Years ago, Tarzan left the American market, where he made great episodes of Star Trek, Black Widow and X-Men, without much success. Igor Kordey (Zagreb, 1957) was disliked by fans; This situation can be understood when the features of the drawing are examined. He is a friend of shading and detailed representation of volumes, which gives realism to his drawings, moving them away from certain idealizations and the usual perfection of superhero figures. So he’s not surprised by the rejection his work can cause in certain audiences. Personally, I see him as one of the few heirs of Richard Corben. Like himself, Kordey is defined by a tremendous sensuality, the physical presence of figures and objects, expressed through splashes of light and contrasts that enhance forms and make bodies solid and strong. Add to this the insatiable gaze that accurately defines different races and environments. He draws very well thin and fat people, blacks, gypsies, Mexicans or albinos, children or dogs, and women of all classes and conditions. And let’s not talk about their architecture.
Mobius is an interdimensional adventure that allows him to blend architectural references until he achieves visions as dazzling as the Kadath landscape, a tribute to HP Lovecraft, and he takes the opportunity to mark a double-page anthology. One of many. So does the volume, scripted by Jean-Pierre Pecau, who has been one of his regular accomplices since his return to Europe. If you liked this oriental number that won all the Oscars (Everything at once, everywhere), you’ll like this. But no anal dildo here. Pecau imagines a constellation of parallel universes, as similar as they are different, where heroes go on adventures. Only gypsies know all the mysteries hidden behind death, the only known way to jump from one universe to another. The hero has lost his memory and throughout the adventure recovers the pieces and discovers what his true self is, a bit like Total Challenge. In any case, the script serves as a platform for Kordey’s overwhelming drawings, which impress us with their construction, imagination and energy of the characters, while also teaching narrative lessons. I’ve already mentioned Kadath’s views, but I could also talk about his demon group design, his rebuilding of the Mesoamerican pyramids, and many other passages. Its work justifies the purchase.
The same is happening with the black sheriff series Marshal Bass, which has already reached its ninth album. Continue in the same tone. Darko Macan’s script follows heartless characters wandering around the world doing evil, and the poor hero trying to survive, who is tougher than the bad guys on more than one occasion. Dr. goes from house to house, purging relatives who are no longer worth keeping alive. Moon’s character stands out. So he kills both useless old men and crying children. Meanwhile, Bass stars in crushing scenes in the rain after uttering the iconic line. He strips down and says in a full-length shot: “The night is black people’s best ally.” Where Kordey seizes the opportunity to slip another of his wonderful double pages, a brutal massacre ensues. All this is accompanied by excellent colors.
Two works whose scripts are easily forgotten but allow us to enjoy the art of the world’s most powerful cartoonist without hesitation.