JIJÉ - THE FATHER OF THE MODERN SPIROU...
Jijé joining the Magazine Spirou in 1940 was a highly talented artist that had a strong graphic and fine arts education due to some of the best artists in Belgium at the time. His power of creativity and his high production rhythm made him an indispensable accessory to the survival of the magazine during WW2. He was producing 3 to 4 series at the same time and delivered illustrations and separate comic pages, all for the Spirou Magazine. As everything American was banned, some series were replaced by continuations made by Belgian artists or substitutes of the same genre. However the survival of the magazine became hectic as the Germans refused to let paper to be used for some local publications... including Spirou Magazine!
In September 1943, Spirou Magazine stops its publication already highly irregular, due to a German interdiction.
However, Jijé had just the time to create a secondary character that will become important for the Spirou series: Fantasio...
After the liberation of Charleroi by the American troops, Spirou re-starts its publication (Sept 1944). Conditions will be difficult until end of 1945, but at least there is no more censorship against the magazine or against American comics series!
Jijé will as before produce a lot of first class series, including new adventures for the character Spirou, in order to support the Magazine. He however will quickly spot some new talents and will train them and push them in the profession. He will eventually use the best of them to extend the series in the Magazine. Amongst them a young artist full of creativity: André Franquin...
One of his best contribution to the Spirou series, besides the creation of Fantasio the fantasist character of the early series, was a 1945 story: Spirou et l'Aventure... (Spirou and the adventure). Set in the year 2000 in a kind of dream-like and totally surrealistic atmosphere he describes a fantasy world full of imagination and off- beat humor. His caricatures of what he sees from the Redactors , some major characters, some artists (including himself) and the Management staff of Spirou Magazine, and their states in the future are high fun!!! A real gem, unfortunately a little forgotten in our days.
Jijé was one of the fathers of the Belgian comics, able to create moods and styles that were not mere copies of the other master Hergé (Tintin). He created many different series: Biographies of famous persons (ex: Baden Powell), a western series of high graphic qualities, humor series, adventure series,detective series... All linked by his huge artistic talent and his ability to create highly interesting stories.
Joseph Gilain (Jijé) was one of the best comic creator of the Belgo-French domain, and his posterity through other masters, as Franquin, is still influencing the to-day comics in Europe.
His death in 1980 was a real loss, as an artist, as a friend for many.
Jijé was one of the fathers of the Belgian comics, able to create moods and styles that were not mere copies of the other master Hergé (Tintin). He created many different series: Biographies of famous persons (ex: Baden Powell), a western series of high graphic qualities, humor series, adventure series,detective series... All linked by his huge artistic talent and his ability to create highly interesting stories.