RIP François Corteggiani

 

Laurent Lefeure

September 22, 2022

Comic book author François Corteggiani suddenly left us last night, surrounded by his family. For me, he was THE screenwriter of Pif, Smith and Wesson, L'Archer Blanc, Marine, La Jeunesse de Blueberry.

He left to join Mandryka, Greg, Claude Marin and a few hundred other friends who played scouts in the plains of Wakatanka.

In my eyes, he was to comics what Bertrand Tavernier was to cinema: a guardian of the Temple, a keen connoisseur, an enlightened collector, a steely friend, a tireless craftsman, a committed citizen and a defender of the profession.

In 2013, Nicoby and I devoted an exhibition to his impressive collection of original boards for the Quai des Bulles festival. Convincing him had been difficult. He didn't like being pushed around. The argument that hit home: Through the originals of his friends who left, recall if necessary, the genius of (randomly): Cézard, Mitton, Alex Toth, Follet, Wolinski, Godard, Jaccoviti, Jijé, Arnal, Tezuka, Go Nagaï, Milton Caniff, Noel Sickles, Milton Caniff, Tardi, Saint-Ogan, Mic Delinx, Geerts, Beuville, Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Russ Manning, Dany, or even Marcello.

François was a comic book lover like few others I know. A loyal friend, and an unsinkable anti-fascist (a dwindling species). He liked to bring people together and his comic book salon - the friendliest in the world, since it took place on a café terrace in Carpentras, between horns of the bride and groom and coffee/beer galore - was an opportunity to get to know his clan ( I think first of the indefectible Sergeant Momo).

As for the rest (the tireless worker, the hyper-prolific screenwriter, the editor-in-chief, the sheet metal worker of the Bistro-BD in his town of Carpentras...) it's on the order of the CV, and you'll read the details about it everywhere else .

His greatest joy: his children, and his grandchildren. Big thoughts for Timothée and Baptiste.

Finally, leaving on the DAY of your 69th birthday... it's the kind of head to tail that would have made you laugh.

That big colossal laugh.

CORTEGGIANI, François

Born: 9/21/1953, Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

Died: 9/22/2022, Carpentras, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

 

François Corteggiani’s westerns – comic book artist, writer.

Smith et Western – 1987, 1988, 2000 [writer]

Captain Rogers – 1987, 1988 [artist]

The Young Blueberry – 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 [writer]

Sundance – 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 [writer]

Thunderhawks – 1994, 1997, 2002 [writer]

Man With the Iron Head: Ned Kelly – 2012 [writer]

Marked by the Devil – 2019 [writer]