The space-time agent “Valerian” has achieved cult status. Jean-Claude Mézières conceived the fantastic imagery. Now the comic artist has died at the age of 83.
The French comic artist Jean-Claude Mézières is dead. The creator of the science fiction comic “Valerian” (German: “Valerian and Veronique”) died at the age of 83, as announced by the Carlsen Verlag in Hamburg.
“He leaves a big gap, but his fantastic visual worlds remain immortal,” said the publisher. “Star Wars” would be unthinkable without “Valerian”, according to program director Klaus Schikowski.
Jean-Claude Mezieres was born in 1938. He was already drawing for various French comic magazines while he was studying art. His most famous series was to be «Valerian», which appeared in «Pilote» magazine.
According to the publisher, it was particularly astonishing that the space-time agent Valerian was also given a female main character, Veronique (in French Laureline), who was often vastly superior to the male counterpart due to her intuition. This is how Veronique became one of the first female protagonists in French comics.
For this reason, the series was published directly in Germany in 1978 as “Valerian und Veronique” by Carlsen Comics. A total of 23 volumes were published in the series, which are available in a seven-volume complete edition.
Mézières developed the design for the film “The Fifth Element” by director Luc Besson together with the French comic artist Jean Giraud. In 2017, the film adaptation of his science fiction epic «Valerian» was released, also by Luc Besson. (dpa)