213 - Bilal

Bilal ENKI BILAL Memoirs from Outer Space, Dargaud 1978 Original page no. 7 from the story Colonial Drama (Part 2), first published in Pilote mensuel no. 44 bis, January 1978. Signed. Acrylic on paper 30.8 × 42.5 cm (12.13 × 16.73 in.) Having switched to monthly publication in 1974, Pilote magazine had become ill-suited for long serialized stories “to be continued… ,” unless they were published in long chapters. The magazine’s vitality depended on complete stories; everyone had to contribute, and Bilal—who was not yet a star—produced a good number of them, most of which are collected in *Mémoires d’Outre-espace*. This page, taken from a story titled *Drame colonial* (1978), falls precisely between the artist’s *Le Vaisseau de Pierre* (1977) and *La Ville qui n’existait pas* (1979), two graphic novels written by Christin. This kind of “interlude” had two advantages for the young artist: first, it allowed him to create stories “just for fun”—much-needed breathing room between the demanding worlds of major graphic novels; second, it allowed him to experiment with different styles (in this case, slapstick humor) and, more importantly, different techniques. Thus, Bilal tried his hand at direct coloring, and his monochromatic blue skin tones foreshadow *La Femme piège*. A historical document, indeed!