Saturday, March 10, 2012

MOEBIUS

Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (May 8, 1938 - March 10, 2012)
Today the world lost a great artist and true visionary; Jean Giraud aka, Moebius.
I was exposed to his art when I was 10 or 11 in Heavy Metal magazine. Too young to be reading Heavy Metal but reading it none the less. Among such artistic giants as Milo Manara, Richard Corben, Liberatore, Bernie Wrightson, all of whom I idolize, but Moebius stood out by a long shot. His artwork forever influenced my minds eye. My own visions of otherworldly, fantastic vistas, to this day, are almost entirely influenced by Moebius. He achieves a distinct visual texture beautifully imagined and lovingly crafted, he transported me to wonderful and far off worlds both gritty and dark, and simultaneously bright and optimistic. His take on Silver Surfer (though brief, 2 issue mini series) in my opinion is only trumped by Jack Kirby himself; all due respect to John Buscema. Moebius made an impact on one of the greatest Sci-Fi films of all time, Alien. He left his mark in the video gaming industry with Panzer Dragoon, one of my favorite gaming franchises. These are just a few examples of a true and rare success story within the realm of an illustrator/comic/concept artist. His art is singular, distinct, and never seemed compromised. Moebius did Moebius always. Truly a legend has passed leaving us with a sense of great lose but with his legacy permanently inked in the imaginations of those he touched. I've said it before, when our heroes die, an Immortal is born. Moebius was a living legend who transported me to fantastic worlds and exposed me to the limitless possibilities of imagination. Jean Giraud, Moebius, GIR, you will be missed.