*[ Sorry!.. I missed the paper ]
Gaston !! (left)... the eternal blundering fool
NEW EMPLOYEE FOR THE SPIROU MAGAZINE
Early 1957, the Redactor in Chief of the famous Spirou Magazine hired a clerk to help for the small office work in the publisher's headquarters: Editions Dupuis (In fact Dupuis is a real Editor/Publisher owing Spirou Magazine and a stock of the best creations of Belgian Comics that they successfully published since 1938). This was how Gaston could penetrate the magazine. First only by a few drawings done in the margins by Franquin, or to fill in any blank space.
That was also how Fantasio (character of the Spirou comic stories- acts here as Redactor in Chief) started to be cursed by the blunders of Gaston.
There was this huge piles of unanswered mail from the readers: a nice hideout for the Gaston's naps! Maybe overworked, the redaction office of Spirou was normally quiet and buzzing at several tasks. Now that Gaston helps, any piece of common office equipment becomes a lethal weapon! Efficiency is close to nihil. Turmoil is everywhere... but does not affect Gaston.
Gaston, counterculture hero before the word even existed, seeks peace, harmony... and his own tranquility.
On the lazy side, his temper is placid to say the least and sometimes one wonders if he is really the stupid guy he appears to be...
GASTON BECAME A REGULAR FEATURE OF SPIROU MAGAZINE
The success of the few months of Gaston appearing in the magazine margins was tremendous. End 1957, the first strips were published in the magazine, telling the latest blunders of Gaston in the office. He will not leave the magazine for more than 25 years!
As Franquin was very busy with the 'Spirou' comic series he asked for the help of Jidéhem, young talented artist that was already publishing in Spirou Magazine an acclaimed series of illustrations for an auto review.
The characters in the Gaston series were created and organized by Franquin himself. Backgrounds, decor and dressing-up was all Jidéhem's work, for a few years and he was certainly not a stranger to the visualization of the extravagant inventions of Gaston.
Gaston exercised his imagination by creating impossible objects and machines, all having the purpose to help Gaston or to relieve him from some daily problems. By this Gaston was propelling DIY in the horror stories...
Everybody still shakes at he remembrance of his bird whistle appealing only to monsters, or of his hand shaped armchair... or of his 'nature' harp' the gaffophone able to demolish anything by infra sounds... or his office machine to deliver mail and parcels from one office to the other...or his pre-WW2 car full of gadgets...
Pure fun !!! A classic!
FRANQUIN AND GASTON LAGAFFE...
That Franquin is one of the top masters of the Belgian comics is something granted. His drawings reflect his high talent and his ability of creating dedicated moods completed this very well in comic stories high in creativity. With Gaston, he was able to progressively liberate more dynamic and more 'agitated' set-ups enhancing even further his high talents as graphic artist.
Gaston finally became Gaston Lagaffe, a full name for a character having his weekly page in the magazine. Along the years, Franquin's drawings became more 'nervous' and full of movements, close to the approach of movie cartoons in their set-up.
Gaston was a huge success from his beginning, and when the publisher finally decided to issue the Gaston cartoons and strips as full feature albums, it became one of the biggest success for comics in Europe in the seventies.
This benefitted the Gaston series tremendously as well as the introduction of a set of incredible graphic characters: the cat, the 'laughing' gull (= mouette rieuse in French -that is for black-headed gull), Cheese the mouse, Bubulle the golden fish, all Gaston's pets living with him in the office and participating to the turmoil. Graphically close to masterpieces the pages where all the animals are in full action are amongst the best of the later period of Gaston series.
Franquin's cat is one of the most graphically elaborated in comics and is unforgettable in his attempts to catch anything that is moving...
The whole Gaston set-up became even more and more crazy in its gags illustrate by first class hilarious drawings.
Gaston's success even increased along the eighties among the general public and became one of the highest sales for comics in Belgium and France.
In 1983, Franquin set his graphic career on idle and the Gaston series was stopped. However under the pressure of the readers, the publisher re-issued all kind of material were Gaston appeared, as well as the very early strips and cartoons. Success was incredible for material having more than 25 years of age!
DECEMBER 96: A NEW ALBUM FOR THE GASTON SERIES !!!
End 1996, after close to 14 years without novelties about Gaston, Franquin publish the album No 15 of the series (the to-day set of albums totals 16; there is an unusual No R0 due to early material that was re-published only in the mainstream of albums starting with No1 - as it is usual) . Title of the new album: 'Gaffe à Lagaffe' - Beware Lagaffe ! This new comic book was printed in 600,000 copies in French only! And will sell probably more copies than that during the first 6 months...
A totally justified success for one of the most hilarious European comic series, conducted by one of the most talented comic creators of Europe: Franquin. A master!
His comics characters and stories are among the treasures of the Belgian art of comics. Gaston, Marsupilami, the Cat, Mr De Mesmaeker, Zorglub, Starter and so many more are all alone now in the Kingdom of Comics.To more comics! >>>>
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Copyright© 1996,1997-2001 E.Borgers for text and setup.
Proprietary graphics, photos, illustrations remain the full property of the rights holders.(see complete disclaimer in front page)
Most recent revision: 11 March, 1997 and 5 April, 2000