My article about Jonathan 17

I have written an article about ‘La Piste de Yéshé’, you can read it here.

As you might know, I don’t write summaries of the albums (read them yourself!) and I don’t write reviews or critics. Every time, I try to find an interesting angle – and this time, logically, it could be only one thing: ‘This is the end’.

I hope it doesn’t read too much as an obituary.

Casemate 151

Casemate no 151 (november 2021) has a six page interview with Cosey, richly illustrated with images from the new album.

What struck me when I leafed through the magazine (digitally) was the presence of Cosey throughout the issue. It surely is an event, the release of new books!

On opening the magazine, we immediately find this advertisement of LeLombard on page 2.

A few pages further on, this advertisement of Daniel Maghen. Further on, we find another advertisement featuring the Jonathan album – new subsribers to Casemate will receive the album as a welcome present.

And finally, there is the interview. The interview is two pages and I think the most interesting part is where Cosey explains that he has considered Jonathans death to conclude the series, but that he just couldn’t bring himself to do it: ‘He deserved better.’

After the interview, Casemate publishes four pages of ‘La Piste de Yéshe’, with notes by Cosey himself.

All ends with a hopeful remark for us admirers: ‘[I have] no concrete grand project in mind. I would like to allow myself, this one time, a sabbatical pause for a little while… But do not think that I will put away my brushes. Stop making comics is the last thing I dream about: I hope to draw right until my last day. To die on stage, like Molière, in a way…’.


Thanks to Jean-Christophe Defline

Cosey raconte des histoires (2)

Some additional information about ‘Cosey raconte des histoires’ de Ralph Doumit:

  • Release date: spring 2022
  • Number of pages: around 120
  • 4 Chapters (plus a bonus):
    • overview of Cosey’s career
    • thematic analysis of the works of Cosey
    • pages commented (one page from each album)
    • reflections about Jonathan and his place among other travelling characters in comics
    • bonus: two interviews and one hommage with/by three comics personalities

The book will include information about the new album, Jonathan 17.


Thanks to Ralph Doumit

Le Matin

In the Sunday edition (Ocotber 24th) of the swiss newspaper Le Matin, you can find an interview with Cosey – not the first and not the last in this busy period.

For Cosey fans, the interview by Jean-Philippe Bernard does not contain much new information – something we may expect from the other interviews the coming weeks.

Let me take the opportunity to direct you to my interview with Cosey: click here.


Thanks to Jean-Christophe Defline

Cosey raconte des histoires

Finally! Ralph Doumit has been working on his monography about Cosey for many years. Already announced for 2020 (under a different title) it will be published soon, by PLG Éditions. It will be part of the collection Mémoire Vive.

Ralph Doumit is an author, illustrator and teacher/researcher at the Académie Libanais des Beaux-Arts in Beyrouth (Libanon). He has written many articles and studies about comics and he has made lots of interviews with comics artists – you can read many of them on the blog ‘Les images qui racontent‘. He contibuted to ‘Cosey – Une quête de l’épure’, the catalogue of the Cosey exposition in Angoulême in 2018.

Years ago, I proofread one of the first chapters. I don’t know if this chapter made it to the new book, but if Ralph continued his work at the same level, we may expect an intelligent, expert view on Cosey’s work, in a highly readable style.

More information will follow…

A l’heure où les dieux dorment encore

Some news regarding ‘A l’heure où les dieux dorment encore’, published by Daniel Maghen. Publication is postponed a little, to 4 november 2021.

Galerie Daniel Maghen announces a Cosey exposition in his Galerie in Paris, from 17 november till 11 december 2021. Address: 36, Rue du Louvre in Paris.

Cosey will have a few signing sessions – please check on the site of Daniel Maghen or on the site of Payot for correct times and possible last minutes changes:

  • 3 november, 18.00: FNAC Forum des Halles in Paris
  • 13 november: Librairie Payot Lausanne (different times are announced on the site of Maghen and Payot, so check it before you go)
  • 20 november 15.30 – 17.00: Librairie Payot Genève

Morges: finished!

The mural painting in Morges is finished and restored to its old glory. Let’s hope the painting will be left untouched by other ‘artists’.

Where to find the wall painting? It can be found on the wall of a building behind the house on 1, Avenue de Riond Bosson in Morges/Tolochenaz. The mural is painted to the wall facing the railway, I don’t think you can see from the road.

© Google Maps 2021

Thanks to Ivan Micello

LeLombard: win a poster

On the instagram account of LeLombard (click here), you can find a competition to win this poster. It is a map (80 x 60 cm) of the region around Nepal, Tibet and India with some characters from the Jonathan series.

The competition is only open to people living in Belgium, France or Switzerland. For more regulations, see the post of LeLombard on instagram. On 22 October, 5 winners will be drafted.

Le Lombard

LeLombard has lanched its publicity campaign for the 17th Jonathan album.

One of the great ideas is to have a playlist of ‘Jonathan- music’ on YouTube! You can listen to all the music that has been recommended on the backsides of the Jonathan albums. Listen here.

The playlist starts with a promo-video for the new album and it ends with an interview with Cosey about Jonathan 17: click here for a direct link to that interview. Strange enough, the uncoloured version of the album cover is used.

And on the ‘Actu’-page of LeLombard you can read the press dossier (scroll down) going with the album: click here.

Men at work

Men at work in Morges, to restore the wall painting to its old glory. Ivan Micello and his men got some help yesterday of Cosey himself.

The picture below shows that the wall painting goes around the corner as well – something I didn’t know. Nice!


Thanks to Ivan Micello

Interview with Cosey

I have made an interview with Cosey about his two new books: La Piste de Yéshé (Jonathan 17) and A l’heure où les dieux dorment encore.

I made it based on two sources: an e-mail exchanges between Cosey and me and thee Dossier de Presse going with Jonathan 17. I haven’t read the books yet.

Spolier alert: in the interview I have tried to avoid spoilers, but there are still some quotes and images that may unveil some secrets.

Read the interview: click here.

Canal BD no. 139

In no. 139 (October/November) of Canal BD, you can read an interview with Cosey, written by Ronan Lancelot.

The interview of four pages starts with some well-known questions ans answers (about the start of the series, the first documentation on location), but I particularly liked passages about the use of colour.

If you don’t like spoilers, be reassured, the interview does not unveil anything about the new Jonathan album.


Thanks to Thierry de Thibault

À l’heure où les dieux dorment encore

This is the cover of ‘À l’heure où les dieux dorment encore’ (‘At the hour when de gods still sleep’), that will be published by Daniel Maghen at the end of this month.

The book will contain sketches and watercolours Cosey made over the years. It is more or less a travel journal, but it will also have some reflections about colours, comics and other subjects. The book is divided into sections by regions: the Alps, Cyclades (Greece), Taiwan, India, etc.

An exposition of drawings from the book can be visited from 17 november at the Galerie Maghen in Paris.

At last: restoration!

More than five years ago, I made a message about a mural painting by Cosey in Morges (Switzerland), that was heavily damaged by graffiti painters (see my message here).

At last, restoration works have been started. Ivan Micello has put the scaffolding in place, has cleaned the wall and has started painting!

I know Ivan from the great mural painting in Pully he made last year (look here), so I am convinced that he will keep us informed about the progress of the work, and that he will do a good job!


Thanks to Ivan Micello