This July Uncivilized Books will publish the highly anticipated English language edition of Joann Sfar's Pascin, a biography of the noted Jewish modernist painter, real name Julius Mordecai Pincas. Touted as his most personal work, Sfar's Jewish heritage and status as an artist help him identify closely with his subject, who he views as "a kindred spirit and an aesthetic revolutionary struggling to redefine an art form."
It's a biography that promises to focus more on the man, his ideas, lifestyle, and practices, and how these facets made him the individual and artist he was, rather than looking solely to his work for answers. Sfar is widely regarded as one of Europe's most important comic artists having produced an array of acclaimed titles such as The Rabbi's Cat, Klezmer: Tales of the Wild East, Vampire Loves, and Dungeon. He's also a noted filmmaker—his biographical film Gainsbourg won a French Oscar. This book captures Pascin's life in a kinetic black and white style, allowing his subject to take center stage and infuse the tale with all the necessary color.
Written over a period of 3 years in 1996-99, and originally released in French by L'Association in 6 short volumes from 2002-05, this first English language version, translated by the prolific Edward Gauvin, collects all 200 pages of the story in one complete hardback edition.
