there are huge chunks of its history that are unfamiliar to me.) I like how the endpapers basically tell the story of the book, but so allegorically that it's not really a spoiler if you haven't already read the book.
• 
  Kaylee

  I liked the art it was very pretty but I hated the main character and the story. Can we stop it with the self absorbed piece of shit men artist who falls in love with underage girl trope? Just an idea.
• 
  Joke De Clercq

  Alweer mooi. Knappe tekenstijl, intrigerend verhaal en tegelijkertijd wat bevreemdend. Toch had ik het gevoel in zijn andere graphic novels meer meegesleept te worden door de personages.
• 
  Titus

  This was my first time reading a Brecht Evens comic, but I went in safe in the knowledge that at the very least I'd love the artwork. Evens has a style totally unlike anything else I've seen in comics: vibrant, impressionistic watercolour paintings, largely unrestrained by panel borders, flowing beautifully across the page. It's hard for me to imagine that anyone could fail to find this work attractive.
  
  Reading The Making Of, it quickly becomes apparent that Evens's artwork isn't just nice to look at – it's also masterfully honed for visual storytelling. He understands that every visual element of a comic can serve a purpose and he exploits this to the fullest. Each character has a design and colour scheme that perfectly encapsulates its personality, and subtly morphs to reflect its mood in a given moment. Backgrounds, foregrounds, objects and characters fade in and out in line with their importance to what's happening. Appreciating that he's under no obligation to conform to any kind of realism, he employs perspectives that are physically impossible but that enable him to impart exactly what he wants to communicate. I've
  referred to David Mazzucchelli's Asterios Polyp as "a blueprint for how to tell stories in the comic medium". Well, Evens is one of the few people I've come across who seems to have seen the blueprint and put it into practice. That isn't to say Evens apes Mazzucchelli, but in his own unique way he uses the same fundamental formalist ideas.
  
  Compared to the artwork, the story in The Making Of is quite conventional. The premise is a professional artist from Brussels participating in a small Flemish village's art festival, alongside a motley crew of enthusiastic locals. As might be expected, there's a degree of culture clash, with Evens parodying and critiquing both the pretentious urban artiste and the hapless country bumpkins. That said, despite some absurd oddball characters, the subject is addressed with a fair amount of nuance and intelligence, often playing with the reader's expectations, and ultimately avoiding excesses of either sentimentality or cynicism.
  
  I know some people can't stand deeply flawed protagonists, especially when said protagonist neither sees the error of his ways nor gets his comeuppance. Such readers might do well to avoid The Making Of, but otherwise I think this is a must-read for any comic fan. The story is good, but what makes it really essential is its bold, unique art style and its absolutely superlative formal qualities. In short, this comic looks totally unlike any else I've seen, and to me that's hugely exciting.
• 
  Mary

  no amount of watercolor magic is going to save your artist-is-a-bad-man-but-nobody-cares plot, I'M SO TIRED
• 
  Kathie Yang

  the art itself was amazing, i can’t imagine coming up with it, but some of the story was icky 3 also what was up with that ending? (tw: sex with a minor :/, also mistreatment of a mentally ill person)
  
  ok i understand people are saying the main character is a douche but the story is self aware. (minor spoilers ahead)
  
  that’s cool but he’s still sooo annoying… even if his project fails and it’s obvious that he’s awful and rude and disgusting, it doesn’t make the book any more pleasant to read. and that’s not an original message that we need to hear again, we all know this already
• 
  Dave Hartwell

  Wow! What a beautiful book! It has so much going for it. Evens' art is getting much deserved acclaim, his lovely water color storytelling feels extremely fresh - and unique. He has established a method of painting translucent characters and scenes that can add both depth of perception as well as emotion. In using this, Evens is able to fill a scene with a curious fullness. It's to his credit that he employs this artistic sensibility to it's best advantage and not overused. But,to try and describe it too much might do it a disservice.
  I did find that, though I read many graphic novels, and can navigate myself quite well through most comic art storytelling, there were times when I had to slow down and take another look at what is happening on the page and in the scene. But it was a positive result. I loved the momentary mystery! It challenged my comic art apprehension...in an almost interactive(?) fashion. Reading along, I could suddenly feel like I've lost the narrative, only for it to - surprisingly, illuminate and enhance itself within a few panels or on the next page. Again, I feel that I don't want to describe it too much (oops, perhaps I already have), to chance spoiling a serendipitous experience for another reader.
  You can read other reviews about the general story line, which in itself is somewhat intriguing. But it's the characters that play it out which brought this tale to life. And, when I think of the dialogue, again the word "fresh" comes to mind. In collaboration with the art, it is entirely inventive and becomes evocative in the most satisfying of ways. It has a quality of "playfulness" that is lost on many works today. A labor of love for sure.
  For me, as a reader who mostly appreciates non-fiction graphic novels, to find such a gem in the fiction arena was such a pleasure. You deserve to enjoy this work also. And, the work is deserving of this 5 star review!
• 
  Michael Scott

  
  The Making Of is
  Evans Brecht's ironic portrayal of the small arts and crafts world. Unfortunately, the satire is dull and the art too much of an acquired taste.
  
  The plot is rather simple, but not enticing. The characters are also not inspiring. I found little reason to smile. The lead character, who as artist has the dubious credentials of having had art exposed in The Big City, is invited to a small commune of artists to join their biennale and help create a new work of (joint) art. After the initial exploration, it turns out he needs to take the lead, lest their project is a failure. In the spare moments of this saga, there is some pastel sex. The other characters are somewhat sketched, and look their cliche part: small town painters, living with their moms, unable to communicate, and incongruous to art. I disliked this take, which lacks psychological finesse and storyline.
  
  The art is not for everyone, and surely not for me. The pastels and overimposed watercolor do well with character of the story, but the complexity of the occasional multi-focus renderings is not meaningful to the story and it also seems much too complex for it.
• 
  Petitpois

  Tras Un lugar equivocado ya no hay sorpresa por su dibujo, pero sigue siendo una maravilla. Asímismo vuelve a narrarnos una historia donde, nuestra mente, se permite el lujo de reflexionar sobre soberbias, humildades, ilusión, demencias, enfoques variados para un suceso, de la mano de un grupo de personajes, artistas-seres humanos, que coinciden en un evento y aportan, cada uno, su singular bagaje.
  Fantástico.
• 
  Twan

  I need to see the making of of 'The Making Of' because the artwork pickled my mind. No idea where he began on some of the paintings and spent most of my time trying to analyse each piece which usually led to confusion.
• 
  Olavia Kite

  Fun. Weeeeird characters. Subtle art history references that were like beautiful jewels scattered throughout the book. Astounding artwork, as one has come to expect of Evens. I enjoyed the imagery much more than the story.
• 
  Joe Lanman

  incredibly beautiful artwork, simple strokes that really convey complex, varied characters
• 
  Kirsten

  I really love his painting, but I wasn’t keen on the story: artist as a bumbling, arrogant, vile creep. Not that it isn’t sometimes true to life though…
• 
  Stacie

  The art was wonderful. There were plenty of beautiful and somewhat surreal images done in a water color style.
  
  The story though? In all honesty, it wasn't anything special. Just some unlikable guy that comes around a small town and messes up the seemingly peaceful dynamic they all once had. I didn't feel like the story was particularly innovative, and it felt even more bland in comparison to how cool the artwork was next to it. I'm glad I was able to thumb through these images, but the story fell flat for me personally.
• 
  Kaat

  Eerder 2,5/5.
  Prachtige schilderstijl en leuk om Vlaamse dialoog te lezen, maar het bleef allemaal wat vaag voor mij, en het hoofdpersonage deed allemaal rare en foute dingen en er werd daar nooit op ingegaan...
• 
  Lukas

  3,5/5
• 
  Jiro Dreams of Suchy

  A middling artist comes to a small village celebration. The art stands out more than the story, it’s such a beautiful graphic novel that really uses the graphics to tell the story. I’ll have to reconsider some of their other work
• 
  Bart Bovri

  Tragikomische genialiteit!
• 
  Maria(h)

  The art style of this graphic novel is one of my favourites.
• 
  Amanda

  Prachtig geschilderd maar verder niet bijzonder verhaal over veel van elkaar variërende mannen en drie zeer originele vrouwen:
  -De moeder die alles opruimt en ontzettend goed is in koffie zetten voor gasten
  -De vervelende huisvrouw die steeds maar zeurt bij haar echtgenoot die belangrijk werk aan het doen is, zucht!
  -De bijna-maar-net-niet-meerderjarige zonder enige inhoud of toekomstdromen, behalve dan haar wens om gemanipuleerd te worden en de penis van de hoofdpersoon te vereren
  
  In ieder geval kwam er meer vrouwvriendelijkheid in voor dan doorbreking van het stigma op mensen met een mentale aandoening.
  
• 
  Christa Van

  A successful artist is invited to produce something in a small town first biennial, a planned festival that will focus on art. The artist wants to get the locals involved but may have taken on more than he can manage. In a swirling water color style, the story unfolds with characters delineated by colors, their dialog in matching tones. Lots of little stories occur on the sidelines and you wonder if the project will ever be completed. Sometimes hard to follow, you will pick this up for the art, not the story.