Mick Walsh From the cockpit
‘Denis Sire’s beautiful pencil drawings and watercolours reveal a wealth of influences, from Géo Ham to Playboy’
Of all the events I visit, Rétromobile remains unmissable. The expanded exhibition is now dominated by top-end dealers and has lost a little of its charm, but still delivers a unique mix of attractions – none more enticing than the automotive art, from vintage posters to comics. After the long winter, the chance to meet fellow enthusiasts in a favourite city is a much-anticipated trip.
As soon as I step off the Eurostar at Gare du Nord, I plan a walking trek across Paris to visit my favourite comic-book shops. Album Comics on Boulevard Saint-germain offers a vast range, but I prefer smaller stores such as Barbe Rousse and Comic Record, where the staff enthuse about new releases and favourite artists.
My collection is eclectic, starting with old copies of Michel Vaillant, the fantasy motorsport series created by Jean Graton that began back in 1957 as a short story in Tintin. Talk to any of the younger exponents and Graton is always mentioned as a key influence, his motor-racing adventures of Mexican road races or NASCAR lighting up monotonous school days.
On my first visits to Rétromobile in the ’80s, co-founder Marc Nicolosi made a feature of automotive art encouraged by wife Isabelle, who stills runs Galerie Vitesse. Having been pushed into a corner in recent years, it was great to see the art village in a prominent position, mixing impressive talent with bizarre sculptures.
Sadly one of my heroes, Denis Sire, wasn’t present, having joined his comic-book inspirations Alex Raymond and Will Eisner after cancer took this original talent just weeks before the show. Fellow artists marked his passing but his fantastical work – mixing cars, ’bikes and aircraft with erotica – deserves a proper retrospective.
We first met at the 1987Circuit des Remparts in Angoulême, where a local gallery presented artwork from his second book, Bois Willys. Despite the limitations of my schoolboy French, we chatted about mutual heroes from Ken Miles to Bettie Page. Sire joined the team on the underground magazine Métal hurlant before illustrating his own books, and his beautiful pencil drawings and watercolours reveal a wealth of diverse influences, from Géo Ham to Playboy. He never had room for a car, preferring classic ’bikes, but friends shared their treasures and his Lola T70 track experience was a highlight. Record-breakers inspired many drawings, and Bonneville Speed Week was heaven for Sire.
With the refreshing trend for automotive graphic novels, Rétromobile has hosted signings from publishers such as Glénat and Paquet. The wonderful work of Thierry Dubois never ceases to delight, with a colourful series illustrating the history of French roads including Nationale 7. This reclusive talent is reluctant to chat, but will happily draw your favourite car when signing his latest book, Gaby Le Magnifique. Dubois has also produced superb poster art, his latest for the Montlhéry Vintage Revival mixing Alfa Monza and Bédélia cyclecar in a dramatic charge.
Through its Collection Plein Gaz series, Glénat has encouraged a group of illustrators to celebrate their automotive passion, from the traditional style of Dugomier for the Jacky Ickx story to Christophe Merlin’s more artistic drawings of Fangio’s 1957 German GP victory.
A highlight this year was Gordini, by Olivier Wozniak teamed with colourists Alexander and Isabelle Amouriq. Born in northern France to Polish/italian immigrant parents, Wozniak was a regular collaborator with Spirou magazine. His tribute to the Italian-born, Paris-based manufacturer brilliantly relates Gordini’s life – from racing Fiat Balillas pre-war to engagement by Renault. A vivid introduction to the marque, my copy sits perfectly with the definitive histories by Christian Huet and Robert Jarraud.
Walking out of the show late on a rainy February night, the location of the old Gordini factory just across the street is marked only by a few pictures in a modern hotel foyer. Hopefully Wozniak’s wonderful new comic book will introduce younger generations to Le Sorcier.