BAR2

BAR2 JOE BAR TEAM Volume 1, Vents d'Ouest, 1990 Original plate no. 13, pre-published in Moto Journal in 1989-1990. The first panel was produced on a support affixed to the original as well as the phylactery in panel 5. Signed. India ink and white gouache on paper 33 × 39.4 cm (12.99 × 15.51 in.) In 1982, inventor Antoine Vela patented heated grips for motorcycles. But what he didn't know was that, five years earlier, another individual had already invented this equipment. Except that, following inconclusive tests, he hadn't seen fit to patent his invention. And, funnily enough, this calamitous inventor was none other than a friend of Ed the Handle. "I have absolutely no recollection of where I got the idea for this gag. What I do remember is that I was pretty damn proud of it. A gag à la Gaston! And a gag that takes us away from the roadside fights and howling engines. And I surprise myself by observing the billions of crosshatchings that make up the thick cloud of black smoke. Another thing I really like about this board is the biker on his Harley, giving a thumbs-up as he watches the unfortunate Honda 250 burn. The reason I included a biker in this panel is that, back in the day, Harley-Davidson enthusiasts hated Japanese-made motorcycles, especially Hondas - the most emblematic of Japanese brands - so much that they would sometimes have fun destroying old Japanese motorcycles by fire or any other means they could find, at a picnic. Hence the happy face of the biker in this panel, and his congratulations to Ed and Manchzeck."