Jean Giraud

• A typical sample of Moebius' very clear style. More Moebius pictures can also be found.
• There is an English article about Moebius available.
• ...and an interview of Giraud, in French.
• And, yet another article, in what, Flemish?

Moebius, or Jean Giraud, draws a wild west cartoon Lieutnant Blueberry (see also bibliography) which is technically quite enjoyable. But he is also one of the leading artists of M�tal Hurlant. He is very productive and has a distinctive, elaborate style. While some people praise his outstandingly skilled graphics in these science fiction stories, it sometimes stands out too much for me. Like in a too polished tv series where actors always have a perfect make-up and hairdo and the lights are in a constant balance (main/side/background) one realizes that he is watching a set up plot, not "the real thing". But this is just my opinion. Maybe it is just that the more you know about the technique behind the show, the less you can enjoy it.

One of Moebius' best works that I know besides the L'Incal story is the Edena epic story. Interestingly enough, it started from a work made for the Citroen company. That first part, Sur l'�toile (© 1988 by Casterman) is not excessively interesting, though.

The second book of the epic is a travel story with fantasy and Zen tendencies. From Les jardins d'Edena © 1988 by Casterman. What happens when people grow too far away from the nature with their technology?

The third book, La D�esse © 1990 by Casterman, is IMHO the best of the three books I've seen. Here Moebius joins the large group of artists who warn about the dangers of totalitarianism. Like other books, this has an open ending and the story goes on.

This document was last updated Thursday, May 23, 1996.