Jean-Claude Claeys (b. 1951) is an illustrator and comics artist inspired by the noir style. His works combine the atmosphere of Hitchcock's Psycho and the neo-noir visuality of Sin City by Robert Rodriguez.
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Whisky's Dreams
Jean-Claude Claeys was born in Paris, and now he is said to reside in Provence. From an early age, drawing was his hobby that evolved into a profession of an illustrator after the artist graduated from the Académie Julian. He also attended the school on Boulevard Montparnasse and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. Having spent some time in advertising, the artist published his first comic strip Whisky's dreams in the Mormoil magazine in 1975. From 1979 to 1989, Claeys also produced covers for the police collection "Le Miroir obscur" (154 titles) of the NéO publishing house, as well as a number of covers for Alfred Hitchcock magazine.
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Dead Dancers And Supernatural Lügers
Thematics of Claeys' works range from amusing yet typical to more intriguing. His debut strip reads about the private detective Jonathan Foolishbury, who would later appear in Magnum Song, pre-published in the Belgian periodical (To be continued). The comic narrative has all the elements of the noir movies: corrupted authorities, femmes fatales, and organized crime. Another graphic story, entitled L'Exterminateur, involves a novelist murdering those who ruined his career: a bookseller, an editor, a plagiarist, literary critics, and a press officer, which may be satisfying for all Claeys' colleagues involved in producing art. In 1981, he published Paris-Fripon, the story of a maniac who murders cabaret strippers. Three years later, the character of a mad novelist reappeared in the Black Summer. Besides working on his own, Claeys also successfully collaborates with other artists and writers. For instance, in 1987, he produced the Lüger & Peace story about the cursed weapon made of a supernatural metal.
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In Premium an intriguing comparison between Caleys' work and that of the Japanese master Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, and also including an additional 40 pics of his noirish sensuality.
Click HERE for the enticing illustrations which the American comic legend Frank Frazetta made for Midwood Productions
More about Jean-Claude Claeys on the artist's site
Sources: Wikipedia.org; jean-claude-claeys.com; nevsepic.com.ua