Editing Jean Giraud (section)

====Hachette (1962–1963)====
After his stint at Jijé's, Giraud was again approached by friend Mézières to see if he was interested to work alongside him as an illustrator on [[Hachette (publisher)|Hachette]]'s ambitious multivolume ''L'histoire des civilisations'' history reference work.<ref name="civil">''L'histoire des civilisations'', Paris:[[Hachette (publisher)|Hachette]], six volumes, 1961–1966, {{OCLC|796959351}}; Due to the fact that the featured pieces of art are not signed, it is very hard to ascertain which piece is from the hand of Giraud, and which is from Mézières' hand. In 1966 incidentally, Giraud returned the favor his friend had accorded him at Hachette, by making the introductions at ''Pilote'' on behalf of Mézières, eventually setting him off on his career as the artist of his own acclaimed ''[[Valerian (comics)|Valérian]]'' comics series. ({{cite book |last=Quillien |first=Christophe |title=L'art de Mézières. |date=September 2021 |publisher=[[Dargaud]]|location=[[Paris]] |pages=8–19 |isbn=9782205078008 |language=fr}})</ref> Spurred on by Jijé, who considered the opportunity a wonderful one for his pupil, Giraud accepted. Though he considered the assignment a daunting one, having to create in oil paints from historical objects and imagery, it was, besides being the best-paying job he had ever had, a seminal appointment.<ref name="Jije"/> At Hachette, Giraud discovered that he had a knack for creating art in [[gouache]]s, something that served him well not that much later when creating ''Blueberry'' magazine/[[Comics album|album]] cover art,<ref>[[#Sources|Bosser, 2005, p. 76]]</ref> as well as for his 1968 side project "[[Buffalo Bill]]: le roi des éclaireurs" history book written by {{ill|George Fronval|fr}}, for whom Giraud provided two-thirds of the illustrations in gouache, including the cover.<ref name="buffalo">[http://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Grands-hommes-de-l-Ouest-Buffalo-Bill-Le-roi-des-eclaireurs-69887.html "Buffalo Bill: Le roi des éclaireurs"], (68 pages, Paris:Fernand Nathan, January 1968, {{OCLC|460432103}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}; The book has seen several translations in other languages, including [[#Various|English]].</ref> The assignment at Hachette being cut short because of his invitation to embark on ''Fort Navajo'', meant he only participated on the first three to four volumes of the book series, leaving the completion to Mézières. In the ''[[Pilote]]'' era, Giraud additionally provided art in gouache for two Western-themed [[gramophone record|vinyl record]] music productions as sleeve art,<ref name ="Bouster">Bouster, Patrick (3 July 2012). "[http://bdzoom.com/51082/patrimoine/giraud-moebius-pour-le-disque-33-tours-et-plus-dans-les-etoiles/ Giraud-Moebius pour le disque: 33 tours et plus dans les étoiles]", BDzoom.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref> as well as the covers for the first seven outings in the French-language edition of the ''[[Morgan Kane]]'' Western novel series written by [[Louis Masterson]].<ref name="kane">All published as pocket books in January 1979 by Librairie des Champs-Élysées, Paris, the titles are, #1:''Sans pitié!'' ({{ISBN|2702408354}}), #2:''Dans les griffes du dragon'' ({{ISBN|2702408362}}), #3:''Le colt et l'étoile'' ({{ISBN|2702408370}}), #4:''[[Ku-Klux-Klan]]'' ({{ISBN|2702408389}}), #5:''Pour l'honneur d'un copain'' ({{ISBN|2702408672}}), #6:''Le convoi infernal'' ({{ISBN|2702408664}}), and #7:''La piste des [[Kiowa]]s'' ({{ISBN|2702408656}}).</ref> Much of his Western-themed gouache artwork of this era, including that of ''Blueberry'', has been collected in the 1983 artbook "Le tireur solitaire".<ref name="tireur">"[https://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Gir-oeuvres-Tome-2-Le-tireur-solitaire-18949.html ''Gir œuvres'', "Tome 2: Le tireur solitaire"]" (110 pages, Paris:Les Humanoïdes Associés, May 1983, {{ISBN|2731602317}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

Aside from its professional importance, Giraud's stint at Hachette was also of personal importance, as he met Claudine Conin, an editorial researcher at Hachette, and who described her future husband as being at the time "funny, uncomplicated, friendly, a nice boy next-door", but on the other hand, "mysterious, dark, intellectual", already recognizing that he had all the makings of a "visionary", long before others did.<ref>[[#Sources|Sadoul, 1991, p. 86]]</ref> Married in 1967, ''after'' Giraud had become the recognized ''Blueberry'' artist, the couple had two children, {{ill|Hélène Giraud|fr|Hélène Giraud|lt=Hélène}} (b:1970) and Julien (b:1972). Daughter Hélène in particular has inherited her father's graphics talents and has carved out a career as a graphics artist in the animation industry,<ref>{{cite web|title=Hélène Giraud|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0320784|work=IMDb.com}}</ref> earning her a [[List of members of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres#Chevalier|2014 French civilian knighthood]], the [[#Awards and honors|same]] her father had already received in 1985. Besides raising their children, wife Claudine not only took care of the business aspects of her husband's art work, but has on occasion also contributed to it as colorist.<ref>"[https://www.stripinfo.be/lijst.php?auteur=572&sort=strip Claudine Giraud]", stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}</ref> The 1976 feminist fantasy short story, "La tarte aux pommes",<ref>"The Apple Pie", ''Pharagonesia & Other Strange Stories'' & story notes; Claudine Giraud wrote the story for the feminist comic magazine ''{{ill|Ah ! Nana|fr}}'', a sister publication of ''Métal hurlant'' and where she worked as a magazine editor at the time. Originally published in black & white in issue 2, 1977, she colored the story herself for the 1987 American publication.</ref> was written by her under her maiden name. Additionally, the appearance of a later, major character in Giraud's ''Blueberry'' series, Chihuahua Pearl, was in part based on Claudine's looks.<ref>[[#Sadoul|Sadoul, 1991, p. 130]]</ref> The ''Mœbiusienne'' 1973 fantasy [[road trip]] short story "La déviation",<ref name="detour">"The Detour", ''Arzach & Other Fantasy Stories'' & editorial notes; First published in the ''[http://www.bedetheque.com/revue-Pilote-Annuel.html Pilote Annuel 74]'' of November 1973, the only originally black & white short story not colored for the 1987 American publication.</ref> created as "Gir"<ref name ="Gir">[http://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Gir-28018.html "Gir"] (30 pages, Paris:Futuropolis, January 1974, {{OCLC|40720672}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}; black & white, also containing, besides the 7-page "La Déviation", a selection of science fiction illustrations made for OPTA.</ref> before the artist fully embarked on his Mœbius career, featured the Giraud family as the protagonists, save Julien.