Pyongyang
by Guy Delisle · first published 2003
75% recommend25% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Graphic novel memoir by a French animator who spent several months working in North Korea, offering an everyday view of life there and a more human perspective than news coverage typically provides.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A Westerner's visit into North Korea, told in the form of a graphic novel. Famously referred to as one of the "Axis of Evil" countries, North Korea remains one of the most secretive and mysterious nations in the world today. In early 2001 cartoonist Guy Delisle became one of the few Westerners to be allowed access to the fortresslike country. While living in the nation's capital for two months on a work visa for a French film animation company, Delisle observed what he was allowed to see of the culture and lives of the few North Koreans he encountered; his findings form the basis of this remar
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In the 'other media' category I can highly recommend 'Pyongyang: A Journey In North Korea' by Guy Delisle[1] which is a graphic novel detailing his few months working in North Korea for a more serious look and into the lives of those who actually live/have lived in…
on “Sophie In North Korea” ↗There is also a very good french comics book : http://www.amazon.com/Pyongyang-Journey-North-Guy-Delisle/dp... The author describe 3 month of life there.
on “Rare pictures of North Korea” ↗I knew they did animation (http://www.amazon.com/Pyongyang-Journey-North-Guy-Delisle/dp... is amazing), so that might be a logical next step.
on “Curious: Who knew North Korea did 3D games development?” ↗I found this graphic novel by a French cartoonist who worked in North Korea to be fascinating: http://www.amazon.com/Pyongyang-Journey-North-Guy-Delisle/dp...
on “The Secret History of Kim Jung Il -- written by one of his high school teachers” ↗I can definitely recommend Guy Delisle's books. He has books on Pyongyang, Shenzhen, Burma and Jerusalem and they're all excellent.
on “Five non-fiction graphic books on lives in dangerous locations” ↗Pyongyang [0] by Guy Delisle is an amazing graphic novel depicting a foreigner animator living in North Korea. Never get tired of it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyongyang:_A_Journey_in_Nort...
on “Three years in North Korea as a foreigner (2021)” ↗I don't have time to find source on the web to support that but in his graphic novel about Pyongyang, Guy Delisle describes how a lot of anime are made (if I am correct he is talking about Disney but it is all from memory so correct me if I am wrong). Basically Westerners make some designs and all the…
on “Anime is booming, so why are animators living in poverty?” ↗Now that's a great use for AI! Inbetweening has always been a thankless job usually outsources to sweatshop-like studios in Vietnam and - even recently - North Korea (Guy Delisle's "Pyongyang" comic is about his experience as a studio liaison there). And AI has less room to hallucinate - it is more a kind of interpolation - even if in this short curt example, the AI still "morphs" instead…
on “The state of AI for hand-drawn animation inbetweening” ↗