ALL THAT I LOVE: JEAN GIRAUD-MOEBIUS
Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (1938-2012) was much more than a French Graphic Artist. Giraud earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonyms MOEBIUS, and GIR. He illustrated many books and magazines and also wrote graphic novels for other graphic novel artists.
He co-founded the groundbreaking, Metal Hurlant magazine, which led to the American version, Heavy Metal. Over the years I've managed to get my hands on some classic issues of Heavy Metal, and I carefully sift through them, always with wonderment and joy!
Movies that Moebius created concept designs for include- Alien, The Abyss, Tron, The Fifth Element, Willow, Masters of the Universe and Jodorowsky's never completed Dune. Ridley Scott had invited him to work on BladeRunner, but he was busy working on an animated project- The Time Masters.
Moebius collaborated with Dan O'Bannon, illustrating his wonderful futuristic detective story- The Long Tomorrow, [which Ridley Scott has cited as being an influence on the visual look of BladeRunner] and with Alejandro Jodorowsky on a number of stories, including another of my favourites, the surreal Incal. Moebius also collaborated with Stan Lee on a double issue, mini-series Silver Surfer comic, released in 1988. It won an Eisner Award for best finite or Limited Series.
Copies of his graphic-books can be hard to aquire, depending upon which country you live in, and I have found this to be the case, as I live in Scotland. Also, second hand copies of some of his most popular works can sell for astronomical prices, but I'll never give up the chase!
Moebius has influenced many artists and film-makers. Whether you look at his work from say the 1970's or his later work, you realise that it's timeless, and that it appeals to every generation. His penmanship lives on. We'll have his genius forever!
Official site: MOEBIUS
TheAirtightGarage [quenchedconsciousness] is a fantastic blog exploring the work of Moebius, with a massive database devoted to his work: theairtightgarage.tumblr.com
For anyone interested in knowing more about the man and his work, In Search of Moebius (Moebius Redux: A Life in Pictures) is a wonderful BBC 4 documentary, from 2007. As well as Moebius himself, it includes comments from Stan Lee, H.R. Giger, and Dan O'Bannon, and has a soundtrack by former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos. Video below:
Alien May 25th, 1979
More about Alien (movie)
When the crew of the space-tug Nostromo answers a distress call from a desolate planet, they discover a deadly alien life form that breeds with a human host. And so the horror begins - a horror which will end the lives of six crewmembers and alter the life of the seventh forever. Sigourney Weaver stars as Lieutenant Ellen Ripley in one of the most suspenseful and powerful science fiction films of all time.
Directed by Ridley Scott, Alien's release date is May 25th, 1979.
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