André Franquin and the Golden Age of Franco-Belgian Comics
Marsipulami, courtesy Franquin.com
If comic creators were supervillains, André Franquin would be the evil mastermind whose plan to take over the world would make you laugh so hard, you’d forget to breathe. Franquin wasn’t just a cartoonist - he was a maestro of comic chaos, conducting a slapstick symphony with his pen, creating catastrophes so meticulously ridiculous, you couldn’t help but admire. Who else could turn a lazy office assistant like Gaston Lagaffe into a national icon, or design a creature like the Marsupilami - adorable, mischievous, and slightly lunatic?
André Franquin was born on January 3, 1924, in Etterbeek, a suburb of Brussels, Belgium. Growing up in a middle-class family, his love for drawing emerged at an early age. As a child, he was fascinated by the comic strips that filled the pages of newspapers and magazines. Early influences included American newspaper strips like ‘Popeye’ by E. C. Segar and Hergé’s ‘The Adventures of Tintin’.
Franquin entered the École Saint-Luc, an art school in Brussels, however, World War II disrupted his studies, and he had to wait for the end of the war to resume his studies while working as an illustrator for small publications.
His big break came in 1945 when he was hired by Éditions Dupuis, based in Charleroi, who published ‘Le Journal de Spirou’, a popular ‘Bande Dessinée’ (Comics) magazine named after its flagship character, Spirou. Franquin initially worked on minor illustrations, but his talent quickly caught the attention of Jijé (Joseph Gillain), one of the leading artists at Dupuis who was drawing the adventures of ‘Spirou et Fantasio’ at that time. Jijé became Franquin’s mentor, and in 1946 entrusted him with the task of continuing the series.
Franquin drew Spirou et Fantasio from 1946 to 1969, transforming the series into one of the most popular Franco-Belgian comics. Under Franquin, Spirou et Fantasio evolved into a rich imaginary universe filled with humor, adventure, and unforgettable characters.
One of Franquin’s innovations was the introduction of new recurring characters, the most notable being the ‘Compte de Champignac’, a brilliant scientist whose inventions often were the center of the stories. The Compte de Champignac first appeared in a Spirou et Fantasio adventure titled ‘Il y a un sorcier à Champignac’ (There Is a Sorcerer in Champignac), published in 1950. This story marked a turning point in the series, shifting to more elaborate and adventurous storytelling. The character’s home, the village of ‘Champignac’, became a familiar setting for many adventures of the series. The village was portrayed as an idyllic small town in France, with the slightly neglected Champignac Castle, the residence of the Compte, being its centerpiece. This setting, combined with the Compte’s eccentricities, created a unique atmosphere of humor and mystery that made the series unique.
In 1952 Franquin introduced in the story ‘Spirou et les héritiers’ the ‘Marsupilami’, a fictional animal with yellow fur with black spots, and a tail, that could stretch and curl to an incredible length. Marsipulami quickly became one of the most beloved elements of the series. To create the Marsipulami, Franquin reportedly was inspired by a device used by the drivers of the tramway he took daily to work - a kind of handlebar used to pull a bell.
In 1955, Dupuis hired scenarist Yvan Delporte as the editor-in-chief of Spirou magazine to modernize the magazine and add some laughs. Delporte's tenure was marked by many innovations that revitalized the magazine, establishing it as a cornerstone of Bande Dessinée magazines. Delporte gave Franquin free rein, encouraging him to experiment with storytelling and character development. This trust allowed Franquin to redefine his artistic style and push the boundaries of Spirou et Fantasio.
Another landmark character in the Spirou et Fantasio series was ‘Zorglub’, first introduced in the story ‘Z comme Zorglub’ in 1959. The tale begins with Spirou and Fantasio stumbling upon a series of mysterious events that lead them to Zorglub, a genius scientist aspiring to world domination who is a former classmate and rival of the Compte de Champignac.
Franquin’s creation of Zorglub was a response to the post-war fascination with science and technology. The 1950s and 1960s were marked by rapid advancements in space exploration, nuclear energy, and computer technology. Franquin created a character who embodied both the promise and the peril of scientific progress. Zorglub’s towering intellect and incredible inventions were tempered by his arrogance and his blunders, making him an unforgettable character.
One of the most defining aspects of the collaboration of Franquin with Delporte was the creation of ‘Gaston Lagaffe’, a groundbreaking series that introduced a new kind of hero to the world of Bande Dessinée. Introduced in 1957, Gaston was a lazy, accident-prone office clerk who wreaked havoc at the offices of Le Journal de Spirou. Delporte played a critical role in the creation of Gaston Lagaffe encouraging Franquin to embrace absurd humor, satirical storytelling, and a more relaxed, anarchic tone.
Gaston’s character was a departure from the heroic model typical of the times. Franquin made Gaston an antihero, celebrating his flaws and eccentricities with stories that revolved around his attempts to avoid work, his impractical inventions, and his disastrous attempts to improve office life. Franquin’s mastery of visual humor is on full display in Gaston Lagaffe. His ability to convey complex emotions through facial expressions and body language is unparalleled. The strip’s popularity grew rapidly, and Gaston became a cultural phenomenon in Belgium and France.
During the late 1970s, Franquin experienced a profound shift in his creative output, coinciding with a personal battle against depression. In 1977, during a period marked by a nervous breakdown, Franquin began drawing ‘Idées Noires’ (Dark Thoughts), a series in full contrast with his earlier, more lighthearted works. These stories deal with themes such as death, war, pollution, and capital punishment, all rendered with a dramatic use of black-and-white imagery. The series was first published in the ‘Le Trombone Illustré’, the supplement of Le Journal de Spirou, and later in the satirical magazine ‘Fluide Glacial’.
Idées Noires documented Franquin’s versatility as an artist, as he adopted a stark, black & white style that contrasted sharply with the colorful worlds of Spirou and Gaston. Although less commercially successful than his previous works, Idées Noires demonstrated Franquin’s willingness to take creative risks and address pressing societal issues through his art.
Franquin was the undisputed genius of his time, recognized by his peers. Hergé, the creator of Tintin, in a 1973 interview in ‘Le Soir’, praised Franquin's talent:
"Franquin is a great artist, perhaps the greatest. He is a genius of comic art, and his characters have an incredible vitality that I admire deeply."
Franquin received numerous awards for his work. In 1972 he was awarded the ‘Prix Saint-Michel’ for Gaston Lagaffe. In 1974 he received the first ‘Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême’, a lifetime achievement distinction awarded annually at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France. In 1991 he was awarded by King Baudouin of Belgium the title of ‘Knight of the Order of Leopold’ for his contribution to the arts.
Franquin died in 1997 in Saint-Laurent-du-Var at the age of 73. In 2004 the first major retrospective of his work, ‘Le monde de Franquin', took place in the ‘Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie’ in Paris. In 2005, a survey conducted in the Walloon region in Belgium named him as the ‘18th greatest Belgian ever’. In 2017, French amateur astronomer Bernard Christophe named asteroid 293985, discovered by him in 2007, ‘Franquin’.
André Franquin dared to reimagine the art of storytelling. His work transcended traditional comic art, blending slapstick comedy with social insight, humor with melancholy, and meticulous craftsmanship with wild imagination. His characters, full of humanity and charm, became timeless icons, resonating with generations across cultures and languages.
In today’s chaotic world, Franquin’s universe offers a comforting refuge, reminding us that even in the most disorderly corners of life, there is room for laughter, curiosity, and hope. Readers continue to rediscover his work, marveling at the brilliance of his stories that remain as fresh today as when they were published. And in that rediscovery, Franquin lives on forever, putting smiles into the faces of those who dare to dream, even in the face of their own shadows.
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