Jean Giraud, known by his artistic pseudonym Moebius, was a French artist who revolutionized European comic books between the 1970s and the early 1980s. His works elevated the visual imagination of science fiction to new heights while also popularizing new subgenres in Europe that blended the styles and narrations of Westerns, adventures, and fantasy. With a legacy that is being kept alive in the imaginations of great artists such as Ridley Scott, Neil Gaiman, and Hayao Miyazaki, the art of Moebius will forever endure.
The Discovery of a Passion: Jean Giraud Before Moebius
Jean Giraud was born in the suburbs of Paris in 1938. In his childhood years, to escape from family troubles in post-World War II France, he discovered the world of American Western movies in a local theater, which deeply influenced his first works. At that time, he also became familiar with 19th-century illustrations and Belgian comic books, such as Tintin or Spirou, which further directed his career toward visual arts.
As a teenager, he studied at the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (National School of Decorative Arts) of Paris, where he befriended other future sci-fi comic book artists like Jean-Claude Mézières. However, he left his studies without graduating in 1956 to visit his mother in Mexico, as she had recently married and moved there with her husband, who was Mexican. Giraud’s stay in Mexico hugely influenced him. The expansive horizons and blue skies of Mexico’s deserts, also connected with his passion for Western movies, had a lasting impact on his lifelong artistry.
In the 1960s, Giraud returned to France, where he was sent to Germany and Algeria for military service. Nevertheless, instead of dedicating his stay to military duties, he was appointed to work as an illustrator for an army magazine, where he perfected his technique. In this regard, those were also formative years for Giraud, especially in Algeria, as he experienced distant exotic cultures that influenced his imagination.
After returning once again to Paris, Giraud started working full-time as an illustrator of Western comics, such as the popular series “Blueberry,” written by Jean-Michel Charlier. Nonetheless, Jean Giraud had a special passion for science fiction, devouring everything from this genre in his spare time. This passion led him to adopt a pseudonym inspired by the 18th-century German astronomer and mathematician August Ferdinand Möbius, thus becoming Moebius.
Acquiring Worldwide Popularity: The Birth of Métal Hurlant
After several years of working on more classic Western comics and still having a fervent passion for science fiction, Moebius, along with some friends from the comic book scene, founded “Les Humanoïdes Associés” in 1974. This project established a publishing house dedicated entirely to comic books, with a clear editorial goal of pushing forward the sci-fi and fantasy genres. In this regard, the immediate product of this association was the creation of the French magazine Métal Hurlant, which shined by its experimental and visionary designs, thanks to its publishing independence and lack of censorship. In 1977, the magazine arrived in the US as Heavy Metal, rapidly becoming a hit.
Moebius was one of the main artists in Métal Hurlant. For its first issue, he created Arzach, a sci-fi wordless comic book that truly showcased his passion for the genre. This series also included aspects of fantasy, crafting a world that was hard to categorize, not only for its multiple influences but also because of its lack of dialogue. Arzach defined this new sci-fi era of Moebius, impacting creators such as Hayao Miyazaki, founder of Studio Ghibli, whose film Nausicaä is a clear reflection of Arzach.
Some other major works from the early days of Métal Hurlant were The Long Tomorrow and The Airtight Garage, both from 1976. The Long Tomorrow, written by Dan O’Bannon, was a short series that mixed many genres in its colorful panels. Integrating pieces of sci-fi, film noir, art deco, and some initial traces of cyberpunk, the major accomplishment of this series was its pivotal role in the visual identity of the film Blade Runner (1982), considered by many as the greatest sci-fi movie in history.
The Airtight Garage, inspired by the works of the writer Carlos Castaneda, is one of Moebius’s most experimental and personal comics. This series follows the bizarre adventures of Major Grubert across diverse non-linear and surreal plots, in which the author truly bends the existing rules of the medium. In this regard, Moebius is able to relate these stories to his personal experiences, drawing and writing from direct inspiration without adhering to any established canons, forging his most authentic identity.
A Career Dedicated to the Exploration of “The Beyond”
If there is something exceptional in Moebius’s works, it is the presence of the unknown. Even if most of his stories follow direct plots, with some adhering to classic adventure narrative standards, there is always something more to the panels of Moebius. Contrary to most comic book illustrators, Moebius gives as much importance to the graphic elements of his drawings as he does to their abstract layers. His illustrations not only allow us to follow a story but also let us feel and reflect on the transcendence of life.
This aspect of his art can be compared to other artists, such as H.P. Lovecraft or Douglas Adams, who dedicated their work to the exploration of the inexplicable and otherworldly. Like Adams, Moebius used science fiction to go beyond the surface and delve deeper into the meaning of life and the pursuit of wonder, offering us a sense of enlightenment in all of his stories. However, what made Moebius stand out is that he did it with illustrations and not only words, placing meaning and narration alongside colors, expressions, costumes, and visual symbols.
As seen, Moebius is capable of making us think while being in awe with just one of his drawings. This ability to visually encapsulate the uncanny can be compared to Alejandro Jodorowsky’s movies, in which folkloric tales are mixed with mysticism and abstract meanings. The best dimension of this comparison is that, while being artists who started in different mediums, they joined forces in comic books to bring us some of the most innovative stories to date.
The union between Jodorowsky, the writer, and Moebius, the illustrator, has brought us works such as Eyes of the Cat (1978), a poetic, obscure, and surreal story, or The Incal (1980), a space opera which is possibly Moebius’s most renowned piece. In addition, as a curiosity, both artists collaborated on the emblematic Jodorowsky’s Dune, sometimes referred to as “the best sci-fi film that never was.” In this project, Moebius was responsible for the storyboard and character designs.
The Incal: An Esoteric Journey Through Space
The Incal, initially published in Métal Hurlant between 1980 and 1988, is a vast space opera in which the genius of both Jodorowsky and Moebius truly shine. Following the adventures of detective John Difool, an uncommon protagonist who stands out for his simplicity and ill-fate, the story takes us on an intergalactic journey of epic proportions. Mixing politics, philosophy, astrology, drama, and romance, The Incal is one of the best entry points for new fans of both Moebius and Jodorowsky’s art.
Broadening the ideas developed from Jodorowsky’s Dune, The Incal, much like Frank Herbert’s novel, explores the human condition in a science fiction context with the help of mysticism and religion. John Difool, as in the case of Paul Atreides, Dune’s main character, starts an unexpected quest filled with love and war, during which he discovers his true self. In this regard, The Incal is not only about spaceships and alien civilizations; its ultimate goal is to guide the audience on the path to personal enlightenment.
Proof of its success was the expansion of its universe, this time without Moebius, in a series of prequels, sequels, and spin-offs written by Alejandro Jodorowsky. This extended universe is usually known as the “Jodoverse.” It uses the main characters of the original story to tell new stories with different illustrators, which adds an interesting element to the series. Additionally, a Hollywood feature film adaption of The Incal is in the making, with Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement as the leading creators behind the project.
Transcending Comic Books: Influencing Some of the Greatest
As mentioned, the imagination and drawings of Moebius transcended his initial artistic medium. His sci-fi otherworldly designs, which bloomed thanks to the creation of Métal Hurlant, influenced many young minds across the globe, as the magazine was edited and distributed in several languages, including French, English, German, Italian, and Spanish. The vision of Moebius was soon noticed by some, silently and progressively permeating the state of science fiction from the 1970s onwards.
Thanks to his work on Jodorowsky’s Dune, Giraud was quickly regarded by filmmakers as a true artist who could guide and design the new era of Hollywood science fiction. Therefore, Moebius, during the late 1970s and 1980s, offered his vision for renowned movies such as Alien, Tron, Masters of the Universe, Star Wars, and Abyss. Giraud participated in these projects with many character designs, storyboards, and other pre-production concept art. A curiosity from this era is that George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, who was a devoted fan of comics and the works of Giraud, included a hidden reference to Moebius in his films. The flying imperial probe droid from the beginning of Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back was directly taken from The Long Tomorrow, creating a simple but magical node of respect to Moebius.
Jean Giraud also collaborated briefly with Marvel Comics, the colossal institution of American-style comics. In 1988, he drew a two-issue miniseries of the Silver Surfer written by Stan Lee, which ended up winning the prestigious Eisner Award in 1989. Moebius also produced cover art for superheroes such as Ironman, Elektra, Spiderman, and Wolverine.
Another example of his great influence in the world of comics was his connection in Japan with Osamu Tezuka, the “Father of Manga,” and the creation of Icaro, a manga series written by Moebius and illustrated by Jiro Taniguchi, another master of Japanese comics.
Moebius’s Legacy: “See How Popular You Have Become?”
Jean Giraud died in Montrouge, Paris, in 2012 at the age of 73. In his later years, after losing part of his eyesight, Moebius left some of his more time-consuming comics series to focus on individual pieces. In doing so, he started creating art on big canvases, both physically and digitally. Although these works were not published as comics, they conveyed the style and artistry he had throughout his career. In addition, he also featured his work in many art exhibitions, elevating the realm of comic book illustration to fine art and transcending a medium often relegated to younger audiences.
The nine prints from Le Voyage d’Hermès are a clear example of a late Moebius masterpiece. These drawings were commissioned by the French luxury fashion brand Hermès and created by Giraud in 2010. For some, these works encapsulate the most honest vision of the artist, offering us drawings of transcendental and epic proportions while maintaining their soothing, colorful simplicity. Additionally, this series maintains the sci-fi imagination, clear skies, endless horizons, and clean shapes that characterized Moebius’s entire career.
The art of Moebius has influenced innumerable individuals around the world. From great filmmakers, video game creators, illustrators, amateur artists, and beyond, the ideas, colors, creatures, and stories of Moebius are still present in our present culture. Starting in a more classic Belgian-French context, Giraud was able to expand his influence not only within comic books but also outside of the medium, leaving his mark in some of Hollywood’s most precious productions. His art was, and still is, a key to enlightening our vision and pushing the boundaries of our imagination.
Further Reading & Watching:
- Baumann, H. (Director). (2007). In Search of Moebius [Film]. BBC.
- Feldman, B. (2020, May 15). Voyage d’Hermès: A Moebius Masterwork. Sci-Fi-O-Rama. https://www.sci-fi-o-rama.com/2020/05/15/voyage-dhermes-a-moebius-masterwork/
- Jodorowsky, A., & Moebius. (1980-1988). The Incal. Métal Hurlant
- Moebius. (1976). Arzach. Métal Hurlant.
- Moebius Odyssey (2017, July 30). Le Garage Hermétique – Major Fatal: Part 1. Moebius Odyssey. http://moebiusodyssey.space/book/major-fatal-1/
- Moebius Odyssey (2017, August 30). The Long Tomorrow. Moebius Odyssey. http://moebiusodyssey.space/book/long-tomorrow/
- Moebius Odyssey (2017, September 4). The Incal. Moebius Odyssey. http://moebiusodyssey.space/book/incal/
- O’Bannon, D., & Moebius. (1975). The Long Tomorrow. Métal Hurlant.
- Pavich, F. (Director). (2013). Jodorowsky’s Dune [Film]. City Film; Snowfort Pictures.
