This illustration is part of a collection of tributes that Crepax wanted to pay tohis muse, the Milanese master has never hidden that he drew the iconographicinspiration for his Valentina from the 1920s film diva Louise Brooks, butperhaps in addition to physical appearance Brooks and Valentina also havesomething deeper in common. The two had an epistolary correspondence in 1976that reveals a lot about their relationship: LB: I was sent to make films inHollywood in 1927, no one could understand why I hated that terribledestructive place so much that to everyone else it seemed like a wonderfulparadise. For me all of this was like a terrible dream I have - I am lost inthe corridors of a large hotel and I cannot find my room, people walk past meas if they cannot see or hear me. So I first escaped from Hollywood and havefled ever since. And now, at 69, I've put aside the hope of finding myself. Mylife was nothing. But looking back, there was a moment in Paris in 1929, when Iwas shooting Prix de beauté and living at peace with myself. I think it wasbecause I didn't speak French. Being lost was perfectly natural among thosepeople with whom I could express neither thoughts nor feelings. GC: Your sadand bitter way of rethinking what you have achieved in life moved me deeply.You have always felt that you were alone among people because you were neverpart of the human background in which you had to live or work. (...) I thinkthe life of the heroine of my comics and yours have something in common. EvenValentina sometimes feels lost and gives up hope. Then seek refuge in the worldof dreams and memories.