The Usual Intellectual Dishonesty - Coda #2

 

Omaggio a.... Hector German Oesterheld [homage to Héctor Germán Oesterheld]

Luca mentioned the book Donde Esta Oesterheld? What you can see above is another homage to Oesterheld made in Italy. A portfolio which is, unfortunately, not dated. The subtitle says "the heart of Argentine comics" which is a poetical way of putting things, but is very true. Inside there's a good text by Giulio C. Cuccolini.

 

The Usual Intellectual Dishonesty - Coda

As I told Luca in comments I have never seen Sgt. Kirk magazine #31-60, but, looking on eBay I found the table of contents (see above) of #31 and lo and behold, it's precisely in #31 that things changed and, finally, Oesterheld got credited.

The Usual Intelectual Dishonesty

Sgt. Kirk #4, October 1967

What you are seeing above is the table of contents of Sgt. Kirk magazine #4. On it, "Sgt. Kirk" is by Hugo Pratt, "Randall" is by Arturo del Castillo and "Ernie Pike" is by Hugo Pratt also. Héctor Germán Oesterheld's name is nowhere to be seen as you can also confirm below.

Sgt. Kirk #4, October 1967

Hora Cero #3, July 1957

We all know this, there's no need to beat the dead horse. What is new to me is that almost sixty years later there are Italians like Claudio de Nisco here whitewashing the situation on behalf of the sacred cow. Here's what he wrote all over the Sgt. Kirk issues at the GCD: "Héctor Germán Oesterheld (credited as Hector. G. Oesterheld)." I corrected the situation until issue #30, but, since that's as far as I can go and not wanting to be like him, consider yourselves warned, dear readers!

PS A last comment: in this very issue Carlo della Corte "presents" Ernie Pike. Not once is Héctor Germán Oesterheld mentioned, obviously. With infinite cynicism he even says that the face of Ernie Pike is the face of a friend of Hugo Pratt. A friend, who, according to him, got involuntarily involved in Pratt's saga!

Forgotten Again, In The USA, This Time

Answering to this blog post I wrote the following: "When you laud Hugo Pratt’s characterization you are really lauding his master, Héctor Germán Oesterheld." My comment is awaiting moderation, or so it seems... My guess is that I can wait ad Calendas Grecas.

Forgotten Yet Again?

People are excited about the new set of comics related exhibitions at the Beaubourg in Paris. I haven't been there, so I can't say anything about it, but there's a blatant flaw I want to address. To quote the site of the Centre Pompidou:

Corto Maltese une vie romanesque [...] Une exposition qui met en évidence les sources littéraires d’Hugo Pratt : Hermann Melville, Joseph Conrad, Jack London…

I don't know if I need to translate the phrase or not, but, since I'm writing in English: "Corto Maltese an adventurous life [...] An exhibition that underlines the literary sources of Hugo Pratt: Hermann Melville, Joseph Conrad, Jack London…" 

Hugo Pratt, himself, also cited Zane Grey, but he's too lowbrow, I guess...

But I digress... This is all fine and dandy to continue the myth of the great man. The great European artist who brought true literature to the lowly comic...

Being serious: the real literary source of Hugo Pratt was Héctor Germán Oesterheld and not only these French, I guess, curators forgot him, they forgot all the rich Argentinian comics tradition. The Venice Biennale invited a Brazilian curator this year. Maybe the comics habitus needs a similar revolution.  Unfortunately comics are always apart from what's going on in the rest of the world...

Reminiscing

This blog is mainly in English, but it was in Spanish that The Crib had the immense honor of receiving the writing, and what a writing it is!, of its one and only collaborator besides me, of course: maestro José Muñoz!

Over there, on the upper-right corner, you can read a great post by him, but today I want to unearth another one: about  Julio Schiaffino and Leopoldo Durañona, this time. If you can't read Spanish, I'm very sorry! Indeed I am because you are missing a great deal...

                  

Eugenio Zappietro (g), Julio Schiaffino (d), "Bull Rockett", Misterix nº 714, 20 de julio de 1962.

Jorge Oesterheld (g), Leopoldo Durañona (d), "Pedro Pereyra, Taxista" [homenaje a Pablo Pereyra] Hora Cero Extra! # 25, 23 de junio de 1960. Lluvias de Buenos Aires.

Julito y Leopoldinsky... muchachos de aquel Buenos Aires... aquì, en tu sitio, me vienen ganas de pensarlos y hablar de ellos, este es buen lugar para repatingarse y llamar sosegadamente a los recuerdos. A Leopoldo me lo encontrè en la Panamericana como alumno de Breccia, conjuntamente a Rubèn Sosa y a Abel Balbi. Yo seguìa visitando esporàdicamente la Escuela a pesar de no poder pagar ya los cursos, Breccia me invitaba -pasate de vez en cuando- me decìa, ademàs de recibirme en su casa y aconsejarme.

A Julio Lo conocì como ayudante de Solano, cuando yo entrè al estudio el ya se estaba yendo, hacìa por su cuenta Joe Zonda y Bull Rockett, anteriormente dibujados por Solano. Julio mascaba toscanos apagados y dibujaba sin cesar, desarrollando su original versiòn solanesca: habìa convergencias paralelas entre los dos, fueron capaces de partir desde las frìas y eficaces manchas y lìneas de Paul Campani hacia nuestros barrios, entibiàndose en el camino de los dìas. Jorge, su hermano, me contaba que la madre, parada al lado de la mesita de trabajo de Julio, le decìa - hacé unos cuadritos màs, nene, que me tengo que comprar zapatos - Solano y el consiguieron ademàs hacernos palpar visualmente la suciedad de la soldadescas cubiertas de barro seco, los ojos llameantes de desesperaciòn bajo la sombra de los cascos, la fatiga de los cueros ajados por el uso, la corrosiòn de los metales, los cielos plùmbeos de aquì y de allà. Luego su camino se internò en zonas de exasperaciòn humorìstica como las de su admirado Will Elder, llenando sus cuadritos con contorsiones y anécdotas desopilantes. Se le iluminaban los ojos cuando hablaba de el.

Leopoldo es vigor, soltura y gracia. De potrillo galopaba cerca de Breccia, a veces irritàndolo. Era verbo colérico, energìa desencadenada, brillantez en acto. Sus Pedro Pereyra, taxista, resueltos en tempestades nocturnas, eran oleadas de tinta palpitante en lluvias y vientos que hacìan entrada en las recònditas sombras de los barrios de Buenos Aires, ejerciendo animismo del mejor. Y sus trabajos en Latinoamérica y el imperialismo son excelentes, concuerdo. Nos juntàbamos en su casa con Balbi y Sosa y ahì dale que te dale, discusiones infinitas, llueve siempre en mis recuerdos. Luego terminabamos echados por su mamà, cansada de la excitaciòn y los gritos, y nos ìbamos al bar de la esquina a festejar con cafè con leche y medialunas.

Reconozco que estoy un poco fijado con esa ciudad, la mìa, la de ellos. Que se yo, debe ser el carìnio. Ahì nacieron, ahì volvieron, desde ahì se fueron al otro barrio, y a ese ahì lo dibujaron desde sì mismos, reanimàndolo.

Hasta lueguito y 'chas gracias.

The Labyrinth by Guido Buzzelli

 

Guido Buzzelli, The Labyrinth, Floating World Comics, 2023 [1970]

Since Google's policy is to delete dead accounts I'm reviving this blog to announce that I wrote the Intro to the above book. I hope it does well out there...

Guido Buzzelli is, as you know, if you have been following this blog, a favorite at The Crib, the others being Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Chago Armada, James Edgar, Tony Weare, Yoshiharu Tsuge, John Porcellino, and a few others...

I must also add the following: I was so shocked by João Paulo Cotrim's death, and since I mentioned him on my last post, that I froze, not knowing what to say... He died way too soon...   

João Paulo Cotrim, Photo by Tiago Fezas Vital