Le Tour du Québec en BD

Le Tour du Québec en BD (Travel Québec Through Graphic Novels) is a collection of graphic novels written by Jean-François Gaudet and drawn by Hugues Poirier, with some contributions from other artists. The novels are published by the two authors, owners of the advertising agency, Le Vent Qui Vente.

The main goal of the collection is to introduce the regions of Québec to tourists and to remind the local residents of their heritage. They introduce, through the regional language of their characters and the typical landscapes of the regions, the Québécois people and their way of life. Each book presents the common activities and events of a given region during the course of a year. The stories include, but are not limited to, the celebrations, festivals, carnivals, and famous personalities of Québec. Each book also includes a glossary of terms and expressions and a few typical recipes of the regions. The authors plan on publishing a series of novels on Québec's regions. The key to the success of the series is the simple and humorous writing and the meticulously detailed drawings of the architecture and scenery of the areas. Inhabitants immediately recognize themselves through their language and customs. Their homes are picture perfect, even the colors are chosen with care to represent the true images of the landscapes. A few esteemed inhabitants can even, to their pleasant surprise, find themselves in the stories. But, most importantly, visitors and travelers alike, including children, are given a rare glimpse into the lives of Canada’s distinct society.

The characters

The main character of each graphic novel are all distant cousins, similar in appearance and character, who introduce, with their family and friends, their homes through various storylines.

Néciphore, a fisherman from the Magdalen Islands, introduces his home through the activities of his daily life and the main events of the Islands. Théophile, just retired from 35 years of loyal service at a factory, finally has the time to discover and rediscover the uniqueness of his home, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. Dagobert, "calèche" driver by profession, likes to chat about the history and beauty of his "Belle Province", Québec City, when taking his clients on a tour of the city. And Philémond discovers his late father’s journal and goes off on a treasure hunt only to discover the wealth of his Charlevoix.

All main characters of these novels have rarely traveled outside of their peaceful and comfortable homes, because simply, where they live is where they belong, and only they can innocently transmit the beauty of their paradise.

Translation

The graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dagobert", The City of Québec, has been translated into English. Much of the humor and puns are Québécois-specific; therefore, some of the jokes and the spirit of the story have been lost in the translation. To compensate for this, many original Québécois expressions have been kept in the story and more information and explanations have been included in the glossary and in the regional recipes for the English-speaking readers. The authors plan on translating more books in an attempt to enter the Canadian and American markets.

The collection

* 2003 – [http://leventquivente.com/neciphore.htm "Les aventures de Néciphore"] , Iles-de-la-Madeleine
* 2004 – [http://leventquivente.com/theophile.htm "Les aventures de Théophile"] , Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
* 2005 – [http://leventquivente.com/dagobert.htm "Les aventures de Dagobert"] , La ville de Québec
* 2006 – [http://leventquivente.com/dagobert_en.htm "The Adventures of Dagobert"] , The City of Québec (translated from the French)
* 2006 – "Les aventures de Philémond", Charlevoix

External links

* [http://www.leventquivente.com/ Le Vent Qui Vente web site]