189 - Giraud

Giraud JEAN GIRAUD BLUEBERRY The Man Who Was Worth $500,000 (Vol. 14), Dargaud 1973 Original page No. 14, based on the script by Jean-Michel Charlier, first published in the magazine Pilote No. 611 on July 22, 1971. There are traces of metal oxidation in panels No. 1 and No. 5 as well as at the junction of the two strips, traces of moisture in the margins, and a small tear in panel No. 3. On the reverse, there is a crease and some breaks, glue residue, and a small perforation at all four corners. Indian ink and white gouache on paper 39.5 × 48.6 cm (15.55 × 19.13 in.) In 1971, the Blueberry series, written by Jean-Michel Charlier, was at its peak. We are in the midst of the Confederate Treasure Cycle (3 volumes, including the famous *Chihuahua Pearl*). The plot revolves around a hoard of $500,000 in gold amassed by Confederate leaders at the end of the Civil War and transferred to Mexico, posing a clear threat to the Northern states. After numerous adventures that reveal that Blueberry—sent against his will by the president—is no longer the only one hunting for the treasure (the information has leaked…), our hero arrives in Mexico in the city of Chihuahua. He then manages to get himself locked up in the Corvado fortress-prison, where a former Confederate colonel, Linsay Trevor—the only one who knows the gold’s whereabouts—is being held. But of course, Blueberry is being closely watched by his rivals… In this utterly stark panel, Giraud masterfully depicts the various protagonists’ maneuvers as they close in. Alternating between exterior daytime shots of the prison and interior nighttime shots inside the jail, Gir masterfully plays with light, his virtuoso inking bringing dazzling atmospheres to life. A masterpiece, without a doubt! Didier Pasamonik