Moebius Library: The Major

Moebius Library #7

by Mœbius, Adam Pruett (Letterer), Diana Schutz (translator)

A psychedelic, sequential romp created by legendary comics master Mœbius between 1997 and 2009, following a production principle that embraced graphic spontaneity and improvisation.

The lead character of this pseudo-story, Major Grubert, evolves in a humorous yet philosophical manner, echoing how Mœbius’s creations are treated in the Inside Mœbius series. Join the Major on his last trip to the nebula of The Airtight Garage, where Mœbius rules as the playful Trickster of legend. What begins as a comical jaunt into unusually profound philosophical questions regarding the nature of existence, eventually winds up as a penetrating examination of the relationship between the author and his creation, the latter of whom must necessarily suffer at the heartless whim of his creator, despite the Major’s passionate desire for real life—and even freedom—beyond these comics!

Translated by Diana Schutz, with lettering by Adam Pruett, Mœbius’s playfully-drawn, main black and white story is augmented with nine color pages.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Surreal, Philosophy

Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2011

About the author

Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (pen-name: Mœbius) was a French artist, cartoonist, and writer, who worked in the Franco-Belgian bandes dessinées tradition.
Also published as Jean Giraud.

Reviews

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drawn in an off the cuff manner with an improvised story. Very similar to his Airtight Garage stuff. It feels like sketch pages rather than a graphic novel at times. Drawn over nearly 10 years in the 00s. Still it's Moebius, there's some really fantastic panels here and there. Ends with a series of full color illustrations to round out the package. Certainly not essential Moebius reading.

[Donovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

?????

[Huicha · Rating 5 out of 5]

bueno!

[Woody Hayday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Moebius. If you’re a fan, this is necessary for your collection. I got absolutely lost in the more psychadelic stuff in the latter half, stunning.

Woody Hayday

[Antoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Un dels còmics que menys he entès de Moebius, similar a les fumades que acostuma a fer amb el seu col·lega, el psicomag Jodorowsky. Malgrat tot, l'he gaudit molt. El format en blanc i negre m'ha semblat insuls al principi, però a mesura que avançava m'ha permès copsar la complexitat de l'art de Moebius. Sota l'aparença d'una simplicitat que a vegades enganya, els seus traços estan carregats de significat i són capaços de tergiversar les vinyetes, la realitat i l'espai-temps per submergir-nos en un viatge catàrtic que fa xalar de valent.

Entre les seves pàgines hi he trobat algunes de les millors il·lustracions de l'autor, d'una bellesa onírica i d'una rotunditat argumental difícils de trobar. Sense cap dubte una gran font d'inspiració, ja no pel contingut sinó per la forma. Penso que és impossible arribar a entendre què li passa pel cap al Major, perquè en bona part això només ho sap l'autor, que potser comparteix part de l'essència amb la seva creació. En definitiva, crec que cal deixar-se portar i gaudir d'una història que ens fa reflexionar sobre els límits de la realitat, sobre si la vida té sentit o no, sobre si Déu existeix i sobre si els deserts i els laberints són en realitat dins de la nostra ment.

El llibre com a tal és un producte de qualitat. L'única pega a l'edició és l'elecció del material de la coberta, una mena de tapa dura rugosa que a primera vista ja es veu que patirà massa desgast. El format llibre m'agrada perquè el puc encabir als prestatges normals, i el paper és correcte, motiu pel qual estic plenament satisfet.

Tocarà seguir endinsant-se en el món de Moebius encara que sigui per enfonsar-me una mica més en la meva ignominiosa ignorància, ja que la seva complexitat i bellesa són gairebé impossibles d'abastar.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jean Giraud (aka Mœbius) was one of the true geniuses of the comics medium, and his enigmatic protagonist Major Grubert has long served as something of a cipher, a reluctant guide to help the reader navigate the beautiful psychedelic creations that flowed from the creator's pen. Which is not to say that the Major has a clear notion of what was going on at all times, but Mœbius was never much interested in explanations and neat resolutions.

So it's wonderful to see Le Major finally published in an English translation. As with the related Inside Mœbius series, the author is a character in this very non-linear story. Both Mœbius and Major Grubert are creators of worlds, but neither of them would claim to have control over their creations. The result is a journey of exploration on multiple levels, and while a mysterious key plays a significant part in The Major, that key exists only to free the Major from his obsessions, without necessarily providing him with answers.

There's a lot to absorb in these pages, and translator Diana Schultz's footnotes are essential for understating the author's delightful wordplay and his many allusions to contemporary art and culture. The free-wheeling nature of The Major resists logical interpretation, but for the Mœbius fan, it's an essential meta-narrative that begins to close some of the many abstract patterns that the author weaved around his amazing body of work.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been in love with Moebius since I first discovered his very unique work when I was about twelve years old. His panels were so haunting with their stark, sometimes even bleak beauty which was such a rupture from the primary color wearing heroes I spent most of my day with. Comparing the two, I was very excited by the idea that he seemed to be making fine-art, but in comic form, and that when I read his work, even if I didn't understand it, it was somehow soothing.

This book which seems to be a collection of random thoughts cobbled together over a number of years with his ideas and personal philosophies mapped out in a series of sequential images and texts was a lot of fun for me. I half doubt that he ever intended to publish this but I'm really glad that he did. It's a pleasure to see the slice of his brain that he gives us, and more than a story, I think we're given a kind of mental autobiography, which is both very weird (as you'd probably expect) but deliciously executed and full of what I found to be quite humorous existential thoughts. I love the abstract physicality and or metaphorical representation he gives to his ideas!

If you're a first time Moebius reader or just not that into weird comics that aren't really about anything, this might not be for you, but if you're curious, and are willing to try and enjoy the non-story of the creator's train of thought I'm sure there is something here for everyone.

[Jack Tripper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering that most of Moebius’s best work has languished out of print for decades (at least in English) and goes for ridiculous prices on secondary markets, it’s frustrating when Dark Horse chooses bottom-tier stuff like this to publish. Maybe the rights to his works are in some sort of copyright hell, I’m not sure, but either way the artwork here is pretty mediocre, imo, mostly looking like rough sketches, and the storyline is nonsensical. I suppose the latter is par for the course when it comes to Moebius, but when combined with the scribbled doodles within, makes this feel a bit like a ripoff.

Oh and FYI 95% of this book is not in color. Normally I’m fine with B&W artwork, but here it only adds to the “random doodlings” vibe. Still, it IS Moebius so I can’t give it one star.

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a bit of a weird project that was produced over the course of ten years on the whims of Jean Giraud, inked directly on the paper without a larger plan or narrative structure. And it shows. One might expect such an exercise to produce a gem of surrealist fiction, but the reality is it's an unformed, sophomoric rambling on vaguely philosophical themes without anything in the way of graphic narrative structure. Obviously Giraud's artwork is excellent, with some very inventive and detailed panels, but this never amounts to more than the sum of its parts and it's frankly tedious to read. Not one of his best works by a long shot.

[Beckiezra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hoopla bonus borrow. Art, 4 stars, I’d like to see it in a comic with an understandable plot. Surreal whatever story, -1 stars, I’m not one for the surreal art and no clear plot. As a piece of art, an experiment in over a decade of just putting something down as it struck the artist, I’m sure there’s value in this, but it’s not something I’d read again or recommend to anyone. I wouldn’t mind checking out some more of the artists work, maybe it’ll make more sense, but maybe not since it’ll always be French.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far more enjoyable than a Carlos Castaneda book. The major slips the order of reality as he goes through some sort of meticulously drawn craziness in which he will meet his Maker. The Jungian thing. The footnotes are a jagged essay on the difficulty of translating a deeply stoned punster’s wordplay. This thing has gags we never see. But the art alone is excellence enough, if you think this is some Joycean pile of scraps.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an abstract dive into Moebius' head, much more than the "Inside Moebius" series. It speaks to a niche crowd and can easily get tiresome and too surreal to read. Art is scetchy also, with some beautiful epilogue pages.

The translator does a top-shelf work, and the edition is rich and deserves the price tag.

[Mikael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. It wasn't exactly what I had expected, and it may or may not tie into The Airtight Garage, and I actually prefer his colored work rather than the all-black-and-white stories, however it's still a nice read.

[Drew German · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I thought it was a stand alone story. I seem to have been mistaken on that. I still enjoyed the work. It was beautiful drawn and quite thought provoking. I’m interested in reading more.

[Jack Waugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very similar to his Inside Moebius, more free hand tho and obviously lacking the appearance by other Moebius created/co-created characters

It's even set in Desert B

Hopefully in the future Dark Horse might release more

[Hisham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A surreal experience that revisits one of the most iconic Moebius characters.

Plot means nothing in this volume. There is some interesting art and philosophy to digest. What you take away from it may vary with each reading.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredibly talented artist, visually fascinating, could not care less about the words in the bubbles. In fact, would have enjoyed it MUCH more if there were no words! Still love his art, may "read" another of his comics in search of narrative structure.

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 (Art:5/Story:0) Imagine B. Kliban enrolling in graduate school and turning in an avant-garde independent study as his final project. That’s the vibe here. The artwork is fantastic—quirky, confident, and endlessly fun to look at. The story, on the other hand, completely eluded me.🤷‍♀️

[The_J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odd little black and white piece with French pretentions to grandeur. There is a lovely piece though as follows: I am the tender bird of time and you are not watching out for me! Whereas I have built my nest in the deepest part of you.

[Roger]

Ahora el mayor tiene la llave de los sueños

[Joshua Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moebius' art is lacking without color imo

[Wiley June · Rating 3 out of 5]

one of the strangest and most mystifying pieces of fiction i’ve experienced 🤩🤩🤩

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surreal.

And such linework!

[bogo_lode · Rating 2 out of 5]

bits and pieces are cool but the whole doesn't do much for me

[Thresk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful psychedelic tour of the subconscious and creative process, accompanied by some of the best (& most indispensable) translator notes I've ever read.

RIP, Gir.

[Zuuru · Rating 2 out of 5]

eh

[Magnanimous Kingdom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jean Giraud, or Moebius as he goes by here (an important distinction) is a one-of-one talent. A must-read for any fans of surrealism or psycho-philosophical art. Beautiful and breathtaking.

[Uno Wester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think i had a bit too high expectations.

[Jace Andesron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the art style but the story felt vague and hollow.

[Luke Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird and confusing but good drawings !!