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auteur des dessins

English translation: author

05:32 Oct 1, 2010
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Photography/Imaging (& Graphic Arts) / Contract to publish comic
French term or phrase: auteur des dessins
This is a deceptively simple one. I am translating an agreement for the assignment of rights to adapt a comic strip/graphic novel-type work and two 'auteurs' are mentioned:

auteur des dessins
auteur des textes

who are then referred to jointly as 'l'auteur'

In the context of, say, a children's book, I would simply call these the illustrator and the author, but it's not so simple in the world of the cartoon/graphic novel (where usually the artwork has the most impact). Should one be referring to 'the author of the artwork' and 'the author of the text'? Or is there a more accepted phrase?

In terms of context, there's not much specific to these two terms, but here is a further reference to the work in question from a parallel contract which I am also translating in this connection (L'AUTEUR here refers, again, to both the 'auteurs' mentioned above acting jointly):

"L'AUTEUR, qui possède toutes les prérogatives à lui conférées par le Code de la Propriété Intellectuelle (Loi n° 92-597 du 1er Juillet 1992), cède à titre exclusif à L’EDITEUR qui l'accepte, le droit de reproduction et de représentation des bandes dessinées qu'il a réalisées pour le Tome .. de la série intitulée « ……………. »"
Charlotte Allen
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:16
English translation:author
Explanation:
Best to stick with the legal language: One is the author of the texts, one is the author of the drawings, then they are regarded as collective authors of the work.

See my referance on French copyright law.

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Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-01 06:47:23 GMT)
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nb. regarded as 'collective author' of the work (singular)
Selected response from:

SMcG (X)
Belgium
Local time: 03:16
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4author
SMcG (X)
4artist
Catharine Cellier-Smart
3creator of the artwork
Melissa McMahon
3cartoonist/illustrator
mimi 254
Summary of reference entries provided
Droit d'auteur
SMcG (X)

  

Answers


13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
artist


Explanation:
Although I don't feel "illustrator" is wrong, if you DO want to increase the status of the person I think you should use "artist".
Rightly or wrongly an "artist" tends to be considered more highly than an "illustrator", I think because an artist is considered a creator whereas an illustrator is 'just' illustrating someone else's work.
I also think it's not always easy to know who is behind a graphic novel - is the work 50/50 or has either the author or the artist had more influence one over the other ?

See for example :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Venom-Carnage-Marvel-Graphic-Novels/...

(But this example uses the term "illustrator" :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SilverFin-Graphic-Novel-Young-Bond/d... )

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Note added at 16 mins (2010-10-01 05:49:13 GMT)
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Where "les auteurs" are mentioned, do you feel it would be a problem to translate as "the artist and the author" ? Too awkward ?

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Note added at 20 mins (2010-10-01 05:53:37 GMT)
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IMHO while "auteur" in French has a wider, creative meaning (which can literally include the idea of "auteur des textes"), and this wider meaning also exists in English but to a lesser, more rarely used extent.

Catharine Cellier-Smart
Reunion
Local time: 05:16
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
author


Explanation:
Best to stick with the legal language: One is the author of the texts, one is the author of the drawings, then they are regarded as collective authors of the work.

See my referance on French copyright law.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-01 06:47:23 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

nb. regarded as 'collective author' of the work (singular)

SMcG (X)
Belgium
Local time: 03:16
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Troy D: I think "author" should be used to it's fullest English extent in all 3 cases. Consider adding a translator's note about the collective meaning when it appears without modifiers (instead of saying "collective author").
28 mins
agree  writeaway: absolutely. I also work a lot in IP and author it is. even in English.....
48 mins
agree  Evans (X): yes, the illustrator is the "author of the artwork" in this context. The Arts Council model agreement refers to the moral rights of the artist and "their right to be credited as the author of the artwork on all occasions".
2 hrs
agree  chris collister: Yes "author" is not restricted to writing. I may, for example, be the author of my own downfall...
8 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
creator of the artwork


Explanation:
It seems customary to refer to the authors/illustrators of comic books as their "creators", so I would suggest "creator of the artwork" & "creator of the text".

See. Eg. in the Wiki entry on Comics:
- "In comics, creators transmit expression through arrangement and juxtaposition of either pictures alone, or word(s) and picture(s), to build a narrative."
- "...works from independent companies, self-publishers or those of a more personal nature can be produced by a single creator."
- "The editor assembles a number of creators and oversees the work to publication."

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Note added at 1 hr (2010-10-01 07:06:51 GMT)
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I can see that "author" is the intellectual property term - I'd still say this is a useful rendition to have in the archives!

Melissa McMahon
Australia
Local time: 11:16
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Troy D: Even though I support "author," it's worth noting that "writer" and "artist" seem to be the choice for the categories of this prestigious graphic novel award http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_main.php
19 mins
  -> Yes, my suggestion is only if one wants one term to refer to both.
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
cartoonist/illustrator


Explanation:
since we are talking of comic strip/graphic novel

mimi 254
Local time: 02:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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Reference comments


1 hr peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: Droit d'auteur

Reference information:
French copyright law


    Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_copyright_law
    Reference: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droit_d%27auteur
SMcG (X)
Belgium
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  writeaway: yup. the basics of IP.
1 hr
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