ECC Cartoonbooks Club: The 9th Art is in sorrow

The comics world lost one of his greatest masters. Jean Giraud died on March 10^th 2012 at 73. He signed Gir his Western series and Mœbius his SF stories and illustrations.

When Maurice de Bevere, his fellow cartoonist Morris, died, Jean Giraud paid him a tribute that he exceptionally both signed Gir and Mœbius, for once. This homage was published in the French weekly magazine ‘La Vie’ on July 26^th 2001. Although being quite famous for his comic strips works, Mœbius was editorial cartoonist in this magazine in 2001-2002.

Un an dans La Vie, a book gathering about fifty of these works, was published by Stardom Edition in Paris in May 2002. ISBN 2 908766 60 4

Here is its foreword:

The Sunday square.

Back to square one. It is always a dangerous task for a revered master to enter a new territory for the first time. One year at the very heart of information. This is the kind of adventure that we're talking about here; the very same one that your hands are holding. Small size book, regular meeting format in a paper covered by lines of pencil, at ‘La Vie’ (Life), a Christian newspaper. I declare that Mœbius started this career in which his peers preceded him, with both the humility and eagerness of a child. He thus became part of this paper's new founding team, which started right after the war.

A weekly drawing that depicts the news is a task without a net. No time for regrets. As soon as it's done, it's already printed. As soon as the ink is dry, you have to start over; back on the blank sheet. In this kind of business there is no room for impulsiveness and hesitation. On this definition valid for all news drawing, an additional difficulty rises, inherent to the weekly. The window of execution is limited to the limits of the day. It is the same as that of the daily plus the dilemma: what fact to retain that will remain as the core of the week, which will not betray that time?

Living the intensity of the news, then getting a distance to bring light to its meaning. For a year, Mœbius and I have shared this kind of life, rain or shine. We always responded to the call, either on an airplane, at the hospital, in Paris, in the south of France, or in dream castles in Burgundy, all four seasons; usually on Sunday, day of rest, day of the Lord. As for me, I felt the rare pleasure to witness a new particular talent that rose in him. The skill of catching the news, six days a week, and give it a meaning on the seventh; then, to offer it to the avid readers to share. May he be blessed for it.

Max Armanet. Managing Editor ‘La Vie’.