Sad news just off the wire—unique, prolific, and influential French illustrator Jean Giraud has died aged 73 after a long battle with cancer. Giraud broke onto the art scene in 1965, won his first awards by 1973, and by 1975 had adopted the pseudonym Moebius and developed into a graphic arts master. He worked in the comics medium quite a bit as both a writer and artist, and in addition to nine Marvel/Epic graphic novels, and work on longrunning Marvel characters like the Silver Surfer, was also a regular in the pages of the seminal French sci-fi magazine Métal Hurlant—known in the U.S. as Heavy Metal. Aside from all that, he also worked extensively in motion picture production design, and his efforts helped shape films such as Alien, Willow, Tron and The Fifth Element. It’s been a rough week for the art world—Ralph McQuarrie died less than a week ago. We’ve gathered up a few Giraud/Moebius pieces below so those who don’t know this master can get a sense of his singular style. 

Métal Hurlant was published in France by artists Jean Giruad, aka Mœbius, and Philippe Druillet, with the help of writer Jean-Pierre Dionnet and financial director Bernard Farkas. These four became known as Les Humanoides Associés, or United Humanoids, and their magazine focused on serialized sci-fi and fantasy stories paired with high-quality art by geniuses such as Richard Corben, Milo Manara, and Alain Voss. These efforts helped bring comics into the adult mainstream, where they were finally taken seriously as art. So next time you buy a graphic novel like Watchmen or 30 Days of Night, give a nod to Les Humanoides Associés and their creation. More covers below.