Adieu Monsieur Wolinski

Georges Wolinski in 2011 (photo by Jean-Frédéric).

The Crib is in mourning again. As you all know three Islamic fundamentalists killed twelve people in an attack on Charlie Hebdo's office In Paris. Among them there's Georges Wolinski who's important for this blog as the managing editor of Charlie Mensuel. It was in Charlie (the French version of the Italian Linus - both titles are the names of two "Peanuts" characters, of course) that he introduced Guido Buzzelli's oeuvre to the French comics readers. Legend has it that while spending his honeymoon in Italy he discovered Buzzelli's "La rivolta dei racchi" in Psyco magazine (# 6, September 1970). This story made such an impression in Wolinski that Buzzelli would be one of the most important creators to be published in Charlie during the 1970s. Not only that, though, Wolinski's editor's nose was impeccable. He also published Héctor Gerrmán Oesterheld's and Alberto Breccia's "El Eternauta" (as "L'Eternaute," issues 55 to 57 - August - October 1973) and Tardi's very important "La bascule à Charlot" (issue # 91, August 1976) among other things by Reiser, José Muñoz and Carlos Sampayo, Feiffer, Copi, Alex Barbier, etc...

Guido Buzzelli, Charlie Mensuel # 55, August 1973.

Gébé (Georges Blondeaux) and Georges Wolinski, advertisement for Charlie Hebdo magazine, Charlie Mensuel # 106, November 1977.

PS One more thing: I don't agree with Charlie Hebdo's editorial policy, but today is not the right moment to discuss that.

I Miss the 1990s

Yeah, I do! Below is a cover of a Joe Matt's Peepshow comic showing the Toronto trio: Matt, Chester Brown and Seth. Even if it was published in 2002 it reminds me of the 1990s when everything was new and exciting (I was particularly impressed with what was published in 1996). There was Fréon, Amok, L'Association, Ego Comme X, Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics. Even Raw books was still around publishing two issues of its memorable anthology in 1990 and 1991. Do those publishing houses no longer exist? Not exactly, but, to me, it's as if they did in fact disappear.

Joe Matt, Peepshow # 13, Drawn & Quarterly, February 2002.

What remains of all that, then? Well, many creators stopped doing comics altogether. Others do something once in a blue moon (to some, but not many, that happens because stories are no longer serialized; they just publish the finished graphic novel). Others, like Aristophane, are no longer with us, unfortunately.

In 2014 John Porcellino published The Hospital Suite, Richard McGuire published Here, and not much else happened, I guess...

Another Hugo Pratt Li... Er... Mystification or Ernie Pike - Coda # 6

It's a dead horse at The Crib by now, I know, and I should shut up and be done with it already. But... sigh!... I can't avoid the topic because I keep stumbling across how a scumbag Hugo Pratt was. This as nothing to do with his greatness as an artist, don't get me wrong.

This time though there's an interesting look behind the scene at Pratt's great visual thinking (and that, to me, is the true greatness of a visual artist, not her or his tech mastery).

That said, let's go...

Hugo Pratt, Hugo Pratt 50, Visualprint, 1980.

The above drawing was published in a book by Gianni Berti showing Hugo Pratt's work from the 1950s. As a comment Berti wrote (undoubtedly misinformed by Pratt; my translation):

The drawing below was an idea for the cover of a war book (Ernie Pike). It was refused because it was considered to be too violent at the time.

If that's the case may I ask what's that below?

Hugo Pratt, Hora Cero Extra! # 10, June 1959.

The original art.

Ernie Pike: Coda # 5

The next time you say that "Ernie Pike" is a series by Hugo Pratt, please think twice! Don't follow Thierry Taittinger's example in Beaux Arts magazine hors série (Les secrets des chefs-d'oeuvre de la BD, December 2014) who wrote (3) that, and I quote: "La ballade de la mer salée est le premier roman graphique de l'Histoire." Really monsieur Taittinger? La ballade de la mer salée isn't even the first graphic novel in Italy (please scroll down the unbeliavably large header).

But now, since I know that you want it, here's the great man's original version:

Hugo Pratt (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: La patrulla" [the patrol], Hora Cero Extra! # 7, March 1959.

The same drawing as it was published in Italy (the washes turned an ugly thick black; also, Ernie Pike is a bit fatter):

Hugo Pratt (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w - uncredited), Ernie Pike, Arnaldo Mondadori, 1976.

Ernie Pike - Coda # 4

Leandro Sesarego (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Hora Cero Suplemento Semanal # 102, August 5, 1959.

Francisco Solano López (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Del cuaderno rojo de Ernie Pike: "Comanche"" [from Ernie Pike's red notebook: "Comanche"], Frontera # 23, February 1959.

Rubén Sosa (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: ¿Sabría morir?" [would he know how to die?], Hora Cero # 49, March 1961.

Carlos Varau (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: U-29," Hora Cero # 17, September 1958.

Osvaldo Viola (as Oswal - a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: Justicia" [justice],  Hora Cero # 20, December 1958.

Eugenio Zoppi (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: Ley de guerra" [war's law], Hora Cero Extra! # 75, March 1963.

I didn't post an Ernie Pike drawing by Leo Durañona back in the first coda, so, here's one:

Leo Durañona (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Los apuntes de Ernie Pike" [Ernie Pike's notebook], Ernie Pike Colección Batallas Inolvidables # 1, September 1960.

Note: In two of Rodolfo Zalla's Ernie Pike stories the host doesn't appear, but there's a third one that I've never seen. Ditto Juan Zanotto's story. Carlos Tavano drew an Ernie Pike story, but the host doesn't appear. 

Ernie Pike - Coda # 3

Martínez (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Hora Cero Suplemento Semanal # 110, October 7, 1959.

Julio César Medrano (a), Jorge Oesterheld (as Jorge Mora - w), "Ernie Pike: Miedo" [fear], Frontera Extra # 32, June 1961.

Eugenio Merel (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: Caballero del aire" [an air gentleman], Hora Cero # 49, May 1961.

Jorge Moliterni (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: Hermanos de sangre" [blood brothers], Hora Cero # 15, July 1958.

Cirilo Muñoz (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Frontera Extra # 24, October 1960.

José Muñoz (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Los apuntes de Ernie Pike" [Ernie Pike's notebook], Ernie Pike Colección Batallas Inolvidables # 11, September 15, 1961.

Horacio Porreca (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: Primer trabajo" [first job], Hora Cero Suplemento Semanal # 107, September 16, 1959.

Roberto Regalado (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: El túnel" [the tunnel], Hora Cero Extra! # 33, November 24, 1960.

Miguel Ángel Repetto (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Hora Cero # 32, December 1959.

Julio Schiaffino (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Hora Cero Extra! # 37, February 29, 1961.

Ernesto Garcia Seijas (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Hora Cero # 37, May 1960.

Note: Nestor Olivera, Miguel Paradiso, Mut Ribas, Pablo Rost drew Ernie Pike stories, but the host doesn't appear.

Ernie Pike - Coda # 2

Enrique Cristóbal (a), Jorge Oesterheld (as Jorge Mora - w), "Ernie Pike: Operación Fritz," [Operation Fritz] Hora Cero Extra! # 4, October 1958.

Oscar Estévez (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Frontera # 44, November 1960.

Walter Fahrer (a), Jorge Oesterheld (as Jorge Mora - w), "Ernie Pike; Rabia" [anger], Hora Cero # 29, September 1959.

Lito Fernandez (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Hora Cero Extra! # 13, September 1959.

Abel Guibe (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Hora Cero Extra! # 33, November 24, 1960.

Daniel Haupt (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike: Jeep Popski," Hora Cero # 41, September 1960.

José Miguel Heredia (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Hora Cero # 44, December 1960.

Tibor José Horvath (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Hora Cero Extra! # 17, January 1960.

Martin Lobo (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Frontera # 48, March 1961.

David Mangiarotti (a), Héctor Germán Oesterheld (w), "Ernie Pike," Frontera # 47, February 1961.

Note: Leopoldo Durañona drew an Ernie Pike story, but I've never seen it. Franz Guzman also drew an Ernie Pike story, but the host doesn't appear in it. As a curio: Tibor José Horvath is the artist who drew more Ernie Pike stories (19) after Hugo Pratt (24).