Jean-Claude Mézières

As a child, Jean-Claude Mézières dreamed of becoming a Cowboy or a comics designer. He managed to do both.

After studying Applied Arts and a too long military service, Mézières spent a year and a half in the USA to live his dream on a ranch in Utah among the horses and cows. On his return to Paris he joined his friend Jean Giraud at Pilot magazine. It was then directed by René Goscinny (author of Asterix) known for giving opportunities to young artists.

After a few test runs on short stories, the duo he formed with Pierre Christin decided to create his own comics. Western is already a rich genre, so they turn to science fiction. Christin wrote while Mézières is laying the foundations of their graphs of their universe. Valerian and Laureline, spatio-temporal agents, make their first appearance in Pilote in 1967. Twenty-one album will follow a period of forty-three years making it probably the most developed science fiction comics series of all time.

But it's of course by the quality, that Christin and Mézières work will remain. The masterpieces start in the 70's combining lyricism, adventure, daring and progressive political ideas, visual inventiveness and wealth: Empire of a Thousand Planets, World Without Stars, Welcome Alflolol, Birds of the Master, Ambassador of the Shadows, On the False Earths, Heroes of the Equinox, etc... So many science fiction classic whose titles are already make us dream.

Jean-Claude Mezieres has created over the years a rich visual world (fauna, flora, aliens, vehicles, spaceships) which greatly influenced movies. It was then, natural that movie turns back to his talent. This is Luc Besson, who is the first to have the good idea to make him design the sets and the overall look of The Fifth Element.

Valerian cycle has finally concluded in 2010 with “L’Ouvre-temps”. Jean-Claude Mezieres is currently dedicated to the publication of series' collection of books.

In 2017, Luc Besson finaly fring his comics to the silver screen wih Valerian and the City of Thousand Planets.

Jean-Claude Mézière is part of the Friends de ScienceFictionArchives.com and thus supports our mission to preserve iconic Sci-Fi items.

Writer: AG