Corto Maltese is a "gentillhomme de fortune", son of the "Niña de Gilbratar", an Andalusian Gypsy prostitute and of a sailor from Cornwall. As a child, a fortuneteller noticed he had no line of Fate. Corto took his father's razor and drew one for himself. Corto wanders the first decennies of the XXth century, on the seven oceans, between wars and revolutions, chaos and romantism. He seeks treasures sometimes, or just watch and come along as others seek them. He has a knack for meeting cool women. Wether the Voodoo witch (three centuries old she said) called "Bouche Dorée", or young chinese revolutionnary girl. He is often seen in compagny of Raspoutine, a mad man who often tried to kill him and of whom he is nonetheless one of the only friend. He often meets the occult, the dream-like, and the strange. In any case, it is always the atmosphere that stands out.
In my opinion, the Corto Maltese comic books by Hugo Pratt are easily among the very best of what this medium has had to offer (right there with Maus by Art Spielman, Gunnm, Akira, Sandman etc.)
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Corto wanders the first decennies of the XXth century, on the seven oceans, between wars and revolutions, chaos and romantism. He seeks treasures sometimes, or just watch and come along as others seek them. He has a knack for meeting cool women. Wether the Voodoo witch (three centuries old she said) called "Bouche Dorée", or young chinese revolutionnary girl. He is often seen in compagny of Raspoutine, a mad man who often tried to kill him and of whom he is nonetheless one of the only friend.
He often meets the occult, the dream-like, and the strange. In any case, it is always the atmosphere that stands out.
In my opinion, the Corto Maltese comic books by Hugo Pratt are easily among the very best of what this medium has had to offer (right there with Maus by Art Spielman, Gunnm, Akira, Sandman etc.)
A few links :
http://mapage.noos.fr/dardelf3/Corto.html
http://home.c2i.net/tzara/pratt/intro.html
http://www.iua.upf.es/formats/formats2/pin_a.htm