The incal

The Incal, also known as The Saga of the Incales or The Adventures of John Difool, is a science fiction comic made from 1980 to 1988 by the screenwriter Alejandro Jodorowsky and the French cartoonist and illustrator Moebius.

The Incal, the first pages of which were originally published in the magazine Métal hurlant by Les Humanoïdes Associés as Une aventure de John Difool ("A John Difool Adventure"), introduces Jodorowsky's Jodoverse (or Metabarones Universe), a universe fiction in which his science fiction comics take place. It is an epic space opera that combines a fantastic intergalactic journey, science, technology, political intrigue, conspiracies, messianism, mysticism, poetry, debauchery, love stories and satire. The Incal includes and expands on concepts and artwork from the abandoned film project Dune, directed by Jodorowsky and designed by Giraud in the early 1970s.

Originally published in installments between 1980 and 1988 in the aforementioned French magazine Métal hurlant, and followed by Before Incal (1988-1995, with Zoran Janjetov), Después del Incal (2000, with Jean Giraud) and Final Incal (2008-2014, with José Ladrönn), has been described as an aspirant to "the best comic" in the history of the medium. From it arose the series derived from Los Metabarones, Los Tecnopadres and Megalex.

Content

Work of the science fiction genre, which includes the subtle metaphysical vision of the Chilean scriptwriter and psychomagus Alejandro Jodorowsky and which included the figure of the cartoonist Moebius.

The work is made up of 312 pages collected in 6 volumes (integrated into a single volume in the Spanish edition):

1. «The Black Incal»L'Incal Noir», 1981)
2. «The Incal Light»L'Incal Lumière», 1982)
3. «What is below» («Ce qui est en bas», 1984)
4. «What is above» («Ce qui est en haut», 1985)
5. «The Fifth Essence I: The Galaxy Dreaming» («La cinquième essence I - Galaxie qui Songe», 1988)
6. «The Fifth Essence II: Diphool Planet»La cinquième essence II - La planète Difool», 1989)

In addition, and to complete the story, two more sagas were made:

• Before the Incal (John Difool Avant l'Incal), with the drawer Zoran Janjetov, 6 volumes (integrated also in a single volume in the Spanish edition). This saga tells the childhood and youth of John Difool.

1. «Farewell to the Father»Adieu le père», 1988)
2. «Private Detective of Class R»Détective privé de "Classe R"», 1990)
3. «Croot»Croot!», 1991)
4. «Anarcotics»Anarchopsychotiques», 1992)
5. «Ouisky, SPV and Homeoputas» («Ouisky, SPV et homéoputes», 1993)
6. «Suicide Allée»Suicide Allée», 1995)

• After the Incal (Après l'Incal), again with Moebius, but abandoned after the first album.

1. «The new dream» («Le nouveau rêve», 2000)

• Final Incalwith José Ladrönn as a drawer, 3 volumes. This last saga rewrites the story begun After the Incal and recounts the events following the original saga, connecting with elements and characters Before the Incal.

1. «The Four John Difool» («Les quatre John Difool», 2008)
2. "Light of Garra"Louz de Gara», 2011)
3. «Gogo the dirty»Gorgo-le-Sale», 2014)

Plot

John Difool is a small-time detective who, with the help of the strange bird he has as a companion, will be able to navigate the realm of metaphysics. His inquiries will take you through a world of heroic adventure and symbols in which the goal will be to achieve personal fulfillment through enlightenment. (...) On his initiation journey he will go through different stages, first he must find his inner courage and find his allies, with whom he will witness a revolution against the nobility (El incal luz), he will visit the center of the planet (Lo which is below) and will seduce an alien queen to avoid an intergalactic war (What is above).

Characters

While John Difool escapes, along with his pet bird Deepo, a "talking" bird that is generally smarter and more resourceful than he is, he is forced to join forces with a group of people also looking for the Incal:

• The Metabaron, the greatest bounty hunter, mercenary and ace Known Universe. He was begotten by his predecessors to be the perfect warrior. Metabaron is initially sent to kill John Difool but simply freezes him.
• Animah and Tanatah, two sisters working to protect the two Incales. Tanatah sends the Metabaron to kill John Difool and bring his body in which the Incal Light is hidden. Animah, who initially protects from the Incal Luz, has psychic powers. Tanatah is leader of Amok, a criminal organization.
• The perfect androgyn Soluna, a child adopted by Metabaron, a biological son of Animah and John Difool. Like Animah, Soluna has great psychic powers.
• Dog head, a mercenary chole that works for Tanatah. It has a great resentment against Difool because it perforated his ear with a laser weapon.

Although initially at odds, they all come together to save humanity and the universe from the Darkness that threatens to consume everything.

Analysis

The central concept of the graphic novel is John Difool's fantastic spiritual journey (or initiation) on a cosmic scale, which he is reluctant to accept; he constantly wishes to return to his own ignorant reality of simple hedonistic pleasures. It is an allegory for the repetition of sins, the futility of indulgence, and the need for individual transformation. As the story progresses, the protagonist keeps changing, becoming more heroic, even physically more handsome. The six original installments begin and end with Difool falling off the bridge; he descends, ascends, and then descends again in a "closed" circularity.

John Difool's character is based on the Fool tarot card and his name is a pun on "John, the Fool".

Jungian references are also constant: Animah's name is based on the Jungian concept of anima, the female part of every man's psyche, as well as the Latin "anima" means "psyche"; it also alludes to the different stages that Jung defined in his work Psychology and alchemy, the integration of the masculine and feminine archetypes, the achievement of the diamond body or the coniunctio or communion of the conscious self with the total self (or God).

The series has no taboos, no attitude towards sex, violence and general social stigmas that can be avoided in more conventional comics. It includes black and white dualism, or the conflict between good and evil, as well as mystical symbolism, archetypes, metaphysics, tarot and other influences. In the story, there is often a conflict between life, or nature, and dead technology (even between uniformity and diversity). series also shows religion, economics, politics and war, all in a hodgepodge.

Adaptation

On November 4, 2021, Jodorowsky officially announced a big-screen adaptation of the graphic novel by filmmaker Taika Waititi.

At the beginning of August 2022, the Chilean director and writer gave hints of what the film The Incal could be, having as allies Waititi, and the actor and screenwriter Jemaine Clement. Through his social networks, Jodorowsky shared photographs with both of them, where the trio of creators posed next to one of the graphic copies of El Incal, this meeting being one of the most recent encounters between the filmmakers. from Paris.

Spanish edition

• Jodorowsky, Alejandro " Ladrön " Moebius (2022). Final Incal (Integral). Includes After the Incal. Barcelona: Reservoir Books. ISBN 9788418897559.
• Jodorowsky, Alejandro & Janjetov, Zoran (2021). Before Incal (Integral). Barcelona: Reservoir Books. ISBN 9788418052613.
• Jodorowsky, Alejandro & Moebius (2017). The Incal (Integral). Barcelona: Reservoir Books. ISBN 978-84-16709-29-8.
• Jodorowsky, Alejandro & Moebius (2007; 2nd edition with the colors of the original edition, 2011). The Incal (Integral). Barcelona: Norma Editorial. ISBN 978-84-9847-211-0.
• Jodorowsky, Alejandro & Moebius (2007). After Incal 1. The new dream. Barcelona: Norma Editorial. ISBN 978-8431-294-9.
• Jodorowsky, Alejandro & Janjetov, Zoran (2008/2010). Before Incal (Integral). Barcelona: Norma Editorial. ISBN 978-84-9847-575-3 / ISBN 978-84-679-0201-3.
• Jodorowsky, Alejandro & Ladrön (2009). The Four of John Difool / Final Incal 1. Barcelona: Norma Editorial. ISBN 978-84-9847-892-1.
• Jodorowsky, Alejandro & Ladrönn (2011). Light of Garra / Final Incal 2. Barcelona: Norma Editorial. ISBN 978-84-679-0688-2.
• Jodorowsky, Alejandro & Ladrönn (2015). Gorgo the dirty / Final Incal 3. Barcelona: Norma Editorial. ISBN 978-84-679-1799-4.