Saga Valta

Algerian comics artist Mohamed Aouamri is a perfectionist, as attentive to the composition of his pages as he is to the sensuality of his art. These are qualities that he has developed over the course of a career that began in the pages of the magazine Pilote. Although he has worked at times as an independent illustrator, or in advertising, Aouamri has never strayed far from comics, contributing to such landmark series as "La Quête de l'oiseau du temps" (Dargaud; "The Quest for the Time Bird," Titan Comics). His work has drawn much attention from his peers along the way, and so it was that prolific author Jean Dufaux took notice and reached out to collaborate on a new series, the heroic fantasy trilogy "Saga Valta" (Le Lombard, Europe Comics in English). The result is a rich and vivid style that plunges the reader into the world of Valgar of Valta.

Jean Dufaux has always told stories that bring together words and images. Initially attracted by the 7th art, he studied film production at the Institut des Arts et Diffusion in Brussels. But words remained such an important part of his life that he became a journalist, playwright and novelist, before once and for all embracing his true calling as a comic book author. Over his career, Jean Dufaux has produced a massive body of work, comprising some 200 titles and counting. His work is original and fiercely independent of trends, holding more complexity than might be apparent at first glance: "Complainte des landes perdues" (Dargaud, "Lament of the Lost Moors" Cinebook), "Double masque" (Dargaud, "Game of Masks" Europe Comics), "Murena" (Dargaud, Europe Comics in English), "Rapaces" (Dargaud, "Raptors" Europe Comics), "Djinn" (Dargaud, Europe Comics in English), "Croisade" (Le Lombard, "Crusade" Cinebook), "Barracuda" (Dargaud, Cinebook in English), "Sortilèges" (Dargaud, "Spellbound" Europe Comics), "Loup de Pluie" (Dargaud, "Rain Wolf" Europe Comics), Dixie Road (Dargaud, Europe Comics in English), "Saga Valta" (Le Lombard, Europe Comics in English), "Conquistador" (Glénat)... The list goes on. This immense mosaic that rejects neither the exhilaration of the paperback novel nor the narrative ellipses of cinema aims above all to be a work of pleasure and of enchantment, in the fantastic and occult sense of the term. His wildly successful series, selling millions of copies and garnering numerous prizes and awards, have been published across Europe, Japan, and the United States. Jean Dufaux is president of the jury for the Diagonale Prize, awarded annually in Belgium to outstanding comic book artists, and in France Jean Dufaux was named a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2009.