Canadian musician, cartoonist, and multimedia artist Geneviève Castrée, also known as Geneviève Elverum (née Gosselin), is most renowned for her 2013 visual memoir “Susceptible.” She was reared by a single mother in Quebec, Canada, and it is said that she had a difficult upbringing. Comic books and music were her sources of solace. At a very young age, she self-published her mini-comics under the name Castrée after deciding she wanted to be a cartoonist. Her first three comic books were published by the Montreal publishers when she was a teenager. She became well-known in comic books and music with her third book, “Pamplemoussi,” which combined music and her illustrations. She was not only a musician but also a self-taught artist. Afterwards, she put out eight additional albums, first as “Ô PAON” and later as “Woelv.” Her writing has appeared in several noteworthy collections. “Susceptible,” a 2013 autobiographical picture book that was published by “Drawn & Quarterly,” won her multiple awards. The French poetry collection “Maman Sauwage” was her most recent publication. She had a baby girl and was the wife of musician Phil Elverum. She passed away in July 2016 from stage 4 pancreatic cancer, which was discovered shortly after the birth.
Early Life & Childhood of Geneviève Castrée
On April 9, 1981, Castrée was born in Loretteville, Quebec, Canada. She had a difficult and neglected upbringing with her single mother and her mother’s boyfriend/stepfather, as she subsequently detailed in her memoir.
She had a lifelong fascination with cartoons and read “Tintin” with great enthusiasm. Even a “Tintin” competition had been won by her. She also liked comics by Julie Doucet, Renée French, Chester Brown, and Argentine artist Quino, among others. Since she was little, she had wanted to be a cartoonist. Her last name was originally “Castrée” when she started drawing and self-publishing her mini-comics as a youngster.
In an attempt to reunite with her biological father, who had abandoned her and her mother ten years prior, she traveled across the nation when she was fifteen. She found comfort in the local punk scene and in honing her cartooning abilities during her formative years. Despite having met her father, she and him were not very close. Later, when she traveled west and had nowhere to go, her father built her a log cabin.
Career of Geneviève Castrée
Castrée began drawing cartoons at the age of sixteen. Her first three works were published by Montreal-based “L’oie De Craven,” who served as her first publisher. She published her first book, “Lait Frappé,” in 2000. Two years later, in 2001, she published “Roulatheque Roulatheque Nicolore.” Although these works were favorably acclaimed, it was her third book, “Pamplemoussi,” that gave her the artistic breakthrough she needed in 2004. Her music and visuals were combined uniquely in this artwork. Because the music LP was included, the book was substantially larger than standard comic books.
Before creating music for her comics, she had no musical background. In addition to being a self-taught artist, Castrée studied music to produce sounds that went with the themes of her books. She believed that the music completed the picture in her stories.
Afterward, Castrée put out eight albums as Woelv (2004–2007) and Ô PAON (2007–2016). Her artwork and some joint pieces with other artists Karl Blau and Lori Goldston accompanied these albums. She also collaborated with Phil Elverum/Elvrum, her spouse, who has recorded music under the moniker “The Microphones” and “Mount Eerie.”
Her work can also be found in outstanding anthologies, such as the publishing company’s 25th-anniversary anthology and “Kramer’s Ergot #4,” edited by Sammy Harkham and Chris Oliveros, as well as “Drawn & Quarterly Showcase #3.” Roz Chast’s edited collection “The Best American Comics 2016” included a posthumous tribute to Castrée, who has held several international exhibitions in Canada, the USA, Europe, Australia, and Japan.
Castrée’s picture book “Susceptible” was released by “Drawn & Quarterly” in 2013. It is a narrative of her childhood in Quebec and her subsequent relocation to British Columbia. It talks about how close she felt to her mother and yet how she believed her mother was demeaning and alienating her. It delves deeply and intimately into her upbringing, which was marked by drug and alcohol addiction.
Her novel “Susceptible” made her well-known and well-respected. It garnered Castrée nominations for the 2013 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel, the 2014 Doug Wright Award for Best Book, and the 2014 Great Graphic Novel for Teens.
Her first collection of poems, “Maman Sauwage,” was published in French in 2015 by “L’oie De Craven,” her initial publisher. In 2017, “Drawn & Quarterly” published her nearly finished last image book, “The Bubble,” which was finished by friend and graphic designer Anders Nilsen.
She talked extensively about cultural imperialism and gender inequality. In the middle of the 2000s, she wrote a book and recorded a song regarding the war in Iraq.
Individual Life of Geneviève Castrée
Castrée was wed to musician Phil Elverum/Elvrum, well known as “The Microphones” and “Mount Eerie.” She and her spouse relocated to the small US town of Anacortes, Washington, after their marriage. Both of them participated actively in the local music and art scenes and organized the “What the Heck Fest,” a local musical event.
After giving birth to their daughter Agathe in 2015, she was diagnosed with stage 4 inoperable pancreatic cancer four months later. It was at that point that she and her mother made up. Her spouse created a GoFundMe page to handle their costs after it was determined that she had a terminal disease.
On July 9, 2016, she passed away. Two concept albums that honor the artist’s memory, “A Crow Looked at Me” and “Not Only,” were released by Phil Elverum.
Net worth of Geneviève Castrée
The estimated net worth of Geneviève Castrée is about $1 million.