Corto Maltese

Corto Maltese , literally “the small Maltese”, is a hero of Cartoon created by the draftsman and scenario writer Italy N Hugo Pratt.

Born with Valetta, on the island of Malta, the July 10th 1887, of a father originating in Cornouailles, sailor in the Royal Navy, and of a gipsy, originating in Seville. It is of British nationality. Officially, it resides at Antigua, in the Lesser Antilles, however the only house which it has finds with HongKong.

A life of adventures

Illegitimate child, it grows in a bathed medium of magic near his mother, celebrates it Niña of Gibraltar, which can read the past and the future in the charts as in the lines of the hand. Corto enjoys to make accept that the painter Ingres taken his mother like model.

It owes its education in Ezra Toledano, an young love of its mother. A Rabbi which makes it enter at 12 years, in a Hebraic college of Valetta where he studies the Torah, the Talmud and the Sefer ha Zohar. One day, a friend of its mother, tries to read her future in the lines of its hand and is astonished not to see a line of chance. “The chance, it is me which does it! ”, rétorque it. It runs to excavate in the businesses of his father, is seized of a razor and notches the palm of the hand deeply.

His/her father, often absent, gives him nevertheless the taste for freedom and the fables which it will keep all his life. Teenager, Corto takes the broad one for the first time to unload in June 1900 close to Beijing, during the Révolte of the Boxers. Five years later, it is with the Japan. It is at this time that it meets the Raspoutine young person, deserter of the army of the Tsar, during the first Guerre Russo-Japanese woman ( Youth ) with which it embarks for the Africa. It is fixed like objective to seek the gold mines of the King Solomon. Alas! the mines of king Solomon will have to wait; victims of a mutiny, the voyage turns short. Collected by a cargo liner on the way for America, they are unloaded with Valparaiso. They regain the Argentine, after having crossed the Chile. In Patagonie in 1906, Corto attends the outlaws Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid and rich person foreign owners côtoie.

Corto Maltese carries out its life as he hears it and, if he recognizes the share of the chance, he however seems to control it. During seven years, it runs of ports in ports. Such an amount of and so that one gives up following it. One knows however that it came for the first time to Buenos Aires, in 1910.

One finds his trace in 1913. Like his “friend” Raspoutine, it engaged, as captain in the pirate fleet of the “Monk” ( the Ballade of the salted sea ). Both foam the Pacific Ocean with the profit of the German naval forces which prepare the war. For a murky story of woman, her crew mutine. Corto is found with the drift, blocked on an emergency raft. Located and saved by Raspoutine, it becomes acquainted with Pandora Groovesnore and its Caïn cousin also collected after the shipwreck of their boat. The island Escondida will be the theater of multiple bounces which will create indéfectibles bonds between them. However their ways will separate a time. Always in company of Raspoutine, Corto will travel towards the island of Pitcairn. They will be left with Panama some time later. In 1916, it is with Paramaribo in Dutch Guyana ( Under the sign of the Capricorn ), where it meets professor Jeremiah Steiner and the young person Tristan Bantam, starting point of its interest for the Kingdom disappeared from Mu. Thus it is found, near the cangaceiros which fight for their freedom and at the sides of Mouth Gilded to thwart the plans of the German fleet and to help the English. Continuing its voyage towards north, it offers a treasure hunt in which it finds Raspoutine. By a bad blow dealt by fate, it will show a failure and Raspoutine will leave for Cuba. By an unfortunate combination of circumstance, our sailor becomes amnesic. With Maracaibo, medicine is impotent. It turns then to the magic of the Indians Jivaro S. It will appear effective ( Corto always a little further ). After having dismounted the trickery installation by the capacity in place at Barbados, it returns in Amazonia on the side of the delta of the Orénoque.

Always continuing its research on the Eldorado, Corto Maltese does not hesitate to go to Venice in 1917, in spite of the bombardments which threaten. Indeed, the monks Franciscains are likely to indicate to him the site of the mining cities of Haut-Marañon. He will discover that he is not only on this track. Taken in the swirl of the war it assists in October with the defeat of the Italians on the Austro-Germans with Caporetto in Carniole. Attracted by the Celtic legends , it goes in Ireland ( Celtic the ). Over there, allured by the courage of Moired Banshee, it cannot remain indifferent to the fight which the freedom fighters deliver. He does not hesitate to deliver himself to the traffic of weapons to help them. Facing all the conflicts it goes on the site of Stonehenge. The people of the legends will be grateful to him.

Knowing Caïn Groovesnore, volunteer in the Royal Air Force, it goes in France, in April 1918 to re-examine it. After having attended the last evolution of the ace of German aviation, Manfred von Richthofen, called “the red Baron”, they are the meeting again with Caïn. The young aviator teaches him that his/her Pandora cousin will marry. Corto shows the blow. One month afterwards, it leaves the French coasts for those of the Red Sea. ( Éthiopiques ). Hardly unloaded, he is requested and paid to release a young prince retained as an hostage. The Cush warrior it second in this company. It will become its alter ego during various adventures in these grounds rimbaldiennes, in the horn of Africa.

End 1918, the war is finished in Europe. It knows Bouche Gilded in Venice and the desire for re-examining it gives him opportunity of undertaking the voyage and of taking a little rest at it. But Venice makes it lazy. It decides to find its house of HongKong ( Corto Maltese in Siberia ). The engagements continue between the communist revolutionists and the Allies supporting the Russian white. Its hardly known arrival, the members of the secret society of the Red lanterns ask him for its contest to recover imperial gold that the admiral Alexandre Vassilievitch Koltchak transports by armoured train. The Transsibérien becomes its new ocean and the armoured trains, support the comparison with the pirate ships. In the confusion of the many forces which covet this gold tsarist, Corto will meet singular and dangerous people. The insane baron, Roman Fedorovitch von Ungern-Sternberg is a major figure. Women too; the such attractive duchess Marina Seminova and irresistible Shanghai Li without forgetting “It”, this old love which often haunts its thoughts.

It is a letter which the writer Frederick Rolfe, known as the baron Corvo, sent to him before his death, which encourages it to return to Venice in 1921 ( Fable of Venice ). He would like to take up the challenge which it contains: to solve a riddle to find a legendary emerald. This play of track through the city will make him côtoyer the secret world of the Francs-maçons and that little engaging of a bunch Fasciste. Nevertheless, it will be made a friend in the person of the disconcerting Louise Brookzowyc. Corto Maltese has suddenly known his/her friend Raspoutine locked up in a prison close to Samarkande and decides to undertake the voyage to deliver it ( the gilded House of Samarkand ). On the way, it makes stopover with Rhodos, in December 1921, to check the contents of another message of the baron Corvo. Edward John Trelawnay would have dissimulated the memories of his/her friend Lord Byron in a mosque of this city. After having found and studyhaving studied the document, it realizes that treasure of Alexandre Large the is at the end of the search: at the border of the the Indies and Afghanistan. It is with an renewed interest that it continues its voyage until Turkestan (current Tadjikistan). This tour proves sown obstacles to find Raspoutine finally. The competition between the general Enver Pasha and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as well as the existence of a double, will not facilitate the discovery of the treasure.

While returning of this tour, in 1923, it finds a letter of Louise Brookzowyc, requiring her help of him. At once, Corto goes to Buenos Aires. Over there, he will learn his death, leaving small orphan ( Tango ). To avenge it, it is brought to inquire into the prostitution network in which she worked. The child is entrusted to Esmeralda so that it takes it along in friends to Venice.

In 1924, In company of his/her old friend, professor Steiner, Corto will remain in a small village Suisse ( Swiss the ). They go in the house of the writer Hermann Hesse. Favourable with the dreams, the place confronts our hero with Swiss mythology. It meets also Death, the Klingsor knight, Belzébuth, even King Kong, without forgetting Raspoutine. Will the following year reach to you it finally the absorbed continent of Mû ?

Since, little news. The disappearance of Corto during the War of Spain, is evoked by Cush in the Scorpions of the desert (chapter V: the Angel of dead the ). It is there that one loses his trace indeed. However, we know that it will become again near to Pandora. A written letter the June 16th 1965 by Caïn Groovesnore of it is the proof (One can read its forward contents of the account of the Ballade of the salted sea , in the album colors). It transmits to it some words of his cousin who depicts us the vision of growing old Corto:

“The uncle Tarao died. But it is especially for the uncle Corto that I have concern. They were included/understood perfectly and been inseparable. Now that I see the uncle Corto going to only sit down in the garden, the extinguished glance, vis-a-vis the sea, my heart is tightened. ”

To follow…

“the adventures of Corto will never be finished One will always find it…”
“I would like that Corto continues to exist when I die.”
Here are now forty years that Corto exists. 15 years after its last adventures and 12 years after the death of Hugo Pratt, Patrizia Zanotti, holder of the rights of exploitation of its work, its return for new adventures announces. They will be held between 1905: the Youth of Corto and 1913: the Ballade of the salted sea . They will appear about 2010. The identity of the draftsman and scenario writer is not revealed.

Characters met

Women

Many female characters mark out its adventures. Often dangerous women, always envoûtantes, with which it falls in love. These relations are often ambiguous and never succeed. “I think that the women would be marvellous if you could fall into their arms without falling between their hands. ” The meetings of Corto are often recurring; Stop Dorée, the magician without age, is the example more striking.

  • Moired Banshee O' Danann : Irish revolutionist not hesitating to personally handle rifle or the grenade. It is widowed of Stalemate Finnucan, former chief of the rebels and friend of Corto. It falls in love with major O' Sullivan which, uncovered, proves to be a patriot of the Irish Republican Army infiltrated in the British army and the executor of her husband. The war, the loss of the two men of its life (one registered on the list of the heroes, the other in that of the traitors to the fatherland), the uncertainty of the following day, make to Banshee a woman melancholic person. Its relations with Corto are ambiguous, but it seems to be attached to him. When he proposes to him to leave the Ireland with him, she refuses not to carry to him pitches it (because she takes her nickname of Banshee with the serious one, even if she says that he announces death only with English. The Irish Banshees were of the witches carrying ill omen. She is convinced to be one of them.) She wants to continue the fight for her country, only comfort with her loneliness. ( Celtic the )

  • Morgana Bantam : Half-sister of Tristan. Its education made in South America avoided to him suffering from the strict taught British rules with Tristan. Stop gilded, which informed it on the magic traditions Brésil iennes, did one of its disciples of them.

  • gilded Mouth : Very respected witch of the Brazilian Macumba, and mentor of Morgana Bantam. We do not know his age; “I preserve myself well because I live always surrounded happy people. ” she says. The rumor implies that it is at least 200 years old. In addition to the fact that it seems to have real magic capacities - More once it shows the possibility for astonishing gifts divinatoires - Independently of the mystery which surrounds it, it is a remarkable strategist. She controls the Atlantic Finance company and also interferes herself Conspiration S policies. She takes an active part in the revolution of the blacks and Indians of Brazil, against the slave white caste, in their forwarding weapons and money. ( Under the sign of the Capricorn , Corto always a little further , Mû )

  • Louise Brookszowyc : (Pratt gave him the features of Louise Brooks, star of Cinéma of the Twenties. It will meet it later, at the time of a voyage to the the United States in 1983.) Polonaise born with Warsaw. In Venice, it is more known under the name of Belle of Milan . At the end of a continuation, it gives hospitality to Corto in bad posture. It will leave in Argentine where it will be assassinated with Buenos Aires. The Prostitution is not the only cause of its death. Louise sought to uncover a network which adapts immense grounds of Patagonie with the assistance of out the law like Butch Cassidy and some others. After avengehaving avenged it by removing its Assassin, Corto Maltese collects his/her daughter to entrust it to friends. ( Fable of Venice , Tango )

  • Pandora Groovesnore : Girl of Tadeo Groovesnore, large ship-owner of Sydney and niece of Ronald Groovesnore, vice-admiral of Royal Navy. Following the shipwreck of “the girl of Amsterdam” on which it sailed, it is captured with her Caïn cousin, by the pirates of the Monk and fray at the beginning of the war of 14. It proves to be a very adult girl of character for its age by controlling the situation where it is implied. It will deeply mark Corto which will call it “romantic Jewel”, though their relation probably remained platonic. ( the Ballade of the salted sea ) He will always think of her during his posterior adventures. Thus, in the gilded House of Samarkand , Corto always a little further or in Celtic the , where he learns that she will marry, which makes it nostalgic.

  • Wee Lee Song : Character invisible and yet fundamental in the epopee of Corto Maltese. “It” is nominally mentioned only in Corto Maltese in Siberia , where its presence with HongKong is sensitive even heavy. “It” is that which could can be, to explain the 9 year old hole between Youth of Corto and the Ballade of the salted sea . It is the girl of a billionaire of Shanghai whose incapacity to choose a durable relation with the beautiful sailor, leaves him the after-effects in love that one knows of him for the continuation. Raspoutine gives the explanation in of it the gilded House of Samarkand , when Marianne asks to him whether Corto were thus never in love, the insane Russian answers him that “yes, once, of an young woman misoneist”.

  • Venexiana Stevenson : adventurous avid of money, without pity and having the murder almost as easy as Raspoutine. Corto will cross very often and seems to appreciate it in a certain measurement, even if their alliances seem rather dictated by the instinct of survival. Its relations with Corto are ambiguous, but it is suspected of being the father when it falls pregnant at the end from the House gilded from Samarkand . ( Conga of the Bananas , the Angel with the Window of the East , Fable of Venice )

Men

The only cause to which there remains faithful is the friendship but rare are those which can claim to count for him.

  • Tristan Bantam : Young English heir, wire of Ronald Bantam, a man obsessed by the research of the ground of Driven. With its death Tristan continues this research by requesting the assistance of Corto Maltese. With his Morgana half-sister, it will be taken in machinations and subjected to forces which exceed it in a history of corruption interfered with black Magie which it will leave healthy and except with the assistance with Corto and some beneficial spirits. ( Under the sign of the Capricorn , Mû )

  • Levi Columbia : Antique dealer and owner of a museum with Paramaribo, in Suriname. It is surrounded by many and worrying brought back objects of its many voyages. Obsessed by the Eldorado, he lives in the hope to find the city mythical of Mú. Idea that he cherished already during his studies in Paris in company of his friend Jeremias Steiner. Dreaming of adventures without daring to live it, “the dreams they are of gold, the reality… of lead. ” it uses of its fortune to pay adventurers who, like Corto, are been willing to concretize his dreams in the most inhospitable places. ( Corto always a little further )

  • Cranio : Mélanésie N of the islands Fiji which worked with the white and which collaborates with them maintaining. He works on behalf of the “Moine” to supervise unforeseeable Raspoutine. However, he aspires to obtain the independence of his people and to form a great nation mélanésienne and Polynesian. He risks his life more once to save in Pandora, Caín and Corto. In spite of its faculty of understanding, it will not be able to recognize the real danger which Raspoutine represents. ( the Ballade of the salted sea )

  • Cush : Warrior of the tribe of Blessed Bitter, born in Érythrée, but having traversed all Eastern Africa, and even crossed the Red Sea. It is a savage warrior of which the goal in the life is to remove its country from the white yoke. It is also a Moslem deeply believing. ( Éthiopiques )

  • Esmeralda : Argentinian prostitute, it saves the life of Corto dice their first meeting.

  • Caïn Groovesnore : wire of Ronald Groovesnore. Cousin of Pandora Groovesnore with which it travelled on “the girl of Amsterdam”. This mishap where it tests by all the means of escaping its kidnappers, matures this teenager and makes him discover the values of the friendship ( the Ballade of the salted sea ). Later, in 1918, it will go voluntary to fight in RAF. ( Celtic the ).

  • the “ Monk ”: Mysterious character with the face dissimulated under the cap of its dress of bore-hole. Protesting Pasteur, one lends to him more than one hundred years of existence. Since its reference mark of the island Escondida it directs its fleet Pirate. The arrival of Pandora and Caïn revives in its memory, the memory of a personal drama. Its strange behavior reveals a tortured spirit. (the Ballade of the salted sea)

  • Shamael : Wizard Abyssin, able to see and hear deaths. Called “the angel of death”, it because death of Teodoro, the insane king of Ethiopia. This character is also present in other adventures written by Hugo Pratt. ( Éthiopiques )

  • Christian Slütter : Imperial naval officer German. He has a high idea of the duty towards his country. He is involved in spite of him in the world of piracy. By order of its superiors it takes the command of the submarine placed at the disposal of the “Monk”. By redemption it will destroy the British ship Victoria, which will be worth to him to be carried out by the English on January 19th, 1915 under the charges of félonie, piracy, homicide, sabotage and espionage. There will remain proud and worthy until the end whereas he could have made blackmail against the Vice-admiral of Royal Navy, Reynald Groovesnore. ( the Ballade of the salted sea )

  • Jeremiah Steiner : (Character inspired of a friend of Pratt called Enrique Lipszyc.) Former professor of the university of Prague - it belonged to a selected minority of the best international company - particularly versed in history and in all that touches occults it, hermetism and the esotericism. At the time of its research on Eldorado, Corto meets it in South America, being devoted to drink. Prisoner of alcohol, it does not drink to forget but be accompanied. To meet an adventurer like Corto Maltese, makes him forget per moments alcohol and live what it had only read in the books. After its long stay in South America Steiner it will turn over to Europe. One finds it with Sion in Valais, for a congress of Alchimiste S and will make meet Hermann Hesse and Corto. ( Under the sign of the Capricorn , Corto always a little further , Swiss the , Mû .)

  • Tarao : Maori of New Zealand. We discover it after the shipwreck of the catamaran of the Raspoutine captain, expressing ourselves in perfect English learned at the school. He was embarked in a ship Dutch approached by Raspoutine. He can leave himself difficult situations very well and proves to be an experienced sailor. A long friendship with Corto Maltese, will bind it until its death. ( the Ballade of the salted sea )

People having existed

  • the poet Gabriele D' Annunzio in 1921 ( Fable of Venice )

  • the Stalin future, Joseph Djougachvili, with Ancône in 1907 (revealed in the gilded House of Samarkand )
  • the writer Hermann Hesse ( Swiss the )
  • the painter Tamara de Lempicka ( Swiss the )
  • the writer Jack London, in 1904 ( youth )
  • the gangster Harry Longbaugh, alias Sundance Kid, and its Etta mistress Places, in 1906 (revealed in Tango )
  • Hasso von Manteuffel ( Under the sign of the Capricorn : the Eagle of Brazil )
  • the gangster Leroy Parker, alias Butch Cassidy (revealed in Tango )
  • the writer Frederick Rolfe says the baron corvo, met before his death (1913) in Lady Layard (revealed in Fable of Venice )
  • the Ataman Grigory Mikhaïlovitch Semenov ( Corto Maltese in Siberia )
  • the future scenario writer Ernest B. Schoedsack with Smyrna in 1922 (revealed in Swiss the )
  • the revolutionist Soukhé Bator ( Corto Maltese in Siberia )
  • the baron Romance Fedorovitch von Ungern-Sternberg ( Corto Maltese in Siberia )

Other characters refer to known people indirectly, like the Greek Onatis (Aristote Onássis) and the ambulance man Ernestway (Ernest Hemingway) in Under the flag of the money ( Celtic the ).

Cartoon films

Feature film left to the cinema the September 25th 2002, carried out by Pascal Morelli according to the album, Corto Maltese in Siberia .

  • 2002, Corto Maltese “secret Court of the mysteries” . Scenario of Natalia Borodin and Thierry Thomas.

voices of Richard Berry (Corto Maltese), Patrick Bouchitey (Raspoutine), Marie Trintignant (the duchess Marina Séminova and Bouche gilded), Barbara Schulz (Changhaï Li).
Presented to the International festival of film of Locarno in August 2002.
DVD : Studio Canal, 2003.

Four means-measurings, diffused on television on Canal+ in 2003, carried out by Richard Danto and Liam Saury according to the albums,

  • 2002, the Ballade of the salted sea . Scenario of Jean Pecheux.

voices of Richard Berry (Corto Maltese), Patrick Bouchitey (Raspoutine), Barbara Schulz (Pandora).
DVD : Studio Canal, 2003.
  • 2002, Under the sign of the Capricorn . Scenario of Jean Pecheux.
voices of Richard Berry (Corto Maltese), Patrick Bouchitey (Raspoutine), Catherine Jacob (Ambiguity), Marie Trintignant (gilded Mouth).
DVD : Studio Canal, 2003.
  • 2002, Celtic the . Scenario deGiorgia Cecere and Jean Pecheux.
the voice of Richard Berry (Corto Maltese).
DVD : Studio Canal, 2003.
  • 2002, the gilded House of Samarkand . Scenario of Henri Colomer.
voices of Richard Berry (Corto Maltese), Patrick Bouchitey (Raspoutine), Catherine Jacob (Marianne).
DVD : Studio Canal, 2003.

Television reports

  • the Lower part of the Charts , diffused on Arte.
Prone on Corto Maltese with for axis of follow-up, the album: the gilded House of Samarkand .
  • the Ballade further , of Michele Tournir and Jean-Claude Guilbert, diffused on TF1 in 1991.
  • the 13 lives of Corto . Film of Jean-Claude Lubtchansky, 1992.
life of Hugo Pratt and adventures of Corto.

Anecdotes

  • One of the companions of the Kirk sergeant bore well already the name of Corto before the creation of the Maltese sailor ( Sergent Kirk , volume 4, collection adventures, ED. Humanoïdes associated).
  • It is shortly after to have seen film of John Huston, the Maltese Falcon , adapted novel The Maltese Falcon , of Dashiell Hammett, which the idea came to him from the name.
  • As of 1959, in Ass of the jungle , Tipperary O' Hara, the sailor of the Golden delicious Vanity , precedes already Corto Maltese.
  • Between 1985 and 1988, the editions Casterman published a bimonthly review (then monthly and finally quarterly) named Corto and rather quickly famous Corto Maltese (22 numbers).
  • François Mitterrand was a large reader of Corto Maltese. They was the only cartoons whom it had in her library. Perhaps “I have weak for him. Not that I resemble to the hero of Hugo Pratt, but I would certainly not be bored in the skin of Corto Maltese, this laconic adventurer, solitary, free spirit with the confluence of two cultures. ” (1989).
In 1986, François Mitterrand, comes to comfort the pilot of Formule 1 Jacques Laffite, which recovers from an accident and a selection of albums of Corto Maltese offers to him.
  • In 1996, the Italian post office brings into service a stamp of 850 liras, representative Corto Maltese drawn by R. Morena.
  • Drawn by Patrizia Zanotti, colourist of the work of Pratt, Corto made of publicity in June 2001, for toilet water “wild Water” of Dior.
  • a statue out of bronze of the Maltese sailor (2m50, 300 kg), conceived by Livio Benedetti, was inaugurated the June 14th 2004, for the residence Corto Maltese , in the district of Houmeau with Angouleme.

Winks in the cartoon

  • Batman - Dark Knight , of Frank Miller, ED. Delcourt, 1999. Where an island called is evoked Corto Maltese.
  • Dedicated to Corto Maltese , homage paid by great names of the data base, ED. Kesselring, 1985.
  • Corbo Malbese , disrespectful parodies of Roger Brunel, Pastiches volumes 4 and 6, ED. Glénat, 1986 and 1993.
  • Fanfaron , of Lele Vianello. ED. Casterman, 1993. In the first history entitled, Chinese Brawl , Corto, old of approximately 13 years, is in China during the Révolte of the Boxers.
  • Valérian and Laureline - At the edge of large nothing , volume 19 and the Order of the stones , volume 20, of Jean-Claude Mézières and Pierre Christin, ED. Dargaud, 2004 and 2006. Where Lieutenant Molto the Cortes saw space-time adventures at Valérian.
  • Corto appears with the turning of an image in various other stories:
Julie Bristol-board , volume 2: False Bloody , of Chantal Montellier, ED. Dargaud, 1992.
Of Cape and Hooks , volume 2: black House! , of Jean-Luc Masbou and Alain Ayroles, ED. Delcourt 1997.
the Cow , volume 7: Bad taste of revenge , Johan De Moor and Stephen Desberg, Casterman, 1998.
Lanfeust of the Stars , Volume 3: Sands of Abraxar , Scotch tape Arleston and Didier Tarquin, Sun Productions, 2004.

Winks with the cinema

Theater

Musics and songs

  • Jazz - In Corto Maltese , by the septet Ogoun Reinforces. Microgroove 33 turns, ED. Sound, 1972.
  • Corto Maltese , sung by Sylvia Fels. Microgroove 45 turns, Pathé Marconi/EMI, 1974.
  • the Tangos of Corto , by the Trio Esquina, CD Buda Music, 1998.
  • trotted It del Corto Maltese , sung by Jaïro, CD Balacera , DBN Records, 1999.

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