Zombillenium: Gretchen

by Arthur de Pins

Overview

Francis von Bloodt, a vampire and good family man, operates the one-of-a-kind theme park Zombiellenium. But this unique amusement park doesn’t just hire anyone: mere mortals need not apply—only genuine werewolves, vampires, zombies, and other citizens from the undead community are employed. A stunningly beautiful, fully painted graphic novel, this work presents a wryly humorous and lighthearted take on the traditional horror genre.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561637461
Publisher:	N B M Publishing Company
Publication date:	08/01/2013
Series:	Zombillenium
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	48
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Arthur de Pins is the writer and artist of the Zombillenium series, which was given the prestigious Angouleme Fauve Award for best youth comic in France in 2012.

Editorial Reviews

09/15/2013
Zombillenium is a vampire-operated theme park designed to inflict entertaining chills on the horror-seeking mortals who sample its rides. But the park's goodies depend upon a 100 percent paranormal staff of werewolves, vampires, freaks, zombies, monsters, and an Egyptian mummy. And, unsurprisingly, neither the mummy nor his fellow park workers are tightly wrapped. The fun begins when the mummy tries to escape. While chasing him, the park CEO accidentally kills a human and then decides to make amends by converting the deceased into a paranormal and hiring him for Zombillenium with the assistance of park intern Gretchen. Naturally, nothing goes as planned. Everyone has a hidden agenda—especially Gretchen, who's a witch with a powerful relative—and the plot careens hilariously from one unexpected misfire to another. VERDICT A stellar exemplar of the horror-humor subgenre, this series from French writer and artist de Pins (Artbook) will transfix teens and adults alike with its cultural insider jokes, twists on horror standbys, and superb art that resembles painting. Volume 2 received the Angoulême Award, and Volume 3 is in progress. Includes some mildly suggestive humor and inexplicit nudity.—M.C.

Library Journal

08/19/2013
A theme park staffed by the undead confronts the daily challenges of trying to stay competitive with the likes of Disneyland and Seaworld in this comedy, originally published in France. Whether they’re dealing with a disaffected mummy employee who wants to run away to Cairo, or larger economic problems, the park’s administrators have a lot on their hands. Enter Aurelian Zahner, a human who’s bitten by both a vampire and a werewolf. What kind of monster will he be? De Pins does a wonderful job of creating a brand of humor that matches perfectly the cartoony world of monsters he presents. He’s especially good in panel sequences where he uses minor changes in body language to show Aurelian’s reaction to the strange characters of Zombillenium Park, whether Aurelian is with the beautiful witch Gretchen inside an audio-isolation bubble or in an elevator with Aton the mummy, who’s just grateful he doesn’t have to work the cotton-candy stand anymore. With its humor, clever pacing, and unique approach to the monster narrative, de Pins’s tale throws zombie fans some fresh meat. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

A clever, horror-themed riot. A really fun graphic novel, and you realize that when you open to the first page and see a bored-looking goth girl riding a skateboard on top of a broom. Sold. The characters all have distinct personalities, and at least some of them are bound to grow on you by the end. Arthur de Pins has excellent comedic timing and creates great comedic expressions. A real find!”  —MTV Geek

“Whatever dark dealings you think go on behind the doors and in the underground tunnels of Disneyworld, they’ve got nothing on the secrets of Zombillenium and its mysterious proprietor.”  —William Kulesa, NJ.com


"This award-winning, laugh-aloud, smart comic should be of high interest to those who enjoy parodies and anything that pokes gentle fun at Harry Potter or the Twilight craze." —Francisca Goldsmith, Booklist


"This first in a new series is full of witty dialogue and tongue-in-cheek cultural references. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and fun [...]. The blossoming relationship between Aurelian and Gretchen creates an interesting dynamic and the end of the first volume leaves the reader eagerly anticipating what comes next for the pair." —Kaitlin Connors, VOYA


"Zombillenium does for cartoon monsters what Sfar and Trondheim's Dungeon albums do for funny animals." —Bill Sherman, Seattle Post Intelligencer

From the Publisher