Writer & Penciller: Max de Radiguès.
The Pitch: After a narrow escape the first time round, twins Stig and Tilde find themselves shipwrecked once more on a mystery island… where they’re immediately greeted by a pack of feral wolves!
One of the key things in the surge of YA titles in the Graphic Novel market has been books that don’t talk down to the kids reading the books or to the parents picking them up. Whilst many stories carry that particular weight well, it’s rare to find OGNs that preach a practical approach to the adventures and dangers presented in them. Max de Radiguès Stig & Tilde is a refreshing look at a different way of life.
First, you should know that rather than stand-alone volumes, these stories are follow directly on from one another. Stig & Tilde are on their Kulku, where they must head off to an island to survive alone for a few months. This is a local tradition, that as time progressed, has become neutered. The island that the twins are due to land at has wi-fi and many home comforts. In the first volume, Stig & Tilde are blown off course during their voyage to the island, finding themselves on a seemingly deserted locale. as we begin volume two, Stig & Tilde have escaped Vanisher’s Island , where they encountered the vengeful spirit of a teenage boy.
The structured, episodic nature of the stories, with every volume bringing the twins to a different island, gives any tweens or teens reading this an excellent grounding. Not only that, but there isn’t a smart-phone or iPad in sight. The stories encourage a mildly survivalist, back to nature approach that isn’t present in a lot of books. Stig & Tilde have to know or learn to work with their hands and minds to solve practical problems. Boat broken? Fix it. No food? Hunt for some. Volume 2: Leader of the pack adds a new string to series’ bow - family.
THE BOOK weaveS a wider world for IT’s readers, building on the incidents and characters from the first volume.
On the next island, the twins find themselves hunted by a pack of wolves. Seeking shelter they once again find themselves aided by an occupant of the island, making the set-up pretty much the same as the first volume. Which is perfect as de Radiguès manages to weave a wider world for his readers, building on the incidents and characters from the first volume. The familial relationships in the book, which are at it’s heart, are deftly handled. In contrast to most stories, where one child might be the more wounded fool, neither Stig nor Tilde ever really have the upper hand for long. They need each other too much, mostly to stop the other from making bad decisions. It’s a great family dynamic ensuring an equal footing for the twins.
De Radiguès’ art style is simple and effective, with spacious, colourful panels that match the expanse of the adventures in these pages. He manages to make the characters emote in believable ways despite their cartoonish nature. One thing that isn’t cartoonish are the morals. The books manage to support a realistic idea of modern teens, adult and responsible treatment of animals (even if those animals are trying to eat you) and humane treatment of people, all whilst immersing you in a fun, perilous adventure story. If comics are still going to be classed as the big kids medium, then these are definitely the comics all the kids should be reading.
You can buy Stig & Tilde Volume 1: Vanisher’s Island from Gosh along with Volume 2: Leader of The Pack. You can also purchase Volume 3: The Loser Squad.