Spirou and Fantasio

History

The character of Spirou was created by Rob-Vel in 1938 for the launching of the newspaper, taken again by Jijé in 1940, before living under the feather of André Franquin starting from 1946 the adventures which confers its fame to him.

Spirou draws its name from the Wallon spirou meaning the squirrel as much that the facetious boy. Its meeting with Spip the squirrel was inevitable! In its first publication, Spirou was born from brandy (the expression is to be taken with the second degree, it is not a question of alcohol) and from the feather of a draftsman, for a director of hotel which sought a groom.

Character with russet-red hair, Spirou is always equipped with red, a such gatekeeper of hotel. To the wire of the albums, it will pass from delivered red most strict to more relaxed behavior, giving up gradually its white gloves, its gaiters, its hat of groom. The red will remain however always present, in reference to its original behavior. His/her closer companions are the squirrel Spip and the Fantasio journalist, with whom it carries out many reports.

The character of Fantasio appears in 1944 in the Newspaper of Spirou n°38. Following a request of its editor association Jean Doisy, Jijé creates a character more whimsical than Spirou to give a small tone of madness to the series. One will notice the resemblance of Fantasio of the beginnings to Dagobert ( Dagwood Bumstead , in English), the male American hero of the series “Blondie”.

After Franquin, the series was then animated by Fournier, NIC and Cauvin, Chaland, Tome and Janry (with which the series will be its most important business success), and finally Munuera and Morvan.

Their Fourth and last album " Spirou friends, everywhere, toujours" in September 2008 will leave. Yoann and Velhman Will replace Morva and Munuera For volume 51 exit in 2009

Parallel to this work but distinct from this one, there exists the series of the Petit Spirou scenarized by Tome and drawn by Janry and which proposes a humorous chronicle of the childhood of Spirou. Among the winks made with the genesis of the series, one will note that whereas at Rob-Vel Spirou " naît" at the adulthood, thanks to " water-of-vie" of the draftsman when it vaporizes his drawing of it, the box of the birth of Spirou was recently included in the forty-eighth album where it is presented like a nightmare of the character, who evokes his childhood near a psychologist.

Characters

By chronological order of entry:

Spirou : Hero and main character. Initially groom, he becomes then journalist and on the occasion, lecturer.

Spip : The squirrel, dumb companion who does not think about it less.

Fantasio : The close friend with often unslung imagination. He is initially presented like an inventor then as journalist and photographer. Curiously, Fantasio becomes on the contrary a model of serious in extreme cases of the austerity when, in its role of framework at Dupuis, it is in the presence of Gaston Lagaffe .

Gustave Labarbe, the Mayor of Champignac : Character with the speeches filled of metaphors and astonishing turnings.

Pacôme Hégésippe Adélard Ladislas, Count de Champignac : Mycologist and fertile inventor.

Zantafio : The not very scrupulous cousin of Fantasio.

the Marsupilami : Imaginary marsupial oviparous animal whose cry is houba houba and with the articulated and inordinately long tail, which was discovered in Palombie and whose name is resulting from the contraction of marsupial , Pilou (Another name of quite as famous animal of Popeye: Eugene the Jeep) and friendly .

Seccotine : Journalist. It incarnates the charm and intelligent femininity… and also pot-of-adhesive! (In the first episode where it intervenes, the horn of the rhinoceros , Spirou and Fantasio are not able to get rid of it). Moreover, its name, Seccotine, are that of an adhesive especially powerful employee in Reliure.

Gaston Lagaffe : Odd-job man drafting of the newspaper of Spirou.

Zorglub : Insane and megalomaniac inventor, former fellow student of the Count de Champignac but at the sentimental bottom, and which one owes the introduction into the series with Greg.

Zaoki (Character present only in the animated version): Adored girl of Zorglub. Impassioned ecology, it does not like the projects of his/her father. It gradually becomes in love with Spirou.

Itoh Kata : Mycologist and large it Japanese.

Ororéa : Polynesian young person full with ardor. It is in the beginning created by Fournier to replace Seccotine which it does not manage to draw.

Gift Vito Cortizone : Perfect caricature of gangster the “godfather”, equipped with an incredible bad luck. He was creates by Tome and Janry at the time of volume 39, Spirou in New York. Its goal: to earn money and to destroy the enemy of Cosa Nostra (Maffia Italian New Yorkean of which he is the chief): the Chinese.

Albums

Rob-Vel

rare Albums: " 1938-L' golden age: Birth of Spirou " and " the Second world war and always… Spirou ". Published in 1975 these two albums begin again the stories of Spirou drawn by Rob-Vel, Davine and Lafnet of 1938 to 1943 and ever published in albums until there. Curiosity editions, pulling limited to 1000 specimens because of the technical difficulties

" 1938-L' golden age: Birth of Spirou " : Four pages of launching of the Newspaper of Spirou (ever begun again in collection), interview of Rob-Vel, adventures of Louse (extracted from this cartoon of Rob-Vel), Bibor and Tribar (extracted from this cartoon of Rob-Vel), Spirou groom with the Moustic-Hotel, Spirou and Heirs, The son of the billionaire

" the Second world war and always… Spirou ": Rob-Vel and Release, interview of Charles Dupuis, The ventriloque horse, Spirou the Large hunter, Spirou and the blue Monkey, Spirou and the black Boxer (recolorized for volume 3 of the Youthful indiscretions/Out of the ordinary under the title " Spirou and Puce"), Spirou on the Zigomus planet, Spirou and the invisible Man

Jijé

Spirou and the adventure , (1948) including/understanding the episodes the air meeting (1943), Around the world with the red pilot (1944), the voyage in time (1944-45), the removal of Spip (1945), the jeep of Fantasio (1945-46) and Fantasio and the Phantom (1946).
black hats , (1952), including/understanding the episodes Like a fly with the ceiling (1949) and Spirou and the frogmen (1951) (as well as episodes carried out by Franquin).

Franquin

See Spirou and Fantasio (Franquin period) for the detailed list of the stories .
Hereafter classification according to the traditional edition of the series at Dupuis :

Spirou and Fantasio , (1948), including/understanding: Fantasio and its tank , prefabricated Houses , the Heritage of Spirou and the insane Scientist .

1. Four adventures of Spirou and Fantasio , (1952) including/understanding: Spirou and plans of the robot (1948), Spirou on the boxing ring (1948), Spirou made of the horse (1949) and Spirou among Pygmies (1949).

2. There is a wizard with Champignac , (1951) (appearance of the mayor and the count de Champignac).

3. black Hats , (1952), including/understanding black Hats (1950) and Mystery at the border (1950), like two adventures drawn by Jijé (see above).

4. Spirou and the heirs , (1952) (appearance of Zantafio and Marsupilami).

5. Robbers of Marsupilami , (1954).

6. the Horn of rhinoceros , (1955) (prépublié under the title Spirou and Turbotraction ; appearance of Seccotine).

7. the Dictator and the Mushroom , (1956).

8. the Bad Head , (1956) also including/understanding Do not touch with the Robins .

9. the Den of the murene , (1957).

10. Pirates of silence , (1959) also including/understanding Quick Super .

11. the gorilla has good mine , (1959), also including/understanding Vacances without stories .

12. the Nest of Marsupilamis , (1960) also including/understanding the Fair with the Gangsters .

13. the Traveller of Mesozoic the , (1960) also including/understanding Fear at the end of the Wire .

14. the Prisoner of the Buddha , (1961).

15. Z like Zorglub , (1961) (appearance of Zorglub).

16. Shade of Z , (1962).

17. Spirou and the man-bubbles , (1964) also including/understanding the Small sizes .

18. QRN on Bretzelburg , (1966) (Zorglub was in the preliminary draft to utilize, but Charles Dupuis was opposed to it; its publication in Spirou was very irregular because of a depression of Franquin).
Cet album was published first once under the badly selected name of QRM on Bretzelburg and, on the insistence of radio amateurs, Franquin the title at the time of the following editions corrected. Site counting the differences of various the éditions

19. Panade in Champignac , (1969), also containing Cheer Brothers .

24. Tembo Taboo , (1974) container also various adventures of Marsupilami of which the Cage .

Jean-Claude Fournier

20. the gold Maker , (1970) (Franquin draws there the marsupilami (and Spirou in certain boxes)).
21. Of glucose for Noémie , (1971) (brutal Disappearance and without explanation of the marsupilami).
22. the faked Abbey , (1972).
23. Tora Torapa , (1973).
25. the Grigri of Niokolo-Koba , (1974).
26. Of the cider for the stars , (1976).
27. Ankou , (1977), simultaneously appeared in Breton French and .
28. Kodo the tyrant , (1979).
29. Of beans everywhere , (1980).

NIC (Drawing) & Cauvin (Scenario)

30. the Belt of the great cold , (1983).
31. the Block box , (1983).
32. Makers of silence , (1984). (prépublié under the title the Block box, second part)

Divide into volumes (Scenario) & Janry (Drawing)

33. Virus , (1984).
34. Adventure in Australia , (1985).
35. Which will stop Cyanure? , (1985).
36. the Clock and watch maker of the comet , (1986).
37. the Alarm clock of Z , (1986).
38. the Youth of Spirou , (1987).
39. Spirou in New York , (1987).
40. Fun with the cases , (1988). (prépublié under the title Panic in Touboutt-Chan )
41. the Valley of the outlaws , (1989).
42. Spirou in Moscow , (1990).
43. Vito the Bad luck , (1991).
44. the black Ray , (1993).
45. Luna fatal , (1995).
46. Machine which dreams , (1998).

Jean-David Morvan (Scenario) & José-Shine Munuera (Drawing)

47. the Paris-under-Seine , (2004).
48. the Man who did not want to die , (2005).
49. Spirou and Fantasio in Tokyo , (2006).
49Z. the guide of the adventure in Tokyo , (2006).
50. Spirou, friend, everywhere, always , (2008).

This volume 50 will be the last carried out by Morvan and Munuera (financial troubles).

Fabien Velhmann (scenario) & Yoann (drawing)

51. ? 2009

An adventure of Spirou and Fantasio by…

As from 2006, special albums will leave in alternation with the ordinary series with which they should not interfere. Each volume will be a priori a One shot entrusted to different authors for each number. Each album will be a point of view on the series: history, esthetics… and will not be inevitably in phase with the contemporary episodes of the original series.

Out of the ordinary

H1. the Heritage , (1984)
comprenant the Tank (Franquin), the Heritage (Franquin, 1946).
H2. Radar the robot , (1985)
comprenant the prefabricated house (Franquin and Joseph Gillain, 1946 (Franquin takes again the history with box 49)), Radar the robot (Franquin, 1947) and the Lobster (Franquin, 1957).
H3. the Voice without Master and 5 other adventures , (2003)
comprenant:
La very first appearance of Spirou, the birth of Spirou by Rob-Vel (1938) and Spirou and the chip (1943) other ventures of Rob-Vel (They were recolorisées for the occasion)
Par Franquin: Fantasio and the siphon (1957)
Par NIC and De Kuyssche: the solar fantacoptère (1980)
Par Volume and Janry: the voice without Master (1981), the Threat (1982), the Moneybox is there (1984), One week of Spirou and Fantasio (2001).
H4. Fantasio and the phantom and 4 other adventures , (2003)
comprenant:
Par Jijé: Fantasio and the phantom (1946)
Par Franquin: Zorglumobile (1976), Christmas in the bush (1949), Fantasio and puppets radio-controlled (1957)
Par Yves Barge: The famous Hearts of steel (1982). Not finished history. It is colorisée here in quadrichromy, whereas it was prépubliée in two-color printing (Black, Rouge)
Par Fournier: Holidays in Brocéliande (1973), Merry Easter, Dad! (1971).

Since 2007 and in the years to come: the Dupuis editions leave the albums gathering in the same book the stories having a common topic, or a common area, etc This series is called the Integrals of Dupuis.

There exists a box with the 4 out of the ordinary ones and a Ex-libris representing the facsimile of the a first Spirou magazine (2003)

The nonofficial Spirou

Like all great series, Spirou and Fantasio was entitled to its Pirate album: Pirate! by Sergueï and Mikäelof. The album is often regarded as nice homage with the series. It car-is published and was made without the agreement of Dupuis. Nevertheless, this last has a priori nothing issued about the work and did not try to make it prohibit.

volume 9 of Lapinot, the atomic Accelerator , is a homage to Spirou. Lapinot and its comparses are grimés in Spirou, Fantasio and Co, along the album. Lapinot is published at Dargaud, thus this volume 9 was published with the agreement of Dupuis.

The case Yves Barge

The out of the ordinary 4 at Dupuis contains, like known as previously, a stopped history: Hearts of steel , drawn and scenarized by Yves Barge.

It was prépubliée in 1982 in the newspaper of Spirou of the n°2297 to the n°2318, in Bichromie. The drafting of the newspaper stopped the history when it was decided that Tome and Janry would be from now on the only authors of the series. Barge was very disappointed that this project is given up, so much it was due to him to heart to pay homage to its god André Franquin.

The history, though unfinished, was initially included in a pirate album in 1984 (under the title In the search of Bocongo ).

In 1990 acquired the Champaka editor rights to publish this history such as it is, without the possibility of publishing the words " Spirou" and " Fantasio" , with share when they were quoted in the data base of Barge. This is why the work was called Cœurs of steel without mentioning on the cover the name of the heroes.

Cœurs of steel counted two volumes: the first taking again the strips published in Spirou, the second of the texts of Yann illustrated by Barge, completing the history. Not being able to continue a history of Spirou and Fantasio without the agreement of Dupuis, the heroes were appointed in the second volume by nicknames such as " the rouquin" or " the freluquet". On the drawings, Spirou and Fantasio carried hoods in skin of leopard, so that one cannot recognize them.

The episode was then published within a volume of the Chaland integral, with the Humanoïdes Associés, in 1997 (ISBN 2-7316-1243-6) before finally joining the other adventures of Spirou in famous Hors-série n°4 at Dupuis.

The second volume of Cœurs of steel has, him, never republished, and the end of the history thus remains unknown for the majority of the readers.

Derived series

Three derived series were created starting from the universe of Spirou and Fantasio.

Small Spirou , created in 1987 by Volume and Janry, which tells on the humorous tone the supposed youth of the hero.
Marsupilami , created in 1987 by Franquin, Batem, Greg and Jean-François Moyersoen, which tells the adventures of the legendary animal created by Franquin in Spirou and the heirs in 1952. The protagonist of the series is the specimen met in the Nest of Marsupilamis with his family.
Spirou Manga , created in 2006 by Jean-David Morvan and Hiroyuki Oshima (mangaka known with the Japan), telling in the form of manga the adolescence of Spirou and Fantasio with Tokyo. In homage to Rob-Vel, Spirou is there groom in the prestigious hotel “New Moustique”. A first test is already appeared in the shape of a small supplement with the Journal of Spirou, entitled “ Of the bags under the arms ”. However, the future of the series is not confirmed yet, nor the presence of this episode in possible the first volumes of the manga.

Adaptations

Tell audio

The Ades discs, in the collection " Small the ménestrel" , in the years 1980 several audio tales of the adventures of Spirou and Fantasio published:

the Dictator and the Mushroom (1983, 33 turns, 45e birthday of Spirou)
the Den of the murene (1983, 33 turns, 45e birthday of Spirou)
the babies Marsupilamis (1983, 45 turns)
Spirou and the heirs (33 turns)

Animated series

Spirou : Series animated in two seasons (1992 and 1995), 52 22 minutes episodes realized for the majority by Michel Gauthier according to Spirou and Fantasio of Tome and Janry.

Spirou & Fantasio : Animated series of 2006,26 23 minutes episodes realized by Daniel Duda and Coproduit by Dupuis Audiovisuel, M6, Aranéo and Fantasia Animation.

Video games

Infogrames carried out two plays based on the universe of Spirou, the first, sobrement named Spirou , left on PC, Megadrive, Super Nintendo and Gameboy in 1995, while the second, named mechanical panic , left exclusively on Gameboy.

See too

On Wikipédia

the world of Spirou and Fantasio on Wikipédia
Spirou and Fantasio (stories)

External bonds

the official site of Spirou and Fantasio
Site of fan with forum, fandom, studies, news and database with chronicles of the albums of Spirou
the official site of Spirou and Fantasio by Franquin, studies, biography of the author
Site of fan with studies on the series, biographies of the authors and lists of the albums

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