When you meet the 72-year-old comics artist whose real name is Bernard Cosendai, it’s immediately clear that his main character, Jonathan, is actually his alter ego, not a fictional character. In what is now 17 volumes, he allowed the anti-hero to traverse the Himalayan region and specifically occupied Tibet.
When asked about this central setting, Cosey says, “From childhood I have been fascinated by the mountains and the philosophy and spirituality of the people who live there.” He was also influenced by Hergé’s comic book “Tintin au Tibet”.
Cosey’s precision and attention to detail are even more striking than the Hergé model, as he depicts mountain landscapes, villages and towns that have almost become the main motif of the paintings.
Still, the rough and weathered abandon Jonathan’s private and almost novel-like stories and his encounters with the locals play an important role. In addition to Tibetans and other travelers from the West, in-depth encounters include a military official from China’s occupying power, which he does not demonize, but portrays in a humane and precise manner.
The Oscar of the comic book scene
Travels to “Vers l’inconnu” (to the Unknown) brought the author Cosey a high degree of international recognition and won many awards. Among other things, he received the Grand Prix for his life’s work at the Angoulême Comics Festival in 2017. The award is considered the Oscar of the comic book scene.
In a retrospective of Cosey’s work, the Cartoonmuseum Basel displays numerous original drawings, as well as watercolors and gouaches from his Asian travels. The original works are supplemented by quotations from the extensive Tibetan collection of the Museum der Kulturen Basel.
Cosey’s work is clearly dominated by highly realistic lines and the Asian region in the background. As a visitor, you are even more surprised to suddenly encounter Mickey Mouse and other meticulously crafted Disney characters in a room. In one volume, for example, Cosey recounts how Mickey knew and loved his Minnie, prehistory of the relationship that was covered in the original Disney, so to speak.
Cosey says he applied to Disney himself as a young graphic designer, but he didn’t want to give up his artistic freedom. Even so, Mickey didn’t let him go. “I managed to get a license from the group to be able to play with these characters.”
The result is exciting and can now be viewed at the Cartoon Museum with all journeys through the Himalayan region, Vietnam and India by the end of February 2023.
(SDA)