May I have everything? Yes, everything. Having a job I like, living in the country but not too far from the sea, in a little house with a big garden and a compost bin in the backyard, where I would raise a happy family, and travelling as often as possible. And now, please! Does that sound like a utopia or a whim to you? Do you think it’s because i’m turning 30 soon or the consequence of the disillusionment of a golden retirement at age 60? For boyfriend and me, it is a real desire, a common wish, a generous and stable aspiration. And we think it is better to enjoy these things right now. We decided to work on that seriously. And, we met Jean. Actually, he’s been a friend for a while but we got to know him more since we’ve been living not far from his place, in the Landes. Actually, their place. He lives with his wife and his little daughter, in the country but not too far from the sea, in a medium house with a big garden and a compost bin in the backyard. They look happy and they are travelling to Japan very soon. Jean also has a job he likes, about which he talks with an infectious passion.

Jean Harambat is a comics author. Among other works, he is the author of ‘Les Invisibles’ published by Futuropolis, and ‘4 seasons in the Landes’ published in the XXI magazine. He is been working on the graphic adaptation of an unfinished novel by Stevenson, ‘Weir of Hermiston’.

I do heart his sweet voice (you might hear it when reading his books…:-), his sharp and nervous line, his erudition and honesty that are conveyed in his work, the importance of nature in his works and his life, his loyalty to his native area, and his terribly-human characters.

Joëlle: How important was drawing before you became an author?

Jean: I’ve always drawn. I was ‘he who is good at drawing’ at school.  When I was at the nursery school, I remember answering ‘I’ll be a comic author when i grow up’, while most of my classmates invariably answered ‘biker’ (motorcycle cop?)  or ‘football player’ for those who were very imaginative.

I kept on drawing lazily until I considered doing this as a job. I realized that I had to do fundamental changes, explore, build my knowledge about drawing. Which I am pleased to do.

Litterature, words, stories inspire you a lot. What about images, painting, movies…?

Of course, the cinema is very important, but not so much in terms of narrative techniques or framing, because comics has a very particular language. Cinema is initially a ‘popular art’ like comics, built on mythology, simple stories where action prevails.

With the passing of time, things get more complex, more intellectual. I really like this in-between, where there are several layers of interpretation: the progress of the action mixed with a deeper reflection. Like John Ford who directed westerns but wanted to be, even if he denied it, ‘the Homère of the Far West’. Like Wes Anderson and his ‘The life Aquatic’ who wants to mix a Moby Dick-like vengeful hunt of a big fish with the cinema of Eric Rohmer…

Talking of images, I have to mention painting, expressionism, synthetism, these art movements were so useful to comics. We also have to mention great drawing artists from the XXth century, who have been forgotten because they were not painter or visual artists, like Gus Bofa or the octogenarian Ronald Searle…I am discovering, rediscovering them. A beautiful journey.

Is the line related to a story ?

Graphics may be related to a story, Franquin’s graphics would not lend itself to the adventures of Corto Maltese.
In my case, it’s a steady progress. I like the vitality of the sketch but I also try to find readability, the working drawing…But that requires time and work.Graphics also depends on the tools you enjoy working with, the lightness of the graphite, the movement of the brush. I have been working on big sizes with a big pen, I feel comfortable like that.

What are you looking for in drawing ? when drawing?

Strength, spontaneity, the elegance of the movement, the accurate move though it’s imprecise , a kind of japanese-like synthesis. It’s hard to explain but I know when grace is there, if it is in front of me…Sometimes you never get it but you always run after…

Do you recognize yourself in your drawing ?

I guess there is a kind of nervousness and impatience in my line. I can’t work in a different way. Concerning my stories, I try to find a balance between something that is about me, that is appealing to me but also to the others. A kind of universality, “the local without walls” as Torga, the poet said…

What comic authors inspire your line ?

Hergé and Hugo Pratt had a great influence. I learnt how to read with the first one and I went into adolescence with the other. These two authors are concerned about poetry, by the way Haddock and Corto Maltese quote poems. Other authors inspired me, of course, but I still have a boundless affection for these two. Today, I admire David B.’s talent: his graphics, his erudition and the depth of his stories.

What are the top things about living in the country? What do you love about the Landes area?

Living in the landscapes of my childhood brings serenity. I like the rural environment. It offers time control, implies a specific attention to things around you.

What are your bedside books?

Let’s see… ‘Promise at dawn’ by Romain Gary, ‘Le vide et le plein’ by Nicolas Bouvier, ‘Ulysse’ by Joyce, I have to admit I am getting bogged down reading the last one. For the comics, Gipi and Rabaté.

To know more about the atypical career path of Jean Harambat, click here!
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