O'Boys #1

Against a smoldering Mississippi sunset, two figures stand atop a half-submerged wooden structure adrift on the river — one seated with a guitar, the other upright and watchful — in a cover by Steve Cuzor that immediately evokes the blues-soaked, adventure-tinged spirit of the American South. Published by Dargaud in 2009, this opening volume of O'Boys — subtitled Le Sang du Mississippi — marks the beginning of Philippe Thirault and Cuzor's collaboration on what promises to be a richly atmospheric journey along one of history's most storied waterways. The warm, dusky palette and the debris floating around their makeshift raft set a tone that is equal parts lyrical and foreboding.