MÉZIÈRES

JEAN-CLAUDE MÉZIÈRES VALÉRIAN Les Armes vivantes (T.14), Dargaud 1990 Original plate no. 21. India ink and white gouache on paper 39.6 × 49.9 cm (15.59 × 19.65 in.) Welcome to Blopik, with its backdrops worthy of Blueberry's great canyons, its warring feudal cities, and its caravan of foul-mouthed artists, whose most picturesque representative we see here: the schniarfeur. This repulsive being, aggressive and hateful towards the whole universe - one of the most beautiful creatures in Jean-Claude Mézières' bestiary - is capable of great civility once you've neutralized his "chabounale" gland, which projects a destructive glaviot at anything he perceives as a threat. This ability, which makes him a living weapon, comes in handy if you want to survive - as Valérian and Laureline must - in the harsh environment of this hostile planet. A sublime page from Mézières, where you can admire all his graphic mastery.