The Legacy of the Late Moebius

Comics News
The Legacy of the Late Moebius
By Dan Horn
March 12, 2012 - 00:43

French provocateur Jean "Moebius" Giraud was often regarded as one of those rare artists that proved comics as an identifiable art form. Perhaps it's ironic that the news of his death over the weekend, at age 73, will no doubt be buried by a deluge of innumerable mainstream comic book press releases by Monday morning, when readers will be checking in on pop culture news resources after their weekend, understandably unaware.

Moebius enjoyed a long and accomplished career, contributing designs to films like Alien, Willow, and Tron, and influencing the productions of films like The Fifth Element and Blade Runner. He was also one of the co-founders of the the iconic anthology magazine Heavy Metal. His sequential art innovation is exemplified by his body of work which includes Blueberry, Arzach, and The Incal, to name a few.

Moebius was one of the most significant creators in the long history of the comic book medium, and his subversive, surrealist influence can clearly be discerned within today's comic book avant-garde. We see James Stokoe informed by Moebius here:

And Brandon Graham channeling Moebius with a feline twist here:

Of course these are only two examples of the medium-wide effect Jean Giraud has had. His influence is all around us, and will continue to be for many years to come.