Gringos Locos #[nn]

Published by Dupuis in 2012, this Franco-Belgian album from Schwartz and Yann drops two very out-of-place Europeans into the scorching American Southwest — as the cover vividly shows, a beret-wearing artist cheerfully painting at an easel while a companion sketches nearby, blissfully unconcerned by the vultures perched on the cactus looming right behind them. A broken-down car smokes in the background, a rattlesnake curls at their feet, and a spider lurks nearby, yet the duo carries on with irrepressible creative enthusiasm. Olivier Schwartz's linework (with colors by Fabien Alquier) gives the whole sun-baked scene a warmth and gentle humor that sets a delightful tone for this road-trip adventure.