Jordi Bernet
Encyclopedia
Jordi Bernet Cussó is a Spanish
comics
artist
, best known for the gangster comics series Torpedo
and Jonah Hex
.
, the son of a Spanish comic book artist, Miguel Bernet.
He made his debut in comics at fifteen, continuing his father's humorous series Doña Urraca (Mrs. Magpie) after his death in 1960, under the pseudonym
"Jordi". While this could support his family, it did not satisfy his artistic ambitions that were inspired by artists such as Hal Foster, Alex Raymond
and Milton Caniff
. From 1962, Bernet developed a more realistic style, and took on smaller assignments from Italian and British publishers, until he started illustrating for the Belgian comics magazine
Spirou
in 1965. He drew the series Dan Lacombe with his uncle Miguel Cussó as writer, and created a similar series Paul Foran with writer José Larraz, but due to disagreements over editing decisions by Dupuis
, Bernet ended the relationship with Spirou. Turning to the German market, in the 1970s he collaborated with Cussó to create Wat 69, a sexy and humouristic heroine for the magazine Pip, and Andrax, a science fiction series for Primo, which both became successful in Germany.
, Bernet returned to Catalonia and Spain and worked for several Spanish comics magazines such as Creepy, Metropol and Cimoc, eventually meeting three writers with whom he would form productive partnerships. With Antonio Segura
he created the amazone fantasy series Sarvan
, and the series Kraken
, depicting a sewer monster terrorizing a futuristic fascist society.
Bernet first collaborated with Enrique Sánchez Abulí
on several short stories, collected in Historietas negras. When Alex Toth
, after producing two stories of Torpedo 1936 in 1981, decided he did not share Abulí's darkly humorous view of mankind and parted with the project, Bernet was asked to continue the work. This became the beginning of a long-lasting series, which became a popular success and was awarded at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
. It eventually formed the basis of its own magazine, Luca Torelli es Torpedo in 1992. Later collaborations with Abulí include De vuelta a casa, La naturaleza de la bestia: Ab Irato and Snake: por un puñado de dolares.
Bernet also formed a creative partnership with the Argentine writer Carlos Trillo, resulting in the sexually explicit series Cicca Dum-Dum, the less lewd and more comical series Clara de Noche, and several one-shots, including Custer, Light and Bold and Ivánpiire.
Bernet's more recent publications include several albums for the Italian western character Tex Willer
, and a run of work for the U.S. comics market, including a Batman
story, and a trilogy detailing "the shocking origin" of Jonah Hex
. Bernet has later continued to work with Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray on Jonah Hex.
American artist Will Eisner
described his impression of Bernet's work in an anthology preface:
Footnotes
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
artist
Comics artist
A comics artist is an artist working within the comics medium on comic strips, comic books or graphic novels. The term may refer to any number of artists who contribute to produce a work in the comics form, from those who oversee all aspects of the work to those who contribute only a part.-Comic...
, best known for the gangster comics series Torpedo
Torpedo (comics)
Torpedo, or Torpedo 1936, is a Spanish comics series written by Enrique Sánchez Abulí and drawn by Jordi Bernet, which depicts the adventures of the antagonistic character Luca Torelli, a heartless hitman, and his sidekick Rascal, in context of the violent organized crime culture of New York during...
and Jonah Hex
Jonah Hex
Jonah Woodson Hex is a Western comic book antihero created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga and published by DC Comics. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is horribly scarred on the right side. Despite his poor reputation and personality, Hex is bound by a personal...
.
Career
He was born in BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, the son of a Spanish comic book artist, Miguel Bernet.
He made his debut in comics at fifteen, continuing his father's humorous series Doña Urraca (Mrs. Magpie) after his death in 1960, under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Jordi". While this could support his family, it did not satisfy his artistic ambitions that were inspired by artists such as Hal Foster, Alex Raymond
Alex Raymond
Alexander Gillespie "Alex" Raymond was an American cartoonist, best known for creating Flash Gordon for King Features in 1934...
and Milton Caniff
Milton Caniff
Milton Arthur Paul Caniff was an American cartoonist famous for the Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon comic strips.-Biography:...
. From 1962, Bernet developed a more realistic style, and took on smaller assignments from Italian and British publishers, until he started illustrating for the Belgian comics magazine
Franco-Belgian comics magazines
Belgium and France have a long tradition in comics. They have a common history for comics and magazines.In the early years of its history, magazines had a large place on the comics market and were often the only place where comics were published. Most of them were kids-targeted.In the 1970s,...
Spirou
Spirou (magazine)
Spirou magazine is a weekly Belgian comics magazine published by the Dupuis company...
in 1965. He drew the series Dan Lacombe with his uncle Miguel Cussó as writer, and created a similar series Paul Foran with writer José Larraz, but due to disagreements over editing decisions by Dupuis
Dupuis
Éditions Dupuis S.A. is a Belgian publisher of comic books and magazines.Based in Marcinelle near Charleroi, Dupuis was founded in 1922 by Jean Dupuis, and is mostly famous for its comic albums and magazines. It is originally a French language publisher, but publishes many editions both in French...
, Bernet ended the relationship with Spirou. Turning to the German market, in the 1970s he collaborated with Cussó to create Wat 69, a sexy and humouristic heroine for the magazine Pip, and Andrax, a science fiction series for Primo, which both became successful in Germany.
Later work
After the fall of FrancoFrancisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
, Bernet returned to Catalonia and Spain and worked for several Spanish comics magazines such as Creepy, Metropol and Cimoc, eventually meeting three writers with whom he would form productive partnerships. With Antonio Segura
Antonio Segura
Antonio Segura is a Spanish comics writer.-Biography:Antonio Segura's earliest work appeared in the early 80s after meeting the experienced artists José Ortiz, Luis Bermejo and Leopold Sanchez who were looking for an inexperienced scriptwriter, untainted by the industry...
he created the amazone fantasy series Sarvan
Sarvan
Sarvan is a Spanish comics series featuring an eponymous character, written by Antonio Segura and drawn by Jordi Bernet. The series was launched in the comics magazine Cimoc in 1983, had a relatively short serial run before the artist and writer moved on to their next collaboration,...
, and the series Kraken
Kraken (comics)
Kraken is a Spanish comics series, written by Antonio Segura and drawn by Jordi Bernet, first published in the magazine Metropol in 1983...
, depicting a sewer monster terrorizing a futuristic fascist society.
Bernet first collaborated with Enrique Sánchez Abulí
Enrique Sánchez Abulí
Enrique Sánchez Abulí is a Spanish comics author, well known for his participation in the Spanish comics industry. His most famous work is the darkly comical gangster comics saga Torpedo in collaboration with Jordi Bernet....
on several short stories, collected in Historietas negras. When Alex Toth
Alex Toth
Alexander Toth was an American professional cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s. Toth's work began in the American comic book industry, but is known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera throughout the 1960s and 1970s. His work included Super Friends, Space Ghost, The...
, after producing two stories of Torpedo 1936 in 1981, decided he did not share Abulí's darkly humorous view of mankind and parted with the project, Bernet was asked to continue the work. This became the beginning of a long-lasting series, which became a popular success and was awarded at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
Angoulême International Comics Festival
The Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
. It eventually formed the basis of its own magazine, Luca Torelli es Torpedo in 1992. Later collaborations with Abulí include De vuelta a casa, La naturaleza de la bestia: Ab Irato and Snake: por un puñado de dolares.
Bernet also formed a creative partnership with the Argentine writer Carlos Trillo, resulting in the sexually explicit series Cicca Dum-Dum, the less lewd and more comical series Clara de Noche, and several one-shots, including Custer, Light and Bold and Ivánpiire.
Bernet's more recent publications include several albums for the Italian western character Tex Willer
Tex Willer
Tex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series Tex, created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. It is among the most popular characters of Italian comics, with translations to numerous ...
, and a run of work for the U.S. comics market, including a Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
story, and a trilogy detailing "the shocking origin" of Jonah Hex
Jonah Hex
Jonah Woodson Hex is a Western comic book antihero created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga and published by DC Comics. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is horribly scarred on the right side. Despite his poor reputation and personality, Hex is bound by a personal...
. Bernet has later continued to work with Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray on Jonah Hex.
American artist Will Eisner
Will Eisner
William Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
described his impression of Bernet's work in an anthology preface:
Spanish titles
- Historias negras (1981, with Abulí, Glénat)
- Sarvan (1982, with Segura, Norma Editorial)
- Torpedo (1982, with Abulí, Glénat)
- Kraken (1983, with Segura, Glénat)
- De vuelta a casa (1984, with Abulí, Toutain)
- Custer (1985, with Trillo, Glénat)
- La naturaleza de la bestia: Ab Irato, Glénat
- Snake: por un punado de dolares ?
- Light and Bold (1987, Toutain)
- Ivánpiire (1989, El Jueves)
- Clara de noche (1992, El Jueves) -->
French titles
- Torpedo, with Enrique Sánchez Abulí
- 1. Tuer c'est vivre (1983, L'Echo des Savanes, ISBN 2226017836)
- 2. Mort au comptant (1984, L'Echo des Savanes, ISBN 2226019510)
- 3. Ni fleurs ni couronnes (1984, Albin Michel, ISBN 2226022139)
- 4. Chaud devant! (1985, Albin Michel, ISBN 222602297X)
- 5. En voiture, Simone (1986, Albin Michel, ISBN 2226027297)
- 6. Sale temps! (1987, Albin Michel, ISBN 2226027432)
- 7. Sing-Sing Blues (1987, Albin Michel, ISBN 2876950340)
- 8. Monnaie de singe (1988, Comics USA, ISBN 287695043X)
- 9. Debout les morts (1988, Comics USA, ISBN 2-876950545)
- 10. Dieu reconnaîtra les tiens! (1990, Comics USA, ISBN 2876951142)
- 11. Rien ne sert de mourir (1994, Comics USA, ISBN 2876952254)
- 12. Devine qui va morfler ce soir... (1995, Comics USA, ISBN 2876952343)
- 13. Cuba (1997, Glénat, ISBN 2723421147)
- 14. Adieu, gueule d'amour (1999, Glénat, ISBN 2723426726)
- 15. Affreux, sales, bêtes, méchants et immondes (2004, Toth, ISBN 2913999107)
- Sarvane (Sarvan) with Antonio Segura
- 1. Sarvane (1985, Dargaud, ISBN 2205029584)
- 2. Le secret de Gor (1986, Magic Strip, ISBN 2803514882)
- Kraken, with Antonio Segura
- 1. Le monstre sous la ville (1986, Gilou, ISBN 2905146044)
- 2. Le meilleur flic de la ville (1987, Les Humanoïdes Associés, ISBN 2731604840)
- 3. La patrouille de l'horreur (1988, Les Humanoïdes Associés, ISBN 2731604832)
- 4. L'appel de l'enfer (1988, Les Humanoïdes Associés, ISBN 2731604859)
- 5. Le roi des égouts (1991, Soleil Productions, ISBN 2877640582)
- Retour (De vuelta a casa) (1986, with Enrique Sánchez Abulí, Gilou, ISBN 2905146060)
- Carnage+ (Custer) (1986, with Carlos Trillo, Albin Michel, ISBN 2226026371)
- Histoires Noires (Historias Negras) (1988, with Enrique Sánchez Abulí, Comics USA, ISBN 2876950448)
- Parlez-moi de mort (La naturaleza de la bestia: Ab Irato) (1989, with Enrique Sánchez Abulí, Comics USA, ISBN 2876951002)
- Belle et la bête (Light and Bold) (1989, with Carlos Trillo, Comics USA, ISBN 2876950804)
- Sur Liste Noire (1996, with Enrique Sánchez Abulí, Vents d'Ouest, ISBN 2869675038)
- Snake: Double paire (1998, with Enrique Sánchez Abulí, Albin Michel, ISBN 2226106294)
- Bang Bang (Cicca Dum-Dum), with Carlos Trillo
- 1. Bang Bang (1998, Albin Michel, ISBN 2226105042)
- 2. Viva Mexico! (2001, Albin Michel, ISBN 2226121056)
- 3. Reines de la savane (2002, Albin Michel, ISBN 2226132341)
- Claire de Nuit (Clara de Noche), with Carlos Trillo
- Claire de Nuit (2000, with Eduardo Maicas, La Mascara/Privilège, ISBN 2914082037)
- Claire de Nuit 2 (2000, La Mascara/Privilège, ISBN 291408207X)
- Claire de Nuit 3 (2000, La Mascara/Privilège, ISBN 2914082173)
- Claire de Nuit 4 (2001, La Mascara/Privilège, ISBN 2914082304)
- Claire de Nuit 5: Faisons un rêve (2001, Erko, ISBN 9077001050)
- Le Cri du Vampire (Ivánpiire) (2001, with Carlos Trillo, Albin Michel, ISBN 2226121196)
US titles
- Blackout in BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
: Black and White Vol. 2 (1996, DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, ISBN 1563899175) - 100 Bullets100 Bullets100 Bullets is an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic book written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso. It was published in the USA by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint and initially ran for one hundred issues...
#26 (1999, Vertigo/DC Comics) - SoloSolo (comics)Solo is an American comic book series that was published bimonthly by DC Comics, beginning in October 2004. Each issue has 48 pages plus covers, with no ads.Solo was canceled in 2006; in total, twelve issues appeared.-Overview:...
#6 (2005, DC Comics) - Jonah HexJonah HexJonah Woodson Hex is a Western comic book antihero created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga and published by DC Comics. Hex is a surly and cynical bounty hunter whose face is horribly scarred on the right side. Despite his poor reputation and personality, Hex is bound by a personal...
#13: "Retribution" (2006, DC Comics) - Jonah Hex #14: "Fathers And Sons" (2006, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #15: "Retribution Part 3" (2006, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #21: "The Devil's Paw" (2007, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #23: "Who Lives and Who Dies" (2007, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #27: "Starman" (2008, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #30: "Luck Runs Out" (2008, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #32: "The Matador" (2008, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #37: "Trouble Come in Threes" (2009, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #38: "Hell or High Water" (2009, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #42: "Shooting the Sun"(2009, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #52: "Too Mean to Die"(2010, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #54: "Shooting Stars" (2010, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #57: "Tall Tales" (2010, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #59: "Riders on the Storm" (2010, DC Comics)
- Jonah Hex #61: "Honeymoon Bullets" (2011, DC Comics)
Awards
- 1986: AngoulêmeAngoulême International Comics FestivalThe Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
Best Foreign Album Award, for Torpedo: Chaud devant - 1991: Barcelona International Comics Fair Gran Premio
- 1994: Nominated for the Harvey AwardHarvey AwardThe Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
for Best American Edition of Foreign Material, for Torpedo - 1995: Nominated for the Harvey Award for Best American Edition of Foreign Material, for Torpedo
- 2011: Comic-Con Inkpot AwardInkpot AwardThe Inkpot Award, bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International, is given to some of the professionals in comic book, comic strip, animation, science fiction, and related pop-culture fields, who are guests of that organization's yearly multigenre fan convention, commonly known as...
Sources
- Jordi Bernet publications in Spirou, L'Écho des savanes and BoDoï BDoubliées
- Jordi Bernet Spanish albums Ediciones Glénat
- Jordi Bernet French albums Bedetheque
Footnotes
External links
- Jordi Bernet biography on Lambiek Comiclopedia
- Story about Bernet's "Andrax"