Editing Jean Giraud (section)

===Science fiction and fantasy comics===
The "Mœbius" pseudonym, which Giraud came to use for his science fiction and [[fantasy]] work, was born in 1963,<ref name="Lambiek"/> while he was working on the Hachette project, as he did not like "to work on paintings alone all day", and "like an alcoholic needing his alcohol" had to create comics.<ref name ="hara">[[#Sources|de Bree, 1982, pp. 12–13]]</ref> In a satire magazine called ''[[Hara-Kiri (magazine)|Hara-Kiri]]'', Giraud used the name for 21 strips in 1963–64 (much of which collected in Epic's "Mœbius {{Frac|1|2}}" &ndash; see [[#Marvel/Epic|below]]). Though Giraud enjoyed the artistic freedom and atmosphere at the magazine greatly, he eventually gave up his work there as ''Blueberry'', on which he had embarked in the meantime, demanded too much of his energy, aside from being a better paid job. Magazine editor-in-chief [[François Cavanna|Cavanna]] was loath to let Giraud go, not understanding why Giraud would want to waste his talents on a "kiddy comic".<ref name ="hara"/> Subsequently, the pseudonym went unused for a decade, that is for comics at least, as Giraud continued its use for side-projects as illustrator. In the late 1960s-early 1970s, Giraud provided interior front, and back flyleaf illustrations as Mœbius for several outings in the science fiction book club series ''{{ill|Club du livre d'anticipation|fr}}'', a limited edition hardcover series, collecting work from seminal science fiction writers, from French publisher {{ill|Éditions OPTA|fr}}, continuing to do so throughout the 1970s with several additional covers for the publisher's ''[[Fiction (French magazine)|Fiction]]'' (the magazine that introduced Giraud to science fiction at age 16)<ref>[[#Sources|Sadoul, 1991, p. 26]]</ref> and ''{{ill|Galaxie-bis|fr}}'' science fiction magazine and pocket book series. Additionally, this period in time also saw four vinyl record music productions endowed with Mœbius sleeve art.<ref name ="Bouster"/> Much of this illustration art has been reproduced in Giraud's first art book as Mœbius, aptly entitled "Mœbius", released in 1980.<ref name ="Gir"/><ref name="moebius1980">[http://www.bedetheque.com/BD-AUT-Giraud-Moebius-Tome-2-Folles-Images-30x30-32435.html "Moebius"] (146 pages, Paris:Les Humanoïdes Associés, January 1980, {{ISBN|2731600004}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref> There actually had also been a personal reason as well for Giraud to suspend his career as Mœbius comic artist; after he had returned from his second trip from Mexico, he found himself confronted with the artist's version of a [[writer's block]] as far as Mœbius comics were concerned, partly because ''Blueberry'' consumed all his energy. "For eight months I tried, but I could not do it, so I quit", stated Giraud additionally.<ref name ="hara"/> Giraud's statement notwithstanding though, he did a couple of ''Hara-Kiri''esque satirical comic shorts for ''Pilote'' in the early 1970s, but under the pseudonym "Gir", most of which reprinted in the comic book ''Gir œuvres'': "Tome 1, Le lac des émeraudes",<ref name="lac">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/strip/65406_Blueberry_SPA1__Le_lac_des_emeraudes ''Gir œuvres'': "Tome 1, Le lac des émeraudes"], (132 pages, Paris:Les Humanoïdes Associés, January 1981, {{ISBN|2731600977}}), stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions. Several of the short stories have seen English translations in various outings of Epic's 1980s publication effort.</ref> also collecting shorts he had created for the Fleurus magazines, ''Bonux-Boy'', and the late-1960s ''TOTAL Journal'' magazine.<ref name="sapristi"/>

====''L'Écho des savanes'' (1974)====
In 1974 he truly revived the Mœbius pseudonym for comics, and the very first, 12-page, story he created as such &ndash; while on one of his stopovers from America when the ''Dune'' production was in a lull &ndash; was "[[Cauchemar Blanc]]" ("White Nightmare"), published in the magazine ''[[L'Écho des savanes]]'', issue 8, 1974. The black & white story dealt with the [[racist]] murder of an immigrant of North-African descent, and stands out as one of the very few emphatic [[Social engagement|socially engaged]] works of Giraud.<ref name="cauch">[[#Sources|Frederiks, 1982, p. 79]]</ref> Bearing in mind Giraud's fascination with the Western genre in general and the cultural aspects of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] in particular &ndash; and whose plight Giraud had always been sympathetic to{{efn|name="apaches"|While the ''Blueberry'' authors have always treated Native-Americans with sympathy in their series, it was in the last series outing of 2007, "Apaches", that Giraud took his most outspoken stance in regard to the plight of Native-Americans. In the album &ndash; composed from Blueberry's [[Geronimo]] recollection segments as featured in the five-volume ''OK Corral'' story-arc &ndash; Geronimo's son Dust is captive of the whites and imprisoned in a [[Native American boarding schools|Native-American boarding school]], headed by a misguided and puritanical parson, who ruthlessly tries to "civilize" his wards. Blueberry manages to free Dust and return him to his father, whereas the parson's sympathetic daughter is killed in the process, presented as a thinly veiled moral punishment for her father's wrongdoings. Though an anachronism in the comic, the boarding school is clearly patterned after the historical [[Carlisle Indian Industrial School]], where [[cultural assimilation of Native Americans]] into white society was attempted, also referred to by outspoken activists as "[[cultural genocide]]", and the story stands out as Giraud's most outspoken condemnation in his main body of work of the white American's attempts to snuff out Native-American culture.}} &ndash; it is hardly a surprise that two later examples of such rare works were Native-American themed.{{efn|name="seattle"|On the inspiration for "The Word of Chief Seattle" Giraud has stated in 1989, "Through a book from a young woman, Jeanine Fontaine, who had lived with Pilipino warriors. She cited [[s:Chief Seattle's Speech|the speech]], as she was very touched by it. When I read it, it awoke an ancient anger within me, [the same anger as "Cauchemar Blanc" twenty years earlier], absolutely the same anger, the same outrage. And this is the extent of my political engagement. I take an emotional stance, when I'm deeply moved. Then I am unable to suppress the impulse to create a pamphlet!"<ref>[[#Sources|Sadoul, 1991, pp. 77-78]]</ref>}} These concerned the 2-page short story "Wounded Knee",<ref>First published in [https://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Recueil-Tintin-Super-Tome-5-Special-western-44336.html ''Tintin Super 5'': "Spécial western"] (80 pages, Brussels:Le Lombard, April 1979), published in English in the [[#HM Communications|1981 "Mœbius" book]] from HM Communications, but '''not''' in any of the 1980s Epic publications.</ref> inspired by the [[Wounded Knee incident|eponymous 1973 incident]] staged by [[Oglala Lakota]], and the 3-page short story "Discours du Chef Seattle", first published in the artbook "Made in L.A."<ref name="madela">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/strip/20849_Made_in_LA_1_Made_in_LA "Made in L.A."] (136 pages, Tournai:Casterman, September 1988, {{ISBN|2203346019}}), stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions.</ref> ("The Words of [[Chief Seattle]]", in Epic's [[Blueberry (comics)#English translations|"Ballad for a Coffin"]]). Giraud suddenly bursting out onto the comic scene as "Mœbius", caught European readership by surprise, and it took many of them, especially outside France, a couple of years before the realization had sunk in that "Jean Gir[raud]" and "Mœbius" were, physically at least, one and the same artist.<ref name="cauch"/>

It was when he was brainstorming with the founding editors of the magazine (founded by former ''Pilote'' friends and co-artists in the wake of the revolt at the publisher, when they decided to strike out on their own), that Giraud came up with his first major Mœbius work, "Le bandard fou" ("The Horny Goof"). Released directly as album (a first for Mœbius comics) in black & white by the magazine's publisher,<ref name="bandard">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/strip/17029_De_erectomaan_1_De_Erectomaan/showall "Le bandard fou"] (54 pages, Paris:Les Éditions du Fromage, 1974, no ISBN), stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions</ref> the humorous and satirical story dealt with a law-abiding citizen of the planet Souldaï, who awakens one day, only to find himself with a permanent erection. Pursued through space and time by his own puritanical authorities, who frown upon the condition, and other parties, who have their own intentions with the hapless ''bandard'', he eventually finds a safe haven on the asteroid ''Fleur'' of Madame Kowalsky, after several hilarious adventures. When discounting the as "Gir" signed "La déviation", it is in this story that Giraud's signature, minute "Mœbius" art style, for which he became famed not that much later, truly comes into its own. Another novelty introduced in the book, is that the narrative is only related on the right-hand pages; the left-hand pages are taken up by one-page panels depicting an entirely unrelated cinematographic sequence of a man transforming after he has snapped his fingers. The story did raise some eyebrows with critics accusing Giraud of [[pornography]] at the time, but one reviewer put it in perspective when stating, "Peut-être Porno, mais Graphique!", which loosely translates as "Porn maybe, but Graphic Art for sure!".<ref>[[#Sources|Frederiks, 1982, pp. 82-84]]</ref> In the editorial of the [[#Marvel/Epic|1990 American edition]], Giraud has conceded that he was envious of what his former ''Pilote'' colleagues had achieved with ''L'Écho des savanes'' in regard to creating a free, creative environment for their artists, he had already enjoyed so much back at ''Hara-Kiri'', and that it was an inspiration for the endeavor, Giraud embarked upon next.

====''Métal Hurlant'' (1974–1982)====
{{multiple image | align = right | direction = horizontal | total_width = 440
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| footer = Mœbius cover art for the first ''Métal Hurlant'' issue and the second ''Heavy Metal'' issue (l), and the opening panel of ''Arzach'' (r).}}
Later that year, after ''Dune'' was permanently canceled with him definitively returning to France, Giraud became one of the founding members of the comics art group and publishing house "[[Les Humanoïdes Associés]]", together with fellow comic artists [[Jean-Pierre Dionnet]], [[Philippe Druillet]] (likewise ''Pilote'' colleagues) and (outsider) financial director Bernard Farkas. In imitation of the example set by the ''L'Écho des savanes'' founding editors, it was therefore as such also an indirect result of the revolt these artists had previously staged at ''Pilote'', and whose employ they had left for the undertaking.<ref name="Humano">[http://www.humano.com/blog/le-blog-des-humanos/id/3318 Le Blog des Humanoïdes Associés: Adieu Mœbius, merci Mœbius]</ref> Together they started the monthly magazine ''Métal hurlant'' ("Screaming metal") in December 1974,<ref name="DAK64"/> and for which he had temporarily abandoned his ''Blueberry'' series. The translated version was known in the English-speaking world as ''[[Heavy Metal (magazine)|Heavy Metal]]'', and started its release in April 1977, actually introducing Giraud's work to North-American readership.<ref name="taboo4">[[#Various|''Taboo 4'', 1990, p. 32]]</ref> Mœbius' famous serial "[[Airtight Garage|The Airtight Garage]]" and his groundbreaking "[[Arzach]]" both began in ''Métal hurlant''.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130101004435/http://ocs.library.dal.ca/ojs/index.php/YAHS/article/viewFile/413/398 "Breasts and Beasts: Some Prominent Figures in the History of Fantasy Art."] 2006. [[Dalhousie University]]</ref> Unlike ''Hara-Kiri'' and ''L'Écho des savanes'' though, whose appeal has always remained somewhat limited to the socially engaged satire and [[underground comic]] scenes, it was ''Métal hurlant'' in particular that revolutionized the world of Franco-Belgian ''bandes dessinées'',<ref name="morales"/> whereas its American cousin left an indelible impression on a generation of not only American comic artists, but on film makers as well, as evidenced [[#Influence and legacy|below]].

Starting its publication in the first issue of ''Métal hurlant'', "Arzach" is a wordless 1974–1975 comic, executed directly in color and created as a conscious attempt to breathe new life into the comic genre which at the time was dominated by American [[superhero comics]] in the United States, and by the traditional, adolescent oriented ''bandes dessinée'' in Europe.<ref name="arzach">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/index/2578_Arzach ''Arzach''], stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions.</ref> It tracks the journey of the title character flying on the back of his [[pterodactyl]] through a fantastic world mixing medieval fantasy with [[futurism]]. Unlike most science fiction comics, it is, save for the artfully executed story titles, entirely devoid of captions, speech balloons and written sound effects. It has been argued that the wordlessness provides the strip with a sense of timelessness, setting up Arzach's journey as a quest for eternal, universal truths.<ref name="Screech"/> The short stories "L'Homme est-il bon?" ("Is Man Good?", in issue 10, 1976, after the first publication in ''Pilote'', issue 744, 1974, which however woke Giraud up to the "unbearable realization" that he was "enriching" the publisher with his Mœbius work, thereby expediting his departure.<ref>[[#Sources|de Bree, 1982, p. 20]]; Giraud mellowed somewhat at a later point in time, and some Mœbius work from his Tahiti period did appear in ''Pilote'' issues m120, 1984 and m133, 1985.</ref>), "Ballade" ("The Ballade", 1977 and inspired by the poem "Fleur" by French poet [[Arthur Rimbaud]]<ref name="fleur">[[#Marvel/Epic|"Arzach & Other Fantasy Stories"]], 1987, story notes</ref>), "Ktulu" (issue 33bis, 1978, an [[H. P. Lovecraft]]-inspired story) and "Citadelle aveugle" ("The White Castle", in issue 51, 1980 and oddly enough signed as "Gir") were examples of additional stories Giraud created directly in color, shortly after "Arzach". 1976 saw the ''Métal hurlant'', issues 7–8, publication of "[[The Long Tomorrow (comics)|The Long Tomorrow]]", written by [[Dan O'Bannon]] in 1974 during lulls in the pre-production of Jodorowsky's ''Dune''.<ref>[[#Sources|Sadoul, 1991, p. 100]]</ref>

His series ''The Airtight Garage'', starting its magazine run in issue 6, 1976, is particularly notable for its non-linear plot, where movement and temporality can be traced in multiple directions depending on the readers' own interpretation even within a single ''planche'' (page or picture). The series tells of Major Grubert, who is constructing his own multi-level universe on an asteroid named ''Fleur'' (from the "Bandard fou" universe incidentally, and the first known instance of the artist's attempts of tying all his "Mœbius" creations into one coherent ''Airtight Garage'' universe), where he encounters a wealth of fantastic characters including [[Michael Moorcock]]'s creation [[Jerry Cornelius]].<ref>Grove, Laurence. 2010. Comics in French: the European bande dessinée in context Berghahn Books p. 46</ref>

1978 marked the publication of the 54-page "Les yeux du chat" ("Eyes of the Cat"). The dark, disturbing and [[surrealism|surreal]] tale dealt with a blind boy in a non-descript empty cityscape, who has his pet eagle scout for eyes, which it finds by taking these from a street cat and offering them to his awaiting companion who, while grateful, expresses his preference for the eyes of a child. The story premise originated from a brainstorming session Alejandro Jodorowsky had with his fellows of the [[Panic Movement|Académie Panique]], a group concentrated on chaotic and surreal [[performance art]], as a response to surrealism becoming mainstream.<ref>[[#Sources|de Bree, 1982, p. 87]]</ref> Jodorowsky worked out the story premise as a therapy to alleviate the depression he was in after the failure of his ''Dune'' project and presented the script to Giraud in 1977 during a visit to Paris. Deeming the story too short for a regular, traditional comic, it was Giraud who suggested the story to be told on the format he had already introduced in "Le bandard fou", to wit, as single panel pages. On recommendation of Jodorowsky, he refined the format by relating the eagle's quest on the right-hand pages, while depicting the awaiting boy in smaller single panel left-hand pages from a contra point-of-view. Giraud furthermore greatly increased his already high level of detail by making extensive use of [[zipatone]] for the first time.<ref>[[#Various|''Taboo 4'', 1990, pp. 86-87]]</ref> Considered a key and seminal work, both for its art and storytelling, setting Jodorowsky off on his career as comic writer,<ref name="taboo">[[#Various|''Taboo 4'', 1990, pp. 84]]</ref> the art evoked memories of the wood engravings from the 19th century, including those of [[Gustave Doré]], that Giraud discovered and admired in the books of his grandparents when he was living there in his childhood. However, it—like "La déviation"—has remained somewhat of a one-shot in Giraud's body of work in its utilization of such a high level of detail.<ref>[[#Sources|de Bree, 1982, pp. 9, 88]]</ref> The story, printed on yellow paper to accentuate the black & white art, was originally published directly as a, to 5000 copies limited book edition, gift item for relations of the publisher.<ref>[http://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Yeux-du-chat-20693.html#reed "Les yeux du chat"] (54 pages, Paris:Les Humanoïdes Associés, March 1978, {{ISBN|2902123531}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref> It was only after expensive pirate editions started to appear that the publisher decided to make the work available commercially on a wider scale, starting in 1981.<ref>[[#Sources|de Bree, 1982, p. 88]]</ref><ref name="yeux">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/strip/3494_De_verzamelde_werken_van_Moebius_8_De_ogen_van_de_kat/showall "Les yeux du chat"], stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}, includes other language editions.</ref> Jodorowsky had intended the work to be the first of a trilogy, but that never came to fruition.<ref>[[#Various|''Taboo 4'', 1990, pp. 88]]</ref>

In a certain way "Les yeux du chat" concluded a phase that had started with "La Déviation",<ref name="taboo"/> and this viewpoint was adhered to by the publisher who had coined the era "Les années Métal Hurlant" on one of its latter-day anthologies.<ref>[http://www.bedetheque.com/BD-AUT-Giraud-Moebius-Tome-22-Les-annees-Metal-Hurlant-Moebius-oeuvres-119592.html "Les années Métal Hurlant"] (420 pages, Paris:Les Humanoïdes Associés, October 2010, {{ISBN|9782731623055}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref> The very first "Mœbius" anthology collection the publisher released as such, was the 1980–1985 ''Moebius œuvres complètes'' six-volume collection of which two, volumes 4, "La Complainte de l'Homme Programme"<ref name="complaint">"[https://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Moebius-oeuvres-completes-Tome-4-La-Complainte-de-l-Homme-Programme-6558.html ''Moebius œuvres complètes'', Tome 4: La Complainte de l'Homme Programme]" (102 pages, Paris:Les Humanoïdes Associés, April 1982, {{ISBN|2731601558}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref> and 5, "Le Désintégré Réintégré"<ref name="desintegre">"[https://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Moebius-oeuvres-completes-Tome-5-Le-Desintegre-Reintegre-6559.html ''Moebius œuvres complètes'', Tome 5: Le Désintégré Réintégré]" (106 pages, Paris:Les Humanoïdes Associés, January 1984, {{ISBN|2731602740}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref> (the two of them in essence comprising an expanded version of the 1980 original<ref name="moebius1980"/>), were Mœbius art books.<ref>[http://www.bedetheque.com/serie-1524-BD-Moebius-oeuvres-completes.html ''Moebius œuvres complètes''], Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref> It also concluded a phase in which Giraud was preoccupied in a "characteristic period in his life" in which he was "very somber and pessimistic about my life", resulting in several of his "Mœbius" stories of that period ending in death and destruction.<ref>[[#Sources|de Bree, 1982, pp. 21-22]]</ref> These included the poetic "Ballade", in which Giraud killed off the two protagonists, something he came to regret a decade later in this particular case.<ref name="fleur"/>

[[File:The Incal 2014 hardcover trade collection.jpg|thumb|upright|Mœbius cover art for [[Humanoids Publishing]]'s 2014 US hardcover trade collection of ''The Incal''.]]
In the magazine's issue 58 of 1980 Giraud started his famous ''[[L'Incal]]'' series in his third collaboration with Jodorowsky.<ref name="difool">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/index/678_John_Difool ''De avonturen van John Difool''], stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions.</ref> However, by this time Giraud felt that his break-out success as "Mœbius" had come at a cost. He had left ''Pilote'' to escape the pressure and stifling conditions he was forced to work under, seeking complete creative freedom, but now it was increasingly becoming "as stifling as it had been before with ''Blueberry''", as he conceded in 1982, adding philosophically, "The more you free yourself, the more powerless you become!".<ref>[[#Sources|de Bree, 1982, p. 19]]</ref> How deeply ingrained this sentiment was, was evidenced in a short interview in ''Métal Hurlant'', issue 82, later that year, where an overworked Giraud stated, "I will finish the ''Blueberry'' series, I will finish the ''John Difool'' [''Incal''] series and then I'm done. Then I will quit comics!" At the time he had just finished working as storyboard, and production design artist on the Movie ''Tron'', something he had enjoyed immensely. Fortunately for his fans, Giraud did not act upon his impulse as history has shown, though he did take action to escape the hectic Parisian comic scene in 1980 by moving himself and his family as far away from Paris as possible in France, and relocated to the small city of [[Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques|Pau]] at the foothills of the [[Pyrenees]].<ref name="burns"/> It was while he was residing in Pau that Giraud started to take an interest in the teachings of Jean-Paul Appel-Guéry, becoming an active member of his group and partaking in their gatherings.<ref>[[#Sources|Sadoul, 1991, pp. 52-59]]</ref>

====Tahiti (1983–1984)====
From 1985 to 2001 he also created his six-volume fantasy series ''[[Le Monde d'Edena]]'', which has appeared in English as ''The Aedena Cycle''.<ref name="edena">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/index/332_De_wereld_van_Edena ''De wereld van Edena''], stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions.</ref> The stories were strongly influenced by the teachings of Jean-Paul Appel-Guéry,{{efn|name="appel"|"Appel-Guéry encouraged Mœbius to tap into the more positive zones of his subconscious. 'Most of the people that were studying spirituality with Appel-Guéry did not know much about comics, but they immediately picked on the morbid, and overall negative feelings that permeated my work,' said Moebius. 'So I began to feel ashamed, and I decided to do something really different, just to show them that I could do it.'"<ref>Randy Lofficier and [[Jean-Marc Lofficier]], ''Moebius Comics'' No. 1, Caliber Comics, 1996.</ref>}} and [[Guy-Claude Burger]]'s instinctotherapy. In effect, Giraud and his family did join Appel-Guéry's [[Intentional community|commune]] on Tahiti in 1983, until late 1984, when the family moved to the United States, where Giraud set up shop first in Santa Monica, and subsequently in Venice and Woodland Hills, California.<ref>[[#Sources|Sadoul, 1991, pp. 59–69]]</ref> Giraud's one-shot comic book "La nuit de l'étoile"<ref name="etoile">[http://www.bedetheque.com/serie-2025-BD-Nuit-de-l-etoile.html "La nuit de l'étoile"] (48 pages, Paris:Aedena, May 1986, {{ISBN|2905035250}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref> was co-written by Appel-Guéry, and has been the most visible manifestation of Giraud's stay on Tahiti, aside from the artbooks "La memoire du futur"<ref name="memoire">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/strip/67237_La_memoire_du_futurStarwatcher_1_La_memoire_du_futur/showall "La memoire du futur"] (96 pages, Paris:Gentiane, November 1983, {{ISBN|2904300031}}, later retitled "Starwatcher", Paris:Aedena, February 1986, {{ISBN|290503520X}}), stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions.</ref> and "Venise celeste".<ref name="venise">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/strip/67242_Venise_celeste_1_Venise_celeste "Venise celeste"], (102 pages, Paris:Aedena, September 1988, {{ISBN|2905035013}}), stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions.</ref> Concurrently collaborating on "La nuit de l'étoile" was young artist [[Marc Bati]], also residing at the commune at the time, and for whom Giraud afterwards wrote the comic series ''Altor'' (''The Magic Crystal''), while in the US.<ref name="altor">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/index/36_Altor "''Altor''"], stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions.</ref> It was under the influence of Appel-Guéry's teachings that Giraud conceived a third pseudonym, '''Jean Gir''' &ndash; formally introduced to the public as "Jean Gir, Le Nouveau Mœbius" in "Venise celeste" (p.&nbsp;33), though Giraud had by the time of publication already dispensed with the pseudonym himself &ndash; which appeared on the art he created while on Tahiti, though not using it for his ''Aedena Cycle''. Another member of the commune was Paula Salomon, for whom Giraud had already illustrated her 1980 book "La parapsychologie et vous".<ref name="para">[http://www.bedetheque.com/BD-AUT-Giraud-Moebius-La-parapsychologie-et-vous-277088.html "La parapsychologie et vous"] (154 pages, Paris:[[Éditions Albin Michel]], February 1980, {{ISBN|2226009272}}), Bedetheque.com {{in lang|fr}}</ref> Having to move stateside for work served Giraud well, as he became increasingly disenchanted at a later stage with the way Appel-Guéry ran his commune on Tahiti, in the process dispensing with his short-lived third pseudonym.<ref name=redux/> His stay at the commune though, had practical implications on his personal life; Giraud gave up eating meat, smoking, coffee, alcohol and, for the time being, the use of mind-expanding substances, adhering to his newfound abstinence for the most part for the remainder of his life.<ref>[[#Sources|Sadoul, 1991, pp. 53-55]]</ref>

During his stay on Tahiti, Giraud had co-founded his second publishing house under two concurrent imprints, Éditions Gentiane<ref>[https://www.stripinfo.be/lijst.php?uitgever=1222&sort=jaar "Gentiane"], stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}</ref> (predominantly for his work as Gir, most notably ''Blueberry'') and {{ill|Aedena|fr}}<ref>[https://www.stripinfo.be/lijst.php?uitgever=1298&sort=jaar "Aedena"], stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}</ref> (predominantly for his work as Mœbius, and not entirely by coincidence named after the series he was working on at the time), together with friend and former editor at Les Humanoïdes Associés, {{ill|Jean Annestay|fr}}, for the express purpose to release his work in a more artful manner, such as limited edition art prints, art books ("La memoire du futur" was first released under the Gentiane imprint, and reprinted under that of Aedena) and art portfolios. Both men had already released the very first such art book in the Humanoïdes days,<ref name="moebius1980"/> and the format then conceived &ndash; to wit, a large 30x30cm book format at first, with art organized around themes, introduced by philosophical poetry by Mœbius &ndash; was adhered to for later such releases, including "La memoire du futur".

====Marvel Comics (1984–1989)====
{{blockquote|quote=There were thousands of professionals who knew my work. That has always amazed me every time I entered some graphics, or animation studio, at Marvel or even at [[George Lucas]]'. Mentioning the name Jean Giraud did not cause any of the present pencillers, colorists or storyboard artists to even bat an eye. Yet, whenever I introduced myself as "Mœbius", all of them jumped up to shake my hand. It was incredible!|source=Giraud, Cagnes-sur-Mer 1988, on his notoriety as "Mœbius" in the United States.<ref name="Sad69-71">[[#Sources|Sadoul, 1991, pp. 69–71]]</ref>}}

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| footer = Mœbius cover for the 1998 edition of ''[[Silver Surfer]]: Parable'' on the left, and the Mœbius cover of the 1987 US Epic edition of ''The Airtight Garage'' on the right.
}}
After having arrived in California, Giraud's wife Claudine set up Giraud's third publishing house Starwatcher Graphics in 1985,<ref name="corporation">{{cite web|url=https://bestbusinessca.com/company/C1292766/starwatcher-graphics-inc.html|title=Starwatcher Graphics, Inc.|website=Bestbusinessca.com}}</ref> essentially the US branch of Gentiane/Aedena with the same goals, resulting in the release of, among others, the extremely limited art portfolio ''La Cité de Feu'', a collaborative art project of Giraud with [[Geoff Darrow]] (see ''[[#Dark Horse|below]]''). However, due to their unfamiliarity with the American publishing world, the company did not do well, and in an effort to remedy the situation Claudine hired the French/American editor couple [[Jean-Marc Lofficier|Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier]], whom she had met at the summer 1985 [[San Diego ComicCon]],<ref>[[#Sources|Ledoux, 1993, p. 59]]</ref> as translators and editors-in-chief for Starwatcher, also becoming shareholders in the company.<ref name="Sad69-71"/> Already veterans of the US publishing world (''and'' Mœbius fans), it was the Lofficier couple that managed to convince editor-in-chief [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]] of [[Marvel Comics]] to publish most of Moebius' hitherto produced work on a wider scale in the US—in contrast with the ''Heavy Metal'' niche market releases by HM Communications in the late 1970s—in graphic novel format trade editions, under its [[Epic Comics|Epic]] imprint from 1987 to 1994. These incidentally, included three of Mœbius' latter-day art books, as well as the majority of his ''Blueberry'' Western comic.<ref>{{cite journal|last=O'Neill|first=Patrick Daniel|title=The Wild [French] West|journal=[[Comics Scene]]|issue=9|pages= 8–12, 68|location=Mt. Morris|publisher=Starlog Group, Inc.|date=1989}}</ref>

It was for the Marvel/Epic publication effort that it was decided to dispense with the "Jean [Gir]aud"/"Mœbius" dichotomy—until then strictly adhered-to by the artist—as both the artist's given name and his ''Blueberry'' creation were all but unknown in the English speaking world. This was contrary to his reputation as "Mœbius", already acquired in the ''Heavy Metal'' days, and from then on used for ''all'' his work in the English speaking world (and Japan), though the dichotomy remained elsewhere, including native France.<ref name="marvelage">{{cite journal|last=Lofficier|first=R.J.M.|author-link=Jean-Marc Lofficier|title=Before Nick Fury, There was ... Lieutenant Blueberry|journal=[[Marvel Age]]|issue=79|location=New York City|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]|date=October 1989}}</ref>

A two-issue ''[[Silver Surfer]]'' miniseries (later collected as ''Silver Surfer: Parable''), written by [[Stan Lee]] and drawn by Giraud (as Mœbius), was published through Marvel's Epic Comics imprint in 1988 and 1989. According to Giraud, this was his first time working under the [[Marvel method]] instead of from a full script, and he has admitted to being baffled by the fact that he already had a complete story synopsis on his desk only two days after he had met Stan Lee for the first time, having discussed what Giraud had assumed was a mere proposition over lunch.<ref name="DAK64">{{cite journal | last = Lofficier | first = Jean-Marc | author-link = Jean-Marc Lofficier | date = December 1988 | title = Moebius | journal = [[Comics Interview]] | issue = 64 | pages = 24–37 | publisher = [[Fictioneer Books]]}}</ref> This miniseries won the [[Eisner Award]] for best finite/limited series in 1989. Mœbius' version was discussed in the 1995 submarine thriller ''[[Crimson Tide (film)|Crimson Tide]]'' by two sailors pitting his version against those of [[Jack Kirby]], with the main character played by [[Denzel Washington]], emphasizing the Kirby one being the better of the two. Becoming aware of the reference around 1997, Giraud was later told around 2005 by the movie's director [[Tony Scott]], that it was he who had written in the dialog as an homage to the artist on behalf of his brother [[Ridley Scott|Ridley]], a Mœbius admirer, and not (uncredited) script doctor [[Quentin Tarentino]] (known for infusing his works with pop culture references) as he was previously led to believe.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Svane |first=Erik | date=May 1997 |title=Gir/Mœbius |journal={{ill|Swof|fr}} |volume= |issue=24 | location=[[Genève]] |pages=42 | language=fr}}</ref> An amused Giraud quipped, "It's better than a big stature, because in a way, I can not dream of anything better to be immortal [than] being in a movie about submarines!"<ref name="CTN"/><!--at 1:21-->

As a result, from his cooperation with Marvel, Giraud delved deeper into the American superhero mythology and created superhero art stemming from both Marvel and [[DC Comics]], which were sold as art prints, posters or included in calendars, besides becoming featured as comic book covers from both publishers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comicsalliance.com/moebius-american-comics-art-gallery|title=Moebius Visions of American Superheroes and Comic Book Icons [Art]|website=ComicsAlliance.com|date=28 June 2011 }}</ref> Even as late as 1997, Giraud had created cover art for two DC comic book outings, ''[[Hardware (comics)|Hardware]]'' (Vol. 1, issue 49, March 1997) and ''[[Static (DC Comics)|Static]]'' (Vol. 1, issue 45, March 1997), after an earlier cover for ''[[Marvel Tales (comics)|Marvel Tales]]'' (Vol. 2, issue 253, September 1991). Another project Giraud embarked upon in his "American period", was for a venture into that other staple of American pop culture, [[trading cards]]. Trading card company Comic Images released a "Mœbius Collector Cards" set in 1993, featuring characters and imagery from all over his Mœbius universe, though his Western work was excluded. None of the images were lifted from already existing work, but were especially created by Giraud the year previously.

Although Giraud had taken up residence in California for five years &ndash; holding a temporary residence (the O-1 "Extraordinary Ability" category,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pwc.com/ca/en/law/immigration-law/us-immigration/temporary.html|title=Temporary Residence|website=pwc.com}}</ref> including the "International Artist" status<ref>[[#Sources|Sadoul, 2015, p. 62]]</ref>) visa &ndash; he maintained a transient lifestyle, as his work had him frequently travel to Belgium and native France (maintaining a home in Paris), as well as to Japan, for extended periods of time. His stay in the United States was an inspiration for his aptly called ''Made in L.A.'' art book,<ref name="madela"/> and much of his art he had produced in this period of time, including his super hero art, was reproduced in this, and the follow-up art book ''Fusions'',<ref name="fusion">[https://www.stripinfo.be/reeks/strip/20909_Fusions_1_Fusions "Fusions"] (126 pages, Tournai: Casterman, April 1995, {{ISBN|2203346051}}), stripINFO.be {{in lang|nl}}; includes other language editions.</ref> the latter of which having seen a translation in English by Epic.

Giraud's extended stay in the US, garnered him a 1986 [[Inkpot Award]], an additional 1991 Eisner Award, as well as three [[Harvey Award]]s in the period 1988–1991 for the various graphic novel releases by Marvel. It was in this period that Giraud, who had already picked up Spanish as a second language as a result from his various trips to Mexico and his dealings with Jodorowsky and his retinue, also picked up sufficient language skills to communicate in English.<ref>[[#Sources|Sadoul, 1991, pp. 67-68]]</ref><ref name="CTN"/>