For many, the forest is a place of refuge. In the new graphic novel, Trumpets of Death by debut author Simon Bournel-Bosson, the rolling hills and dense trees become a place of transformation and maturity. Read on to take a sneak peek at this stunning and contemplative exploration of intergenerational conflict and humanity’s broken bond with nature.
One rainy night, Antoine gets dropped off at his grandparents’ remote house in the middle of the woods. He’s stuck between a doting grandmother and a grandfather openly hostile to his presence, and time crawls by while he waits to hear from his parents. When Antoine ventures out with his grandfather to forage for mushrooms, intergenerational conflict and mysterious forces of nature culminate in a fearsome hunt through the forest that will resolve their differences once and for all.
Unlike any coming-of-age graphic novel, this wildly creative yet grounded tale strikes the perfect balance between surreal, propulsive action and emotional reflection. Dive into the story with the excerpt below:
Author and illustrator Simon Bournel-Bosson is a graphic designer and comic artist based in France. After earning a higher diploma in Applied Arts at La Martinière in Lyon, began working in graphic design and art. Together with Maxime Gueugneau, he co-wrote two illustrated reports, En Diagonale in 2017 and Azur in 2021, for Kiblind editions. The Trumpets of Death is his first comic book.
Interviews with the Author
Q&A with AIPT Comics: “Trumpets of Death is, above all, a story of family emancipation.
A story that speaks of that important moment in life when we choose a direction.”
Cemetery Dance: “What speaks to me is that magic can explain a situation that reality alone cannot. . . Magic comes to the rescue when reality lacks the means.”
Geek Vibes Nation: “Antoine embodies a blank page who wants to free himself from his patriarchal heritage and build his own path.”
Conskipper: “Creating Trumpets of Death took quite a long time. I first drew the entire storyboard. I wanted to finish at least one story in my life.”
More from the comic world
- An exclusive preview from Graphic Policy!
- An exclusive preview from Macabre Daily!
- An exclusive preview from Comics Beat!
Praise for Trumpets of Death
“Simon Bournel-Bosson’s debut graphic novel is a surreal, emotional, and intriguing exploration of intergenerational conflict, growth, and human nature.”—starred, Shelf Awareness
“The artwork is certainly the showpiece, with a bold color palette adding to the 1990s nostalgia the book quietly evokes, while the sleekness of the cartoon character design adds a modern polish to the project. A fascinating tale.”—Booklist
“A beautiful graphic novel about a boy whose transformation into a stag leads to personal growth and maturity.”—Foreword Reviews
“An unsettling, thought-provoking coming of age.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This stunning, introspective story is short, but its firm grasp on the multifaceted themes of growing up and getting old promises readers will take their time with each image and think about the implications of the plot long after they’ve reached the end.”—School Library Journal