BAR2

BAR2 JOE BAR TEAM Volume 1, Vents d'Ouest, 1990 Original plate no. 3, prepublished in Moto Journal in 1989-1990. Signed. India ink and white gouache on paper 34 × 39 cm (13.39 × 15.35 in.) This plate concludes the story entitled La Bourre. It's one of the few plates in which we see the four Joe Bar enragés fighting it out in the middle of a city. "When I did this panel, the third in Volume 1, I realized that there was something rather shocking about showing a group of intrepid bikers fighting it out in the middle of town. That's why all the "jams" that follow take place on the road. And those that have to take place in town, for the sake of the gag, will not be illustrated by images, but only by engine noises, shocks and tire squeals. And the savagery of these events can only be gauged by observing the ragged, holey clothes, greenish complexion and bruises of the bikers who, after a race gone wrong, make a pitiful return to the café. There are also some drawings in this panel that perhaps need a little clarification. The second panel, for example, shows Édouard stretched out on his Honda. This position may seem too excessive or caricatured, but there's nothing fictional or exaggerated about it. Indeed, during a 125cc race I attended, I observed that some riders adopted this position on the straights. This, of course, was to optimize air penetration, which is essential when you have a low-powered engine. The third panel shows Edouard with his nose in the speedo, one hand screwing the throttle, the other clutching a fork tube. Once again, this position was inspired by races I've attended, where the machines were fitted with large handlebars.