Thursday 29 May 2008

WITH THE HEART OF A CHILD

I couldn't help it. I was drinking my coffe, in a Café near my house, when the conversation betwen two women seated at a table just in front of me called to my attention. Usually I don't listen to the conversation of others, but the passion they were using in their dialogue, made me, unwillingly, aware of what they were saying.
The two women were talking about their children. I don't remember much of what they said to each other, but one phrase remained; one woman was saying to the other:
-My little daughter asked me yesterday one curious thing to wich I wasn't able to give an answer. She said to me: mom, why you, adults, always demand that we, kids, must do what we have promised to do ? Instead, you, grown up, break your promises most of the time.
And that's all I kept from the conversation. But enough to arise in my mind serious thoughts.
When we are kids the adults teach us to draw a line between what is right and what is wrong. They always make us honour our promises: -young man (or girl) you must do what you have promised to do, or: - you gave your word, now you must honour it, and still: - a promise is a promise and can't be broken no matter the costs, etc...
But what happens when we grow up ?
Generally the "real world", the one that was left to us, slowly turn our concepts and distort them into something awfully different from the notions we were taught in.
Society makes you a liar; one little lie here, one more tomorrow, and, soon, you'll be distorting truth to the conveniences of your career. And this goes on and on until you hit the top; then you're the image of success but also a "travesti" of a human being.
Blessed are the ones who keep, along their earthly life, the heart of a child. I think this is true and I always ask the Allmighty to keep me that way.
A shame that some politicians I know are unable to think the same way.

ABOUT LONE SLOANE

Lone Sloane is a highly influential science fiction character created in 1966 by the French cartoonist Philippe Druillet.

Lone Sloane's first episode was that of Druillet's very debut, Mystère des Abîmes, published in 1966. The following stories were published on the French magazine Pilote from February 1970 to April 1971. The series was subsequently revamped by the author for the magazime Metal Hurlant.

The stories are set in a future, generic year 800 after the Great Fear. Lone Sloane, after his spaceship has self-destroyed, is launched in the space and caught by an abstract entity, He Who Seeks. He is therefore thrown into a different dimension, turned into a cursed space rogue and freebooter with red eyes and strange powers. Here he found himself caught in an inter-galactic struggle featuring space pirates, gigantic robots, dark gods and other-dimensional entities. In a way not so different from Silver Surfer with Galactus, or Ulysses with Greek Gods, he is compelled to wander without an end in a universe which is alien to him. A striking feature is also the quasi-Baroque style of Druillet's pages, which renders in a personal way Lovecraft's space nightmares mixed with M.C. Escher's influences.


Chronology

Le Mystère des Abîmes ("The Mystery of the Abyss"), 1966
Le Trone du Dieu Noir ("The Throne of the Black God"), Pilote N°538, 1970
Les Iles du Vent Sauvage ("The Isle of the Doom Wind"), Pilote N°553, 1970
Rose, Pilote N°562, 1970
Torquedara Varenkor: Le Pont sur les Etoiles ("The Bridge over the Stars"), Pilote N°569, 1970
O Sidarta, Pilote N°578, 1970
Terra, Pilote N°598, 1971
Delirius (written by Jacques Lob), Pilote N°651-666, 1972
Gail, Metal Hurlant N°18-27, 1975-1976
Chaos, 2000

External links


SGT. FURY - PEACEMAKER - A GRAPHIC NOVEL (COVERS)



A great graphic novel by Marvel. A book I just found some time ago. Here's the front and back covers