Moebius, Illustration

Original illustration by Moebius.


Jean Giraud (Gir, Moebius) was born in Nogent-sur-Marne (île-de-France, France) on the 8th of May 1938.
He spends his childhood in Paris’s suburb, in Fontenay-sous-Bois. Since his childhood years he shows a big passion for comics and copies the stories he likes the most.
In 1954, while attending applied art school, he publishes on “Far West” (one of the many magazines directed by Marijac) his first comic: the funny series "Les aventures de Franck et Jéremie". Trough Jean-Claude Mézières, the same year he starts collaborating on the making of “Coeurs Vaillants” with many didactic illustrations and many adventure stories as well.
In 1960, after the military, he becomes Jijé’s assistant and can ink an entire episode of “Jerry Spring”.
In 1963, on Jean-Michel Charlier’s texts and signing as “Gir” he gives birth on the pages of “Pilote” to “Blueberry”: the main character of a wide western saga well documented and very polished for what concerns the texts but the drawings as well. This gives him international popularity. After the death of Charlier he will write the texts as well.
At the same time, he starts a sort of parallel career with the pseudonym of “Moebius” realizing very unique fantasy stories. Realized for the satirical monthly “Hara-Kiri” first and then for the “Charlie” and the “L'Echo des Savanes”.
At the end of 1974, alongside with Philippe Druillet, Jean-Pierre Dionnet and Bernard Farkas, he creates a “revolutionary” group: “Les Humanoïdes Associés”. The following year they publish “Métal Hurlant”, a trimestral "réservé aux adultes" that reclutes the best of the fantasy and sci-fi comic production. On the pages of this innovative magazine get published “Arzach”, “Major Grubert” on Alexandro Jodorowski’s texts and “John Difool”.
Among the realizations there are “Mississippi River” on Charlier’s texts and some stories of “Silver Surfer” on Stan Lee’s texts.
He dies in Montrouge (île-de-France, France) on the 10th of March 2012.