Death of a creator .281989.29 Blueberry (comics)

—giraud, august 1989, on script status of arizona love @ time of charlier s death.

on 10 july 1989, jean-michel charlier passed away heart condition after short sickbed. accounts charlier had been workaholic throughout career, working simultaneously on as dozen projects @ given time, steadily increasing workload grew older. heart condition had troubled him in later years , death, while sudden, not entirely surprise. charlier s penchant hard work increasingly became concern giraud when visited longtime co-worker 6 months before death, work bulimic! there 7 8 scenarios underway. life true path of self-destruction. should have seen him working @ desk! 6 months before passing, advised him calm down. artistically, replied: no, have chosen this!

charlier, having been of previous generation, conservative in nature , wary of science fiction in general, had never understood younger colleague tried achieve mœbius . nonetheless, never tried hinder giraud in least, understood artist of giraud s caliber needed mental shower time time. furthermore, charlier appreciative of graphic innovations giraud ported on work mœbius mainstream blueberry series, nez cassé , making him 1 of all-time greatest artists in comic medium , charlier himself worded in 1982. artist fr:michel rouge, taken on giraud in 1980 inks of la longue marche ( long march ) painted different picture though. recognizing 2 men living in different worlds, noted charlier not pleased giraud taking on assistant, afraid might have been prelude him leaving series in order pursue experimentations mœbius further. giraud in later life led believe charlier apparently detested other work, looking upon akin treason , though personal experiences author had kept open mind in regard, @ least in case. while charlier willing overlook giraud s wanderings in case only, otherwise of firm conviction artists, own, should totally , wholeheartedly devote craft – charlier had considered comic medium – , incongruous on part himself habitually engaged in several divergent projects @ given time. has caused many of artists problems on frequent basis, consistently , notoriously late piecemeal provided script pages, including giraud @ start of blueberry career. however, recognized quit on blueberry occupied special place in body of work, later made sure (only) blueberry artists provided scripts in timely fashion. charlier s method of working came @ cost however, scripts contained continuity errors on detail level, , included of blueberry, such in above cited instance of hero s first name. charlier has cited blueberry titles la mine de l allemand perdu ( lost dutchman s mine ) through l homme qui valait 500 000 $ ( half-a-million dollar man ) favorites potency , both story , artwise, latter making him co-winner of 1973 american comic award.

the script being one-thirds ready @ time of charlier s passing, completion of arizona love postponed giraud needed time come terms fact. due intimate twenty-five year familiarity both series , writer, foregone conclusion giraud on take on scripting of main series well, since agreed upon in contracts signed jean-michel survivor take on series . circumstance has led philippe charlier, son of deceased author , heir , steward of father s bande dessinée legacy, make unsubstantiated claim novedi surreptitiously negotiating giraud existing , future blueberry series, intent on cutting charlier family out, incongruous novedi heading toward receivership, aside fact giraud has never hinted @ such alleged dealings , no rumors have ever surfaced in otherwise tight-knit franco-belgian comic community, save claim charlier jr. himself made on single occasion in comic journal bodoï (issue 24, 1999). furthermore, per french law, charlier s widow christine remained entitled 10 percent of revenues existing , subsequent post-charlier blueberry titles, provided decent living standard, according son philippe, in effect extent contradicting own claim on same occasion. giraud, having work without safety net first time, came bouts of self-doubt , second-guessing, colin wilson (by new la jeunesse de blueberry artist) testified to, after visit giraud in period, janet , visited jean when working on arizona love – around may 1989 [sic.] think. of first pages showed radically different ones published in album later on. did not had time read scripts pages had shown us, know jean redid several pages entirely anew, before album released . giraud rejected pages published bonus in 1995 deluxe limited edition of mister blueberry , joint publication of dargaud , giraud s publishing house stardom.

stunned sudden death of longtime co-worker, took giraud 5 years before bring himself embark on blueberry again artist, after completing arizona love . giraud stated series had lost father , , mother needed time mourn .