Up The Damnation of Edgar P. Jacobs, the famous cartoonist had remained mysterious to many and yet his enthusiastic readers. Jacobs had published in his lifetime his memoirs, An Opera Paper, but these showed that the perspective of the master himself. The availability of a true biography therefore is an event to be welcomed.
The authors cover in detail what is known Youth Jacobs, his friendship with Jacques Van Melkebeke and his first baritone and short career that will haunt him for the rest of his life. Work alongside Hergé, from the end of the Second World War, the painful separation from his first wife, Ninie and the birth of Blake and Mortimer, make 40s a turning point in the life of Edgar.
Major productions, U Radius at the Three Formulas of Professor Sato, run throughout the rest of the book. If comments around the works abound, we regret the lack of information related to the personal life of Jacobs in this second part, which leaves the impression that it was quite banal, paranoid seclusion until recent years . Ultimately, and this is the major weakness of the book, it is difficult to truly grasp the nature of Jacobs.
The book is nevertheless rich in anecdotes. We learn that inspired the look of Blake and Mortimer, the role of Jacques, childhood friend and screenwriter "ghost" who owed much Jacobs. We also learn the methods of work of Edgar, her phobia of inking usual to be photographed in various poses then serving as inspiration for the design of its characters. Note that the book is decorated with photographs covering all periods of the life of Jacobs.
Beyond the passion for opera and frustrations of his second career, but true, we find a man who will be able to enjoy, if only belatedly, of the respect and admiration of not only readers but criticism. The Damnation of Edgar P. Jacobs is also a gateway to the history of the comic strip Belgian, that makes you want to know more. Here is a book that the fan of Blake and Mortimer can not fail to read.
