Catalan Communications was a New York City publishing company that existed from 1983 to 1991. Operated by Bernd Metz, Catalan Communications mainly focused on English-language translations of European graphic novels. These were presented as high-quality trade paperbacks, or comic albums — a European book format that American comic book readers were not yet accustomed to. Both the physical dimensions and the mature content were unfamiliar to U.S. audiences, who often referred to the format dismissively as "Euro-comics."
Metz became one of the first American publishers to introduce U.S. readership to European-style comics on a larger scale than the niche-market efforts undertaken by HM Communications – publisher of the groundbreaking Heavy Metal magazine – in the preceding decade.
History
The company was founded in April 1983 as a collaboration between Bernd Metz (1944–2012), Herb Spiers, and Josep Toutain (1930–1997) of the Spanish art agency Selecciones Ilustradas. It published from 1984 until 1992, operating out of a large loft located at 43 East 19th Street. Metz was the editor-in-chief, and the novelist Tom Leighton and later Elizabeth Bell provided English translations for the French and French-edition titles, including Max Cabanes' Colin-Maillard (Heartthrobs). Despite initial struggles, the company was able to quickly establish financial stability, in large part due to their printing being done in Europe, where it was more economical to produce small press runs.
On August 1, 1985, United States Customs Service officials seized copies of Massimo Mattioli's Squeak the Mouse on the grounds that the book was obscene. Since all of Catalan's publications were adult-only material, and at least as susceptible to seizure as Squeak the Mouse, Metz chose to fight the obscenity charge in court. Metz won the case, and distributors actually increased their orders for Squeak the Mouse following the seizure, despite a coinciding price increase on the book. After that, Catalan started an all-ages imprint and adopted rating systems for their various publications.
In 1990, Cabanes' Colin-Maillard graphic novel was the winner of the Grand Prix at France's Angoulême International Comics Festival. One of Bell's translated books for Catalan revealed errors in an earlier Heavy Metal translation of the same story. James Keller, the Germanic studies scholar, translated the German edition of Sacher-Masoch's Venus in Furs (Guido Crepax) in 1991, the year the company released its last titles. Tom Leighton was the IT arm of the firm, as well as the translator from French until 1989. Jeff Lisle translated from Italian and Spanish.
Other books published by Catalan included Jacques Loustal's Love Shots, Lorenzo Mattotti's Fires, and Barcelona artist Marti Riera's The Cabbie, with an introduction by Art Spiegelman. Published in five languages, Trip to Tulum by Federico Fellini and Milo Manara, with essays translated by Elizabeth Bell, was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the best trade paperbacks of 1990.Publishers Weekly, 1990.
In 1989–90, Catalan expanded its line with the "ComCat" line of comic albums aimed at an all-age readership, such as Blake and Mortimer, The Adventures of Yoko, Vic and Paul, Code XIII and Young Blueberry, the type of European comics traditionally referred to by its French-derived "bande dessinées" qualifier.
In 1991, attempting to stay afloat, the company offered returns on their books, but they closed down that same year.
Publications Catalan titles Title Art Script Year ISBNAbominationsHermann1990AnarcomaNazario1984The ApeMilo Manara1986Bell's Theorem #1: Bell's TheoremMatthias Schultheiss1987Bell's Theorem #2: The ConnectionsMatthias Schultheiss1988Bell's Theorem #3: ContactMatthias Schultheiss1989Billy Budd, KGBFrançois BoucqJérôme Charyn1991BodysseyRichard CorbenSimon Revelstroke1986BreakthroughVarious1990Burton & Cyb: 1José OrtizAntonio Segura1990The CabbieMarti Riera1987Cases from the Files of Sam Pezzo P.I.: 1Vittorio Giardino1988Click! #1: A Woman Under the InfluenceMilo Manara1985 (January and May printings with different ISBNs)Companions at Dusk #1: The Spell of the Misty ForestFrançois Bourgeon1991Corben Collected Works #1: Underground 1Richard Corben1985Corben Collected Works #2: Underground 2Richard Corben1986Corben Collected Works #3: Rowlf – Underground 3Richard Corben1987Dark TalesJordi BernetEnrique Sánchez Abulí1990Den: NeverwhereRichard Corben1984Dorm Girls; 1991Dr. Jekyll & Mr. HydeGuido Crepax1990Dulled FeelingsIgort1990Edgar Allan Poe. The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales of Horror.Richard Corben1985Erma Jaguar #1: Erma Jaguar: 1Alex Varenne1990Erma Jaguar #2: Erma Jaguar: 2Alex Varenne1991Evaristo: Deep CityFrancisco Solano LópezCarlos Sampayo1987Exterminator 17Enki BilalJean-Pierre Dionnet1986FiresLorenzo Mattotti1987Ghita of Alizarr #1: Ghita of Alizarr 1Frank Thorne1991Ghita of Alizarr #2: Ghita of Alizarr 2Frank Thorne1985Good-Bye and Other StoriesYoshihiro Tatsumi1988Giuseppe Bergman #1: The Great AdventureMilo Manara1988Giuseppe Bergman #2: An Author in Search of Six CharactersMilo Manara1989Giuseppe Bergman #3: Dies IraeMilo Manara1990Giuseppe Bergman #4: Perchance to dreamMilo Manara1990H.R. Gigers Necronomicon 2H.R. Giger1986Hearts of SandLoustal1991HeartthrobsMax Cabanes1991Hidden CameraMilo Manara1990The Hunting PartyEnki BilalPierre Christin1990Ice Age #1: Blind Mists1990Ice Age #2: Death BirdChristian GineDidier Convard1991Indian SummerMilo ManaraHugo Pratt1989Jeremiah #13: StrikeHermann1990Joe's BarJosé MuñozCarlos Sampayo1987JustineGuido Crepax1991Killer CondomRalf König1991Kogaratsu #1: The Bloody LotusMarc Michetz1990Kogaratsu #2: Treasure of EtaMarc MichetzBosse1991Kogaratsu #3: Spring of BetrayalsMarc MichetzBosse1991Light and BoldJordi Bernet1990Little EgoVittorio Giardino1989Love MachineHoracio Altuna1991Love ShotsLoustalPhilippe Paringaux1988Mark of the Dog1991A Matter of TimeJuan Gimenez1985Max Friedman #1: Hungarian RhapsodyVittorio Giardino1987Max Friedman #2: Orient GatewayVittorio Giardino1987Morbus GravisPaolo Eleuteri Serpieri1990Necron #1Magnus1989Necron #2Magnus1990Necron #3Magnus1991New York/MiamiLoustalPhilippe Paringaux1990Nikopol #1: Gods in ChaosEnki Bilal1988Nikopol #2: Woman TrapEnki Bilal1988Outer StatesEnki Bilal1990Paper ManMilo Manara1986Peter PankMax1991Pioneers of the Human AdventureFrançois Boucq1989The Ranks of the Black OrderEnki BilalPierre Christin1989RanXerox #1: RanXerox in New YorkTanino LiberatoreStefano Tamburini1984RanXerox #2: Happy Birthday LubnaTanino LiberatoreStefano Tamburini1985RealmsPaul Kirchner1987RebelPepe Moreno1986Remember JonathanCosey1990Rocco Vargas, The Astral Adventures of #1: TritonDaniel Torres1986Rocco Vargas, The Astral Adventures of #2: The Whisperer MysteryDaniel Torres1990Rocco Vargas, The Astral Adventures of #3: SaxonDaniel Torres1990Romantic FlowerSilvio Cadelo1990Shooting StarsRod Kierkegaard Jr.1987ShortsMilo Manara1989SnowmanMilo ManaraAlfredo Castelli1990Squeak the MouseMassimo Mattioli1989Stella Norris #1: HurricaneRoberto BaldazziniLorena Canossa1991Superwest ComicsMassimo Mattioli1987Tex Arcana #1: Tex ArcanaJohn Findley1987Tex Arcana #2: Tex Arcana Meets the Toast of Europe/Part 1John Findley1991The Last Voyage of SindbadRichard Corben1988The Magician's WifeFrançois BoucqJérôme Charyn1987The Man from HarlemGuido Crepax1987The Specialist: Full Moon in DenderaMagnus1987The Survivor #1: The SurvivorPaul Gillon1990The Survivor #2: The HeirPaul Gillon1991The Talking Head1990Torpedo 1936 #1Alex Toth, Jordi BernetEnrique Sánchez Abulí1984Torpedo 1936 #2Jordi BernetEnrique Sánchez Abulí1985Torpedo 1936 #3Jordi BernetEnrique Sánchez Abulí1986Torpedo 1936 #4Jordi BernetEnrique Sánchez Abulí1987Torpedo 1936 #5Jordi BernetEnrique Sánchez Abulí1988Torpedo 1936 #6Jordi BernetEnrique Sánchez Abulí1991Torpedo 1936 #7Jordi BernetEnrique Sánchez Abulí1991The Towers of Bois-Maury # 3 GermainHermann1990The Town That Didn't ExistEnki BilalPierre Christin1989Trip to TulumMilo ManaraFederico Fellini1990Venus in FursGuido Crepax1991Video ClipsTanino LiberatoreStefano Tamburini1985WerewolfRichard Corben1986ZeppelinPepe Moreno1986Zora and the HibernautsFernando Fernandez1984
ComCat titles Title Art Script Year ISBNBlake and Mortimer #1: The Time TrapEdgar P. Jacobs Edgar P. Jacobs1989Blake and Mortimer #2: Atlantis MysteryEdgar P. Jacobs Edgar P. Jacobs1990Yoko Vic and Paul #1: Vulcans ForgeRoger Leloup Roger Leloup1989Yoko Vic and Paul #2: The Three Suns of VinaRoger Leloup Roger Leloup1989Code XIII #1: Day of the Black SunWilliam VanceJean van Hamme1989Code XIII #2: Where the Indian WalksWilliam VanceJean van Hamme1989Code XIII #3: All the Tears of HellWilliam VanceJean van Hamme1990Magic Crystal #1: Magic CrystalMarc BatiMoebius1989Magic Crystal #2: Island of the UnicornMarc BatiMoebius1990Magic Crystal #3: Aurelys's SecretMarc BatiMoebius1990Young Blueberry #1: Blueberry's SecretMoebiusJean-Michel Charlier1989YoungBlueberry #2: A Yankee named BlueberryMoebiusJean-Michel Charlier1990Young Blueberry #3: The BluecoatsMoebiusJean-Michel Charlier1990Young Blueberry #4: Missouri DemonsColin WilsonJean-Michel Charlier1991Young Blueberry #5: Terror over KansasColin WilsonJean-Michel Charlier1991
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