Corto Maltese

Let me confess: I’m a fan of cartoons. I’m not talking about the Marvel or DC variety, with their save the world ethos and characters wearing tights with superpowers, fresh out of bodybuilding competitions, or Japanese Manga, but European and underground comics and graphic novels, which present the adventures of unusual and interesting characters with original artwork in the context of entertaining and well-developed plots.

I grew up reading Goscinny and Uderzo’s Asterix, the story of two unlikely Gauls, one short (Asterix) the other fat (Obelix), who take on the Roman empire with the help of a magic potion brewed from roots gathered by the village druid (Miraculix). While the cartoon does include historical elements, it clearly does not take itself seriously. The Romans are depicted as buffoons, and the fictional village from which the unlikely heroes originate (somewhere on the coast of modern Brittany, France) is full of idiosyncratic and truculent characters that frequently suspend their internal dramas to fight the Romans alongside their heroes.

Later I discovered Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin, a comic about a young Belgian reporter of the same name who participates in dramatic and often unusual events in exotic destinations, along with a cast of characters that include the alcoholic and irritable Captain Haddock, hard of hearing but brilliant Professor Calculus, and the bumbling twin detectives Thomson and Thomson. Hergé’s unique “ligne claire” drawing style, characterized by clean lines of uniform thickness paired with detailed realistic settings, makes the comic a pleasure read.

While historically these have been two of the more popular European comics, anyone who has been to a comic book store in Europe, or the reading library of the Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels, knows that they only scratch the surface of the endless variety of interesting comics available. Given the diversity of plots and themes such comics explore, they are popular with children as well as adults. In Japan, Manga are also popular with adults, in some cases because they contain pornographic content. In the United States, comics remain of interest mostly to children and young adults, though they have seen increased acceptance by an adult audience through adaptation into film. American superhero comics have historically dominated the industry while currently Manga are experiencing increased popularity. As a result, European comics, such as Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese, are not as well known in the United States, which is unfortunate because they are truly works of art.

I first discovered Corto Maltese in Bologna, Italy in a nightclub painted with characters and scenes from his adventures. I found the artwork so compelling that I stopped by a bookstore the next day to buy a copy of series. In brief, the eponymous character Corto Maltese is an enigmatic sailor/adventurer who was born in Malta to a Spanish gypsy witch and a British sailor, and who grew up in Córdoba in Andalucía. While you may find characters with a similar unusual past within the pantheon of Marvel or DC superheroes, what you won’t find is the complex character development and behavior to back it up.

Mostly, mainstream American superheroes are vehicles designed to move the plot forward in a struggle between good and evil. Frequently, they are individuals with a marginal or troubled background who discover they have superpowers as a result of some “accident,” which leads them either to become villains who avenge themselves on the world to compensate for an inferiority complex, or heroes who fight to save the world in order to gain acceptance or right some past wrong. Corto Maltese, on the other hand, is an ordinary man who does not wear a costume, has no superpowers, and possesses no special weapons. Instead of becoming a psychopath or dedicating his life to fighting injustice, as his background might indicate, he simply goes about his life looking for opportunity where he can find it; in short, he is a morally ambiguous opportunist like most human beings. And while Corto is depicted as tall, dark and handsome, he does not possess the ideal superhero physique. He is not very muscular, is hirsute, and has the rough features of a French Foreign Legionnaire. Furthermore, Pratt’s artwork displays an unfinished organic quality that adds value to the comic, but that is unfamiliar to mainstream superhero comics and Japanese Manga, which are often drawn by formula.

Another salient difference between Corto Maltese and superhero comics is their worldview. Superhero comics provide an escape from human limitations in that the reader lives vicariously through the superhero or supervillain of their choice and is able to indulge in violence without accountability and fantasize about its potential application to the obstacles in their own life. Morality in this genre is merely a function of the existing power structure; superheroes work to protect the status quo while “criminals” attempt to co-opt and/or subvert it. Corto Maltese avoids this facile dichotomy of right and wrong. Corto’s world is totally grey, and the only morality that is valid is relative to one’s own stake in the game. Corto often finds himself caught in difficult situations in which there are no easy solutions; consequently, he must make a compromise choice that often involves a sacrifice of life, a betrayal, the abandoning of some goal, or a precipitated escape when the odds become overwhelming. And while Corto Maltese does provide us with an escape, in that Corto is a risk-taker with nothing to lose who pursues opportunities worldwide, the comic is more of a reflection on the moral and ethical ambiguities of existence in the context of dramatic circumstances as experienced by an adventurous but flawed human being.

Corto is not concerned with world domination or absolute power; he is instead a man without illusions motivated by personal gain. Corto is, above all, a lonely adventurer who knows ultimately that he must look out for himself; he is not the sort to sacrifice himself for an ideal or the greater good. He is also a stoic, who speaks only when necessary and who is equally tolerant of solitude or mutually beneficial cooperation. He makes no show of his feelings, and while he may appear at times despondent, he is humble and patient, waiting for an opportunity to arrive. He does not make a big show of love, but he is not without feelings, though his expectations appear low in this regard. While Corto is no saint or role model, he often comes to the aid of the oppressed and is open minded and accepting of others.


It is with some irony then that Corto Maltese asks the ostensibly rhetorical question, “I’m not a hero, am I?” He is undoubtedly an antihero, like anyone who faces the challenges in their ordinary lives with patience, intelligence and reasoned action, and who bears their personal burdens with a sense of irony and humility. Corto is an individual one can respect because he minds his own business, neither boasts nor brags, is even-tempered and generally reasonable in his actions. But he is also a man capable of violence who is selfish in his pursuits, reticent about his true feelings, and loyal to none. While Corto embodies many of the stereotypical traits of manhood, for good and bad, he also possesses confidence, cosmopolitan elegance, self-awareness, and a sense of irony, in addition to exhibiting some sadness and vulnerability born of his solitary and unstable life. Corto is a compelling character precisely because he is enigmatic. In the world of superhero comics where people are saved, justice is served, and what you see is what you get, Corto Maltese offers no easy answers or solutions. In the context of adventure, Hugo Pratt’s seminal comic forces us to look below the surface at the mystery of life with the full knowledge that we may never come to understand ourselves or others. In this regard, Corto Maltese is an undeniable success.

In a recent conversation with a friend, I discovered that several films have been made based on Corto Maltese. Click here for a clip of Corto Maltese: La Cour secrete des Arcanes (2002). While the artwork is stylized and differs from Pratt’s original drawings, the film gives you an idea of what Corto’s all about. The clip is in French, but you can enjoy the images even if you’re not a French speaker. Unfortunately, the film is not yet available on Netflix. Join me in requesting that they add it to their library.