Moebius Meets Miyazaki

Video of two great artists admiring each other.

Moebius (Jean Giraud) (1938 – 2012) and Hayao Miyazaki (b. 1941) are two of the faces that would be carved in the Mount Rushmore of fantasy art and animation.

They met in Paris in 2004 at a joint exhibition of their artwork, and some of their conversations were captured on film.

If you’re a fan of both of them—as I am—it’s a treat to watch them as they admire each other across the gulf of language. Mr. Miyazaki has the take-home lines:

"I believe one's view of the world and one's technique are indivisible. As far as technique is concerned, we basically use the method learned from European painting, which revolves around light and dimension," and then he goes on to explain that his team discovered unexpected resources as it found its own voice with Japanese subjects like Spirited Away. Mr. Miyazaki continues:

"The 21st Century is a tricky time. Our future isn't clear. We need to re-examine many things we've taken for granted, whether it's common sense or our way of thinking. We need to reconsider each norm in the field of entertainment and children's films, too. We must question the format we've been following. You can't just create a baddie from a mould, then beat him. We must not make a film in the easy way."

About his respect for his audience, Mr. Miyazaki says:

"Inside me I have negativity, despair, or hopelessness; in fact a lot of hopelessness and pessimism. But I don't feel like expressing it in my films, which children see. I'm more interested in what drives me to make a happy film or what makes me feel happy."

Are you a fan of Miyazaki or Moebius? Please share in the comments how you found them and what they mean to you now.