Rob-Vel 1909-1991

On the 21st of April 1938 the first number of the French/Belgian comic-magazine "Spirou" hit the shelves. The cover was dominated by a character with the same name as the magazine, the piccolo Spirou. Spirou is today a very popular comic character all over the world. The quality of the stories and the personal gallery is well comparable with Hergi's Tintin.

The cartoon, which was first drawn and told by Rob-Vel (Robert Velter), was from the beginning a one-side gag-comic, but in October 1938 Rob-Vel changed the comic and made it into a continued adventure series. Rob-Vel introduced the squirrel Spip in June 1939, Spip would become Spirou's companion and commentator and add more humour to the series. The first long story got the title Lhiritage, but that one has nothing to do with the later Franquin-episode with the same name. Blanche Dumoulin, Velter's wife, alias Davine (1895-1975) and Luc Lafnet (1899-1939) drew Spirou at the time Rob-Vel, had to join the war as a soldier in the French army and couldn't draw anymore. They both began to draw Spirou in 1939, Spirou magazine number 1939/39. During the time Lafnet and Davine made Spirou, Rob-Vel still sent them the scenario. Then Lafnet was enlisted in the army and was killed, so Davine alone continued until the Spirou magazine number 1940/42. Then Jiji drew Spirou's adventures for a while, and Rob-Vel took over again when he came back to Paris in 1941 after he had been wounded (he couldn't fight anymore so he was freed from his enlistment). In 1943, any postal service became impossible between France and Belgium, so Rob-Vel stopped making Spirou and Jiji became the regular Spirou author in Brussels.

Rob-Vel said in 1973: "If I had continued the work on Spirou it would be about a globetrotter that worked as a piccolo on hotels all over the world. Today the piccolo-suit is completely redundant". That is of course true, but at the time Jiji took over the series the character Spirou had become a symbol of the Spirou magazine. He, as a piccolo, had taken on the task of making the guests in the world of comics feel comfortable.

Jiji 1914-1980

In September 1943 Jiji (Joseph Gillain) took over, except for a small break in 1941 when Jiji jumped in for Rob-Vel. It was Jiji that seriously came to develop the series' characteristic and environment after he took over from Rob-Vel.

Rob-Vel introduced the squirrel Spip in June 1939, Spip would become Spirou's companion and commentator and add more humour to the series. In October 1944 Jiji added one more character, the very enthusiastic and sometimes a bit clumsy, Fantasio - a direct copy of Alexander (from de comic-series Blondie). Now the rational Spirou had got both an irrational and edgy companion who would be a part of the mystery solving and at the same time bring humour and excitement to the series.

Fantasio was originally a detective. Spirou was a hotel piccolo. But both was very soon remade as reporters - first at the Spirou publisher Dupuis magazine "Le Moustique", and later at the comic-magazine "Spirou". Because of this the comic had drifted a long way from the original idea.

Franquin 1924-1997

Jiji was already at that time known as the veteran of Belgian comic drawing art and therefore he also was a much wanted teacher for young wannabes. One of his young pupils was Andri Franquin. In 1946 Jiji let Franquin draw a 12 page episode with Spirou and Fantasio. It was named "Fantasio et son tank". The result was satisfactory, and in June 1946 Franquin took over the comic. He was then 22 years old. Jiji had developed the comic to be a dynamic expressive comic with a lot of strong characters, and Franquin continued the work in the same way.

After the album "Les chapeaux noirs", that was made in 1950, Franquin changed his approach to the series. In the album "Il y a un sorcier ` Champignac" he introduces this new approach. The story is longer (57 pages) than before and the pages are easier to grasp. Its also in this album that Franquin introduces a steady character gallery, and invents the village Champignac that will become the center for many adventures. We for the first time meet Pactme Higisippe Adilard Ladislas, comte de Champignac (the count of Champignac), and we take part of his successful experiments with some strange juices (including side effects). We also meet the inhabitants of the village Champignac and their self centered mayor.

In the next album, "Spirou et les hiritiers", the character gallery will be further extended. One of the comic's most frequent crooks, Fantasio's cousin Zantafio, gets introduced. In all thinkable disguises and situations he shows up in later albums such as "Le dictateur et le champignon", "La mauvaise tjte", "L'ombre du Z", in the Fournier-album, "Tora Torapa" and in Tome & Janry's "Spirou ` Moscou". But it is also in "Spirou et les hiritiers" that one of the most important and most popular characters "shows up", namely Marsupilami. By using very strong facial expressions and a varied body language, Franquin had created one of the most genial characters ever seen in the world of comics. Loved by young and old.

During this time Spirou's and Fantasio's jobs as reporters will get a bigger influence on the stories. Its in "La corne de rhinociros" from 1953 that this era starts. Its here that they meet the colleague Siccotine, who will join them in many adventures. Its for example she that presents the film about Marsupilami in "Le nid des Marsupilamis", that probably is one of the most charming in the Spirou-series. Tom and Janry also use her in "Aventure en Australie".

In "La corne de rhinociros" there is another new important "character" introduced, the Turbot-car. This extremely beautiful, aerodynamic and technically ingenious car, can best be described as a "supercar". We first see the car Turbot in "Spirou et les hiritiers", but the model in that album is a pure racecar, while the later Turbot is a roadcar. In "Vacances sans histoires" a new more modern car, called Turbot 2, is introduced. The last time we see the Turbot is in "QRN sur Bretzelburg".

The next one in the row of crooks we meet is John Helena and the first time we meet him is in "Le repaire de la murhne". Later we meet him is in "Spirou et les hommes-bulles", but in "Virus" he has turned into a "good guy". Another character that also alternates between the good and the bad is the biggest crooks of then all, the scientist Zorglub. In "Z comme Zorglub" he wants to rule the world but becomes good in the end. Hes a crook again in "L'ombre du Z" and "Tora Torapa", but that's only because Zantafio manipulates him. Both Franquin and Fournier turn Zorglub into assistant to comte de Champignac. Another character that sometimes appears in the albums is Gaston Lagaffe. He works as an assistant on the magazine, but isnt to smart. He hardly has any important roles in the stories, he is there only to create interest for the Gaston albums. But he had an important role in the Spirou-album "Panade ` Champignac" where there was a separate story mainly about Gaston. But this was Franquin's last Spirou-album and when he stopped doing Spirou he wanted to give all his time to the Gaston-albums.

Franquin & Co.

There can be no doubts about that Franquin established Spirou as one of the comic world's most characteristic and humoristic adventurecomics. In the album "Il y a un sorcier ` Champignac" he started to establish his own style and in the albums "QRN sur Bretzelburg" and "Panade ` Champignac" he shows that he fully masters the art of comic writing. There is hardly anyone that understands how to use both the characteristic characters and at the same time the dynamic layout in the humoristic genre.

Even if Franquin has had the biggest influence on the series there are others to share that honor.

In 1956 Rosy helped him putting together the story for the album "Les pirates du silence", while Will ("Tim and Tomas") assisted at the drawing board. After that a couple of albums where created with help from others. Greg wrote the manuscripts for "Le Prisonnier du Bouddha", "Z comme Zorglub", "QRN sur Bretzelburg" and "Tembo Tabou". Jidihem helped with the drawings for "Le Prisonnier du Bouddha", "Z comme Zorglub", "L'ombre du Z" and "QRN sur Bretzelburg". Peyo and Gos wrote "Panade ` Champignac". And the albums "Spirou et les hommes-bulles" and "Tembo Tabou" was made with help from Roba. In spite of this the series was anyway really Franquins. It wasnt anybody that would be allowed to work with Spirou. That showed after Franquin made his last album in 1968, "Panade ` Champignac", when Fournier took over.

Fournier 1943-

Because Fournier was a new drawer the drawing-style changed, but except for that the series didnt develop very much. In the first album, "Le faiseur d'or", Marsupilami appeared for the last time. The character was Franquin's and written in the album is: "By Fournier with help from Franquin with Marsupilami". In following albums we only see Marsupilami on posters and as toys. It can be discussed if it was a good idea to not let Fournier use Marsupilami in his albums. In Franquin's albums the characters have a "stronger" approach, in Fournier's they are "softer". Spirou was in Fournier's hands until 1979 and during this time also Fournier added a new character, the Japanese scientist and magician Itoh Kata. But he never became more than a minor character in the series, even though he could draw rabbits out of his hat.

Fournier wrote and drew nine albums. Three of these are considered to be superior to the rest. In "Tora Torapa", "Le Gri-Gri du Niokolo Koba" and "L'ankou" does Fournier succeed in telling really funny and exciting stories, as well as trying to find new ways to present the series. Fournier's last album was "Des haricots partout", and he wrote and drew that in 1979.

Nic 1932-1993
et Cauvin 1938-

Two men, Nic Broca (pictures) and Raoul Cauvin (stories), got the chance after Fournier and made three albums. These were: "La ceinture du grand froid", "La bonte noire" and "Les faiseurs de silence". The style is very much like Fournier's, a bit childish and not very violent. These albums are not available in Sweden, but except Belgium/France you can also get them in Spain and Norway (maybe more countries?).

Yves Chaland 1957-1990

Now, in the beginning of the 1980's, it was high time to find a new creator. A man named Yves Chaland was tested and he made an old fashioned Spirou story that was published as strips in the Spirou-magazine and in a very limited album-edition.

Tome 1957-
et Janry 1957-

But finally two men were chosen, Tome & Janry, and that turned out to be a very successful move. Since Tome & Janry took over the Spirou-series it got that vitamin injection it so well needed.

Tome & Janry's first album was "Virus". Here you can yet again can see a big style-difference from before, it has more dynamic action and humoristic violence than Franquin used in his storytelling. But because they work in a much later time period it is only good for the series. As in Franquin's first three albums you can also in Tome & Janry's first three albums notice a weakness for the fantastic adventure. In "Virus", "Aventure en Australie" and "Qui arrjtera Cyanure?" we get nice and exciting entertainment in a very humoristic package. This served by two comic producers that know their profession inside out.

We can also see how the squirrel Spip slowly takes over Marsupilami's role in Tome & Janry's stories. Both with Franquin and Fournier Spip was delivering ironical comments. But in "Aventure en Australie" and "Qui arrjtera Cyanure?" Spip participates more actively in the action - both as a problem solver and as a humoristic element. And that he deserved after living in Marsupilami's shadow since 1952.