While EXIT WOUNDS has been getting much well-deserved acclaim, it seems that THE ARRIVAL is the graphic novel that is picking up, as they say, awards seasons mo. This story from a local Aussie paper profiles creator Shaun Tan and lists some of the book’s kudos:
Tan said yesterday he had begun talks with a Los Angeles producer about turning The Arrival into a film, vindicating his decision to knock back a job on an American animated film six years ago to spend four years hunched over his drawing board to create the book.
The book has been a publishing hit around the world. It reached No. 7 on the New York Times children’s book bestseller list and the Mexican Government bought 30,000 copies for distribution to schools around the country.
The book was published in Australia originally, and won the WA Premier’s Prize and the NSW Premier’s Literary Award, beating out Robert Hughes and celebrated novelist Peter Carey. and now, of course, book of the year at Angoulême.
Really not surprised that the book is getting great notices. I had a chance to see an advanced reader copy of the book over a year ago and decided to contact Mr. Tan via email. He is a pretty good guy and was happy to know that the gn market here in North America was very similar to that of Australia. Go take a look at the book. If you can imagine a happy Pink Floyd song in pictures, this is it. Very very cool.