I love Hugo Pratt and his works, especially the 'Corto Maltese' graphic novels about the adventures of a rakish and ethically challenged adventurer, Corto, a "gentleman of fortune" in an era no longer accommodating to such roles. First appearing in 1967, in 'The Ballad Of The Salt Sea', Corto Maltese is a member of a band of pirates nominally allied with the Germans in the South Pacific in 1913. As the shifting interests of governments at war half a world away begin to make themselves known at their well-hidden pirate base, he must find a way to keep himself alive. It's a weird, arcane, and complicated work, like a Joseph Conrad novel in a graphic form. For precisely that reason, the author of the serial, Hugo Pratt, has become a cult figure unto himself. Pratt's graphic novels are sometimes seen as extensions of his adventurous life. They are unusual for their intellectual underpinning, often confusing plots, historical figures, complicated characters, and carefully researched, exotic locations. Heir to the Belgian School of graphic novelists, his full-color painted images are a beauty to behold. They have earned him a die-hard following in Italy and France, with over five million copies sold.
I also love Mayo, my blue-eyed Birman cat. You'll understand why...
Enjoy my pages!
