French artist Moebius aka Jean Giraud’s 1990s illustrations of Jimi Hendrix capture the musician’s gritty psychedelic flavour like nobody else could.
French artist Jean Giraud’s contribution to comic books, sci-fi, and pop culture were profound. Operating at times under his own name, at times under the pseudonyms Moebius or Gir, he contributed storyboards, illustrations, and writing to a number of world famous films, graphic novels, and other works of art during his lifetime.
In the ’90s he collaborated with Jean-Nöel Coghe on Emotions Électriques, a book Coghe wrote about his travels with Jimi Hendrix during his first French tour in 1967. Giraud’s illustrations for the book were unbelievable.
Giraud’s work reached many audiences. He co-founded the proto-sci-fi magazine Metal Hurlant (translated to Heavy Metal or Screaming Metal) which would influence films the likes of Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Akira. He would also contribute storyboards to Alien, Tron, and The Fifth Element during his career.
Known for a gritty, conceptual, and undoubtedly trippy style, he is considered one of the most influential comic writers of all time. His pairing with Jimi Hendrix, as you would expect, was a perfect match. A longtime fan of the musician’s work, he would illustrate Hendrix as a lone adventurer, an acid-soaked hero, and a king carved into the mountains.
Via Open Culture.
