Guy Sajer
Guy Sajer | |
---|---|
Born | Paris, France | 13 January 1927
Died | 11 January 2022 | (aged 94)
Nationality | French |
Other names | Guy Mouminoux, Dimitri Lahache |
Occupation(s) | writer, comic book artist |
Known for | Wrote memoir about being a Frenchman conscripted into the German Army, to fight on the Eastern Front |
Guy Mouminoux (13 January 1927 – 11 January 2022), known by the
Early life
Guy Mouminoux was born in Paris on 13 January 1927, the son of a French father and an Alsatian German mother whose maiden name was Sajer. He was raised in
World War II
Mouminoux wrote about his experience on the
The accuracy and authenticity of the book have been disputed by some historians, who argue that the book is not a completely factual account, but rather a romanticised novel - a roman à clef.[2] Some of the details in the book, such as the precise location of the division's insignia, are incorrect, while others are impossible to verify due to the lack of surviving witnesses or official documents, most of which were destroyed during or after the war.[3]
In a later interview, the author recalled: "It's a story... of a man forced to do things he did not want to do. When Alsace, where I lived, was annexed by Germany, I was 13 years old. From a youth camp in Strasbourg, I moved to a youth camp in Kehl, Germany. We dreamed of being real soldiers... I found myself in the Wehrmacht, the German army. What would you have me do? As a deserter, I would have been shot...We trailed in the mud, we did not sleep and we were afraid, it was terror. But I do not regret anything, I'm glad I knew it, even if it was very hard".[4]
Career as comic artist
After the war, Mouminoux worked extensively in
He made his debut as a comic artist in 1946, working extensively in the 1950s and 1960s for the French magazine Cœurs Vaillants and its two spin-offs from Catholic publisher Fleurus, creating comics of a mostly historical nature, inspired by his predecessor Jijé.
For Fleurus, he co-illustrated two educational books together with younger colleague and future French comic great Jean Giraud, who was also employed at the publisher as comic artist in the period 1956-1958.[6]
After a couple of early editorial illustrations, Mouminoux followed his colleague into the employ of publisher Dargaud in the 1960s, where he created several humoristic comics for its magazine Pilote aside from providing additional illustrations for the editorials.[7] He also befriended his earlier role model Jijé, and became assistant on the adventure Jean Valhardi series.
The publication of The Forgotten Soldier in 1965 brought Mouminoux success as a writer, but also cost him his job as a comic artist. "It allowed me to live for years. [But] If I chose to publish my novel under a pseudonym [it] was precisely not to mix everything... Now everyone knows it's me, but at the time, I was furious. I got fired from Pilote because of that."[4]
In May 2000 Mouminoux published a comic book account of the Battle of Kursk, again drawing on his personal experiences in WW2, titled Kursk: Tourmente d'Acier, under his pen name Dimitri.[8]
Later life and death
He died on 11 January 2022, at the age of 94.[9]
Bibliography
Biography
- Le soldat oublié by Guy Sajer (1965) ISBN 2-221-03739-1
Comic albums
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Source:[10]
- Kursk : tourmente d'acier by Dimitri (2000) ISBN 2-7234-3264-5
References
- ^ Author's preface, Le Soldat Oublie
- ^ The Forgotten Soldier.- Fiction or Fact? Edwin L. Kennedy, Jr Retrieved 13 September 2019
- ^ Douglas Nash at www.custermen.net Retrieved 13 September 2019
- ^ a b Interview with "Dimitri" (Guy Sajer) (in French) Retrieved 11 September 2019
- ^ Guy Mouminoux on the Lambiek Comiclopedia.
- OCLC 936885225); Such was the influence of Jijé's on contemporary French comic artists, that Mouminoux's work can only be identified because he did not sign his work, whereas Giraud did.
- ^ "Guy Mouminoux (Dimitri Lahache) dans Pilote", BDoubliées.com (in French)
- ^ Kursk: Tourmente d'Acier at www.glenat.com Retrieved 13 September 2019
- ^ "Guy Mouminoux (94) overleden". stripspeciaalzaak.be (in Dutch). 12 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ "Dimitri", Bedetheque.com, French grand comic database (in French)
External links
- Biography of Guy Mouminoux ("Dimitri") at www.lambiek.net Retrieved 13 September 2019
- Discussion at custermen.net of the authenticity of The Forgotten Soldier Retrieved 13 September 2019
- Discussion at chasegalleryconnect.org of the authenticity of The Forgotten Soldier Retrieved 13 September 2019
- Interview with "Dimitri" (Guy Sajer) (in French)
- Works by or about Guy Sajer at Internet Archive