Hugo Pratt: Corto Maltese

[saliotthomas]

Have any of you heard about Corto,the romantic sailor,with the cap and the sideburns.Through Russia,brasil,ethiopia in the early century.
It's the greatest graphic novel ever made.The graphisme,mostly inck and brush,the story always exotic,romantic and above all very clever.
The thing is, i'm not sure it was translated.But if it is,run and get it.

 

[Heteronym]

I think you're talking to deaf ears here

From my knowledge of the American comics industry, very little of the Franco-Belgian comics ever get translated in English. I believe Corto Maltese had some US editions in the '80s, but he's been out of print ever since. It's another sad sign of the decadence of the American comics readership, when people don't seem very interested in what's produced outside except for Manga.

I love Corto Maltese: I've read it in Portuguese, although I'm missing a few books in the series, like the Ethiopia adventure, or the journey to Mu. I wouldn't consider it the greatest comic book ever created; honestly I haven't read enough comics to form such an opinion. But it has moments of singular beauty: from Corto narrating a tale to cats in Venice, to his adventure with the IRA; from his dream adventures in Switzerland involving Hermann Hesse, to his witnessing the death of the Red Baron in WWI. It's one of the most beautiful works of art of the 20th century, one of the best celebrations of human life ever, melancholy and uplifting at the same time.

 

[NotTheDoctor]

I love Corto. Such a great character! I bought some of the books when I was living in Paris, and I very much regret not buying the whole series. I've asked in some bookstores here where the graphic novels are and they've given me the weirdest looks... May have to order them from France, I think. Did you see the Special Edition Corto Maltese Watch that came out last year? Awesome, I just had to have one!

 

[saliotthomas]

But it has moments of singular beauty: from Corto narrating a tale to cats in Venice, to his adventure with the IRA; from his dream adventures in Switzerland involving Hermann Hesse, to his witnessing the death of the Red Baron in WWI. It's one of the most beautiful works of art of the 20th century, one of the best celebrations of human life ever, melancholy and uplifting at the same time.

Sorry to have missed your post at the time for it is a perfect way to discribe the work of Hugo Pratt.Thank you very much for this Heteronym.A beautifull comment,for it is a form of art often look down at but that also carries it's pearls.