Catalan Communications

Catalan Communications
Founded	April 1983; 41 years ago
Founders	Bernd Metz, Herb Spiers, and Josep Toutain
Defunct	1991; 33 years ago
Country of origin	U.S.
Headquarters location	43 East 19th Street; New York City
Key people	Bernd Metz; Tom Leighton; Elizabeth Bell
Publication types	Comics, trade paperbacks
Imprints	ComCat

Catalan Communications was a

comic albums

, a European book format American comic book readers were at the time not accustomed to, neither for their physical dimensions nor for their contents aimed at a mature readership, and who at the time had the tendency to use the diminutive term "Euro-comics" to refer to the then-unfamiliar format.

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^[a] – publisher of the groundbreaking Heavy Metal magazine – in the preceding decade.^[1]

History

Page five from *New York/Miami* (Catalan, 1990) by Loustal and Philippe Paringaux, translated by Elizabeth Bell

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.^[2] 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).^[3] 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.^[2]

On August 1, 1985,

all-ages imprint^[4] and adopted rating systems for their various publications.^[5]

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.^[6]

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.^[7]

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,^[8] but they closed down that same year.

Publications

Catalan titles

Title	Art	Script	Year	ISBN
A Matter of Time	Juan Gimenez		1985	ISBN 0-87416-012-X
Abominations	Hermann		1990	ISBN 0-87416-080-4
Anarcoma	Nazario [es]		1984	ISBN 0-87416-000-6
Bell's Theorem #1: Bell's Theorem	Matthias Schultheiss		1987	ISBN 0-87416-037-5
Bell's Theorem #2: The Connections	Matthias Schultheiss		1988	ISBN 0-87416-062-6
Bell's Theorem #3: Contact	Matthias Schultheiss		1989	ISBN 0-87416-074-X
Billy Budd, KGB	François Boucq	Jérôme Charyn	1991	ISBN 0-87416-111-8
Bodyssey	Richard Corben	Simon Revelstroke	1986	ISBN 0-87416-032-4
Breakthrough	Various		1990	ISBN 0-87416-097-9
Burton & Cyb: 1	José Ortiz	Antonio Segura	1990	ISBN 0-87416-101-0
Cases from the Files of Sam Pezzo P.I.: 1	Vittorio Giardino		1988	ISBN 0-87416-057-X
The Town That Didn't Exist	Enki Bilal	Pierre Christin	1989	ISBN 0-87416-051-0
The Ranks of the Black Order	Enki Bilal	Pierre Christin	1989	ISBN 0-87416-052-9
The Hunting Party	Enki Bilal	Pierre Christin	1990	ISBN 0-87416-053-7
Click! #1: A Woman Under the Influence	Milo Manara		1985 (January and May printings with different ISBNs)	ISBN 0-87416-055-3
Companions at Dusk #1: The Spell of the Misty Forest	François Bourgeon		1991	ISBN 0-87416-126-6
Corben Collected Works #1: Underground 1	Richard Corben		1985	ISBN 0-87416-018-9
Corben Collected Works #2: Underground 2	Richard Corben		1986	ISBN 0-87416-026-X
Corben Collected Works #3: Rowlf – Underground 3	Richard Corben		1987	ISBN 0-87416-031-6
Dark Tales	Jordi Bernet	Enrique Sánchez Abulí	1990	ISBN 0-87416-082-0
Den: Neverwhere	Richard Corben		1984	ISBN 0-87416-003-0
Dorm Girls	José Luis Galiano [es]	Marta Guerrero [es]; Alfredo Pons [es]	1990	ISBN 0-87416-100-2
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde	Guido Crepax		1990	ISBN 0-87416-079-0
Dulled Feelings	Igort		1990	ISBN 0-87416-090-1
Edgar Allan Poe. The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales of Horror.	Richard Corben		1985	ISBN 0-87416-013-8
Erma Jaguar #1: Erma Jaguar: 1	Alex Varenne		1990	ISBN 0-87416-099-5
Erma Jaguar #2: Erma Jaguar: 2	Alex Varenne		1991	ISBN 0-87416-117-7
Evaristo: Deep City	Francisco Solano López	Carlos Sampayo	1987	ISBN 0-87416-034-0
Exterminator 17	Enki Bilal	Jean-Pierre Dionnet	1986	ISBN 0-87416-024-3
Fires	Lorenzo Mattotti		1987	ISBN 0-87416-048-0
Ghita of Alizarr #1: Ghita of Alizarr 1	Frank Thorne		1991	ISBN 0-87416-095-2
Ghita of Alizarr #2: Ghita of Alizarr 2	Frank Thorne		1985	ISBN 0-87416-010-3
Good-Bye and Other Stories	Yoshihiro Tatsumi		1988	ISBN 0-87416-056-1
Giuseppe Bergman #1: The Great Adventure	Milo Manara		1988	ISBN 0-87416-063-4
Giuseppe Bergman #2: An Author in Search of Six Characters	Milo Manara		1989	ISBN 0-87416-071-5
Giuseppe Bergman #3: Dies Irae	Milo Manara		1990	ISBN 0-87416-077-4
Giuseppe Bergman #4: Perchance to dream	Milo Manara		1990	ISBN 0-87416-086-3
H.R. Gigers Necronomicon 2	H.R. Giger		1986	ISBN 0-87416-029-4
Hearts of Sand	Loustal	Philippe Paringaux [fr]	1991	ISBN 0-87416-134-7
Heartthrobs	Max Cabanes [fr]		1991	ISBN 0-87416-128-2
Hidden Camera	Milo Manara		1990	ISBN 0-87416-098-7
Ice Age #1: Blind Mists	Christian Gine [fr]	Didier Convard [fr]	1990	ISBN 0-87416-107-X
Ice Age #2: Death Bird	Christian Gine	Didier Convard	1991	ISBN 0-87416-132-0
Indian Summer	Milo Manara	Hugo Pratt	1989	ISBN 0-87416-030-8
Jeremiah #13: Strike	Hermann		1990	ISBN 0-87416-106-1
Joe's Bar	José Muñoz	Carlos Sampayo	1987	ISBN 0-87416-046-4
Justine	Guido Crepax		1991	ISBN 0-87416-136-3
Killer Condom	Ralf König		1991	ISBN 0-87416-146-0
Kogaratsu #1: The Bloody Lotus	Marc Michetz [fr]	Bosse [fr]	1990	ISBN 0-87416-103-7
Kogaratsu #2: Treasure of Eta^[9]	Marc Michetz	Bosse	1991	ISBN 0-87416-131-2
Kogaratsu #3: Spring of Betrayals^[9]	Marc Michetz	Bosse	1991	ISBN 0-87416-133-9
Light and Bold	Jordi Bernet		1990	ISBN 0-87416-122-3
Little Ego	Vittorio Giardino		1989	ISBN 0-87416-069-3
Love Machine	Horacio Altuna		1991	ISBN 0-87416-120-7
Love Shots	Loustal	Philippe Paringaux	1988	ISBN 0-87416-059-6
Mark of the Dog	Silvio Cadelo [it]		1991	ISBN 0-87416-113-4
Max Friedman #1: Hungarian Rhapsody	Vittorio Giardino		1987	ISBN 0-87416-033-2
Max Friedman #2: Orient Gateway	Vittorio Giardino		1987	ISBN 0-87416-041-3
Morbus Gravis	Paolo Eleuteri Serpieri		1990	ISBN 0-87416-115-0
Necron #1	Magnus		1989	ISBN 0-87416-072-3
Necron #2	Magnus		1990	ISBN 0-87416-118-5
Necron #3	Magnus		1991	ISBN 0-87416-107-X
New York/Miami	Loustal	Philippe Paringaux	1990	ISBN 0-87416-073-1
Nikopol #1: Gods in Chaos	Enki Bilal		1988	ISBN 0-87416-049-9
Nikopol #2: Woman Trap	Enki Bilal		1988	ISBN 0-87416-050-2
Outer States	Enki Bilal		1990	ISBN 0-87416-085-5
Paper Man	Milo Manara		1986	ISBN 0-87416-022-7
Peter Pank	Max		1991	ISBN 0-87416-119-3
Pioneers of the Human Adventure	François Boucq		1989	ISBN 0-87416-075-8
RanXerox #1: RanXerox in New York	Tanino Liberatore	Stefano Tamburini	1984	ISBN 0-87416-027-8
RanXerox #2: Happy Birthday Lubna	Tanino Liberatore	Stefano Tamburini	1985	ISBN 0-87416-008-1
Realms	Paul Kirchner		1987	ISBN 0-87416-043-X
Rebel	Pepe Moreno		1986	ISBN 0-87416-020-0
Remember Jonathan	Cosey [fr]		1990	ISBN 0-87416-104-5
Rocco Vargas, The Astral Adventures of #1: Triton	Daniel Torres		1986	ISBN 0-87416-025-1
Rocco Vargas, The Astral Adventures of #2: The Whisperer Mystery	Daniel Torres		1990	ISBN 0-87416-096-0
Rocco Vargas, The Astral Adventures of #3: Saxon	Daniel Torres		1990	ISBN 0-87416-114-2
Romantic Flower	Silvio Cadelo		1990	ISBN 0-87416-088-X
Shooting Stars	Rod Kierkegaard Jr.		1987	ISBN 0-87416-028-6
Shorts	Milo Manara		1989	ISBN 0-87416-060-X
Snowman	Milo Manara	Alfredo Castelli	1990	ISBN 0-87416-124-X
Squeak the Mouse	Massimo Mattioli		1989	ISBN 0-87416-070-7
Stella Norris #1: Hurricane	Roberto Baldazzini	Lorena Canossa	1991	ISBN 0-87416-112-6
Superwest Comics	Massimo Mattioli		1987	ISBN 0-87416-035-9
Tex Arcana #1: Tex Arcana	John Findley		1987	ISBN 0-87416-036-7
Tex Arcana #2: Tex Arcana Meets the Toast of Europe/Part 1	John Findley		1991	ISBN 0-87416-129-0
The Ape	Milo Manara	Silverio Pisu [it]	1986	ISBN 0-87416-019-7
The Cabbie	Marti Riera		1987	ISBN 0-87416-042-1
The Last Voyage of Sinbad	Richard Corben		1988	ISBN 0-87416-054-5
The Magician's Wife	François Boucq	Jérôme Charyn	1987	ISBN 0-87416-045-6
The Man from Harlem	Guido Crepax		1987	ISBN 0-87416-040-5
The Specialist: Full Moon in Dendera	Magnus		1987	ISBN 0-87416-044-8
The Survivor #1: The Survivor	Paul Gillon		1990	ISBN 0-87416-116-9
The Survivor #2: The Heir	Paul Gillon		1991	ISBN 0-87416-083-9
The Talking Head	Paolo Baciliero [it]		1990	ISBN 0-87416-105-3
Torpedo 1936 #1	Alex Toth, Jordi Bernet	Enrique Sánchez Abulí	1984	ISBN 0-87416-125-8
Torpedo 1936 #2	Jordi Bernet	Enrique Sánchez Abulí	1985	ISBN 0-87416-014-6
Torpedo 1936 #3	Jordi Bernet	Enrique Sánchez Abulí	1986	ISBN 0-87416-023-5
Torpedo 1936 #4	Jordi Bernet	Enrique Sánchez Abulí	1987	ISBN 0-87416-039-1
Torpedo 1936 #5	Jordi Bernet	Enrique Sánchez Abulí	1988	ISBN 0-87416-058-8
Torpedo 1936 #6	Jordi Bernet	Enrique Sánchez Abulí	1991	ISBN 0-87416-078-2
Torpedo 1936 #7	Jordi Bernet	Enrique Sánchez Abulí	1991	ISBN 0-87416-125-8
Trip to Tulum	Milo Manara	Federico Fellini	1990	ISBN 0-87416-123-1
Venus in Furs	Guido Crepax		1991	ISBN 0-87416-091-X
Video Clips	Tanino Liberatore	Stefano Tamburini	1985	ISBN 0-87416-015-4
Werewolf	Richard Corben		1986	ISBN 0-87416-007-3
Zeppelin	Pepe Moreno		1986	ISBN 0-87416-021-9
Zora and the Hibernauts	Fernando Fernandez		1984	ISBN 0-87416-001-4

ComCat titles

Title	Art	Script	Year	ISBN
The Time Trap	Edgar P. Jacobs		1989	ISBN 0-87416-066-9
Blake and Mortimer #2: Atlantis Mystery	Edgar P. Jacobs		1990	ISBN 0-87416-094-4
Vulcans Forge	Roger Leloup		1989	ISBN 0-87416-065-0
The Three Suns of Vina	Roger Leloup		1989	ISBN 0-87416-076-6
Code XIII #1: Day of the Black Sun	William Vance	Jean van Hamme	1989	ISBN 0-87416-061-8
Code XIII #2: Where the Indian Walks	William Vance	Jean van Hamme	1989	ISBN 0-87416-081-2
Code XIII #3: All the Tears of Hell	William Vance	Jean van Hamme	1990	ISBN 0-87416-092-8
Magic Crystal #1: Magic Crystal	Marc Bati	Moebius	1989	ISBN 0-87416-067-7
Magic Crystal #2: Island of the Unicorn	Marc Bati	Moebius	1990	ISBN 0-87416-084-7
Magic Crystal #3: Aurelys's Secret	Marc Bati	Moebius	1990	ISBN 0-87416-102-9
Blueberry, Young #1: Blueberry's Secret	Moebius	Jean-Michel Charlier	1989	ISBN 0-87416-068-5
Blueberry, Young #2: A Yankee named Blueberry	Moebius	Jean-Michel Charlier	1990	ISBN 0-87416-087-1
Blueberry, Young #3: The Bluecoats	Moebius	Jean-Michel Charlier	1990	ISBN 0-87416-093-6
Blueberry, Young #4: Missouri Demons^[9]	Colin Wilson	Jean-Michel Charlier	1991	ISBN 0-8741-6109-6
Blueberry, Young #5: Terror over Kansas^[9]	Colin Wilson	Jean-Michel Charlier	1991	n/a

Notes

^ Metz was not the only American publisher who tried to introduce the European graphic novel to his countrymen; NBM Publishing too, tried their hand at translated European graphic novels in the same time span Catalan was active, and there was some overlap in authors who were published in English by both, most notably Milo Manara. But unlike for Catalan, the English-language publication of European productions has never been a core business for NBM, but rather executed on a more haphazardly experimental scale, and NBM therefore persevered longer than Catalan in their efforts. However, and like Catalan, NBM found out for themselves that American readership did not take to European comics at all – save for a small "intellectual" niche market, making their translation endeavors not commercially worthwhile – and threw in the towel in the early 2000s themselves when they too ceased all their "Euro-comics" translation efforts.

References

^ Thompson, pp. 30-31
^
Fictioneer Books
. pp. 38–45.
^ Smith, Kenneth (May 1992). "Homage to Catalan: Burton & Cyb, Companions of the Dusk, Mark-of-the-Dog, Dark Tales, Heartthrobs, and Billy Budd KGB". The Comics Journal. No. 150. pp. 52–53.
^ "Catalan Starts Juvenile Imprint". The Comics Journal. No. 126. Jan 1986. p. 29.
^ "Catalan Adopts Ratings for Albums". The Comics Journal. No. 112. Nov 1986. pp. 16–17.
^ Stewart, Bhob (October 1984). "Screaming Metal". The Comics Journal. No. 94.
^ Publishers Weekly, 1990.
^ "Catalan Offers Returns". Newswatch. The Comics Journal. No. 143. Apr 1991. p. 20.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Announced (on back covers of released preceding series volumes), but cancelled due to Catalan's mid-1991 bankruptcy.

Sources

Decker, Dwight R.; Jordan, Gil;
Fantagraphics Books
. pp. 18–52.
Catalan Communications at the Grand Comics Database

[1] Metz was not the only American publisher who tried to introduce the European graphic novel to his countrymen; NBM Publishing too, tried their hand at translated European graphic novels in the same time span Catalan was active, and there was some overlap in authors who were published in English by both, most notably Milo Manara. But unlike for Catalan, the English-language publication of European productions has never been a core business for NBM, but rather executed on a more haphazardly experimental scale, and NBM therefore persevered longer than Catalan in their efforts. However, and like Catalan, NBM found out for themselves that American readership did not take to European comics at all – save for a small "intellectual" niche market, making their translation endeavors not commercially worthwhile – and threw in the towel in the early 2000s themselves when they too ceased all their "Euro-comics" translation efforts.

[2] Thompson, pp. 30-31

[DAK35-3] 
Fictioneer Books
. pp. 38–45.

[4] Smith, Kenneth (May 1992). "Homage to Catalan: Burton & Cyb, Companions of the Dusk, Mark-of-the-Dog, Dark Tales, Heartthrobs, and Billy Budd KGB". The Comics Journal. No. 150. pp. 52–53.

[5] "Catalan Starts Juvenile Imprint". The Comics Journal. No. 126. Jan 1986. p. 29.

[6] "Catalan Adopts Ratings for Albums". The Comics Journal. No. 112. Nov 1986. pp. 16–17.

[7] Stewart, Bhob (October 1984). "Screaming Metal". The Comics Journal. No. 94.

[8] Publishers Weekly, 1990.

[9] "Catalan Offers Returns". Newswatch. The Comics Journal. No. 143. Apr 1991. p. 20.

[cancel-10] Announced (on back covers of released preceding series volumes), but cancelled due to Catalan's mid-1991 bankruptcy.

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