Billy & Buddy volume 2: Bored Silly with Billy


By Jean Roba, translated by Luke Spear (Cinebook)
ISBN: 978-1-84918-049-8

Known as Boule et Bill on the Continent (or more accurately in the French speaking bits, as the Dutch and Flemish call them Bollie en Billie), this timeless and immensely popular cartoon story of a boy and his dog debuted in the Christmas 1959 edition of multinational, multilingual Spirou.

The perennially popular strip was the result of Belgian writer-artist Jean Roba (Spirou et Fantasio, La Ribambelle) putting his head together with the magazine’s Artistic Director/Ideas Man Maurice Rosy – who had also ghosted art and/or scripts on Jerry Spring, Tif et Tondu, Bobo and Attila during his decades-long, astoundingly productive career at the legendary periodical.

Intended as a European answer to Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, Boule et Bill would quickly go its own way and carve out a unique personality all its own, becoming Rosa’s main occupation for the next 45 years.

He tirelessly crafted more than a thousand pages of gag-strips in a beguiling, idealised domestic comedy about a little lad and his rather clever Cocker Spaniel before – in 2003 – surrendering the art-chores to his long-term assistant Laurent Verron.

The substitute subsequently took over the writing too after Roba died in 2006.

Jean Roba was born in Schaerbeek, Belgium on July 28th 1930 and grew up reading mostly American newspaper strip translations and reprints. He was particularly fond of Rudolph Dirks and Harold H. Knerr’s Katzenjammer Kids and after the War began working as a jobbing illustrator before adopting the loose, free-wheeling cartooning style known as the “Marcinelle School” and joining the Spirou crew.

He followed Uderzo on Sa majesté mon mari and perfected his craft under Franquin on Spirou et Fantasio before launching Boule et Bill as a mini-récit (a 32-page, half-sized freebie insert) in the December 24th 1959 Spirou.

Like our own Dennis the Menace in The Beano, the strip was incredibly popular from the start and for 25 years held the coveted and prestigious back-cover spot. Older British fanboys might also recognise the art as early episodes – wittily retitled It’s a Dog’s Life – ran in Fleetway’s Valiant from 1961 to 1965…

A cornerstone of European life, the strip has generated a live-action movie, animated TV series, computer games, permanent art gallery exhibitions, sculptures and even postage stamps. Like some select immortal Belgian comics stars, Bollie en Billie have a commemorative plaque and a street named after them in Brussels….

Large format album editions began immediately, totalling 21 volumes throughout the 1960s and 1970s. These were completely redesigned and re-released in the 1980s, supplemented by a range of early reader books for the very young. Comics collections have been translated into fourteen languages and sold in excess of 25 million copies of the 32 albums to date.

Renamed Billy and Buddy, the strip debuted en Angleterre in enticing Cinebook compilations from 2009 on: introducing a standard late 20th century sitcom nuclear family consisting of one bemused, long-suffering and short-tempered dad, a warm, compassionate but painfully flighty mum, a smart but mischievous son and his genius dog who has a penchant for finding bones, puddles and trouble…

Ras le Bill was the 19th collection in Europe, but here simply serves to further explore the timeless relationships for our delight and delectation.

Comprised of a constant stream of rapid-fire gags, quips and jests, the progress and behaviour of seven-year old Billy is measured by carefree romps with four-footed friend Buddy: dodging fractious magpies, avoiding baths, building up a treasure trove of bones, putting cats in their place, causing accidents, and costing money; with both kid and mutt equally adept at all of the above.

Buddy is the perfect pet for an imaginative boy, although he’s overly fond of bones and rather protective of them. He also does not understand why everyone is so keen to constantly plunge him into foul-tasting soapy water, but it’s just a sacrifice he’s prepared to make to be with Billy…

The dog also has a fondly paternal relationship with tortoise Caroline which is explored at length in this collection, and a suspicious knack for clearing off whenever dad has one of his increasingly common meltdowns over the cost of canine treats and repair bills. At least Buddy can make himself useful by helping mum in her self-indulgent fashion purchases…

Gently-paced and filled with wry wit and potent sentiment, these captivating gag-pages run the gamut from heart-warming to hilarious, silly to surreal: a charming tribute to and lasting argument for a child for every pet and vice versa. This is a splendidly enticing and rewarding family-oriented bunch of comics no one keen on introducing youngsters to the medium should be without.
Original edition © Studio Boule & Bill 2008 by Roba. English translation © 2010 Cinebook Ltd.