By Christophe Cazenove & Jean Bastide in the style of Roba, translated by Jerome Saincantin (Cinebook)
ISBN: 978-1-80044-070-8 (Album PB/Digital)
Known as Boule et Bill in Europe (at least in the French speaking bits – the Dutch and Flemish call them Bollie en Billie or perhaps Bas et Boef if readers first glimpsed them in legendary weekly Sjors), this evergreen, immensely popular cartoon saga of a dog and his boy first debuted at Christmas in 1959.
The perennial family favourite resulted from Belgian writer-artist Jean Roba (Spirou et Fantasio, La Ribambelle) putting his head together with Maurice Rosy: the magazine’s Artistic Director and Ideas Man, who had also ghosted art and/or scripts on Jerry Spring, Tif et Tondu, Bobo and Attila during a decades-long, astoundingly productive career at the legendary periodical.
Intended as a European answer to Charles Schulz’s Peanuts, Boule et Bill quickly went its own way, developing a unique style and personality and becoming Roba’s main occupation for the next 45 years. He had launched the feature as a mini-récit (32-page, half-sized freebie inserts) in the December 24th edition of Le Journal de Spirou.
Like Dennis the Menace in The Beano, the strip was a huge hit from the start, and for 25 years held the coveted and prestigious back-cover spot. It was even syndicated to rival publishers and became a popular feature in Le Journal de Mickey, rubbing shoulders with Walt Disney’s top stars. Older Brits might recognise the art as early episodes – retitled It’s a Dog’s Life – ran in Fleetway’s weekly Valiant from 1961 to 1965…
A cornerstone of European life, the strip has generated a live-action movie, four animated TV series, computer games, permanent art exhibitions, sculptures and even postage stamps. As with a select few immortalized Belgian comics creations, Bollie en Billie were awarded a commemorative plaque and have a street named after them in Brussels…
Large format album compilations began immediately, totalling 21 volumes throughout the 1960s and 1970s from publisher Dupuis. These were completely redesigned and re-released in 1985 when Roba moved to Dargaud and became his own editor. The standard albums (43 to date) are supplemented by a range of early-reader books for toddlers. Assorted collections are available in 14 languages, selling well in excess of 25 million copies.
Roba crafted more than a thousand pages of gag-strips in his beguiling, idealised domestic comedy setting, all about a little lad and an exceedingly smart Cocker Spaniel. Long before his death in 2006, the auteur wisely appointed successors for the strip, which has thus continued to this day. He began by surrendering the art chores to his long-term assistant Laurent Verron in 2003, and the successor subsequently took on the scripting too upon Roba’s passing. Verron was soon joined by gag-writers Veys, Corbeyran, Chric & Cucuel whilst this tome comes courtesy of new team Christophe Cazenove & Jean Bastide. In this collection Verron is present as illustrator of the “cabochons”: illustrated icons at the top of each strip. They’re what old folks like us employed before emoticons…
As Billy and Buddy, the strip returned to British eyes in 2009: stars of enticing Cinebook compilations introducing to 21st century readers an endearingly bucolic sitcom-styled nuclear family set-up consisting of one bemused, long-suffering and short-tempered dad; a warmly compassionate but constantly wearied and distracted mum; a smart but mischievous son and a genius dog who has a penchant for finding bones, puddles and trouble.
As the feature accommodates the passage of time, we see a few more mod-cons and a bigger role for girls – such as skipping sharpie Juliet – but, in essence, nothing has changed… and that’s the whole point…
Bill est un gros rapporteur! was the 37th European collection, comfortingly resuming in the approved manner and further exploring the evergreen relationship of a dog and his boy (and tortoise) for our delight and delectation. Available in paperback and digital editions and delivered as a series of stand-alone rapid-fire, single-page gags, Fetch and Carry On is packed with visual puns, quips, slapstick and jolly jests and japes: all affirming the gradual socialisation and behaviour of little Billy as measured in carefree romps with four-footed friends and an even split between parental judgements and getting away with murder…
Buddy is the perfect pet for an imaginative and playful boy, although the manipulative mutt is overly fond of purloined food, buried bones (ownership frequently to be determined), and as seen in this volume sleeping where he really shouldn’t. When not being a problem, he’s also ferociously protective of his boy, tortoise and ball.
The pesky pooch simply cannot understand why everyone wants to constantly plunge him into foul-tasting soapy water, but it’s just a sacrifice he’s prepared to make to be with Billy…
Buddy’s fondly platonic relationship with tortoise Caroline is played up in this book and his knack for clearing off whenever Dad has one of his explosive emotional meltdowns over the cost of canine treats, repair bills or the Boss’ latest impositions is dialled down, but most of the traditional themes and schemes are revisited abundantly
Our inseparable duo interact with many pals – particularly Billy’s school chum Pat – who acts as confidante and best two-legged crony in all mischief making – and at every carefree moment they all play pranks, encounter other animals, dodge surveillance, hunt and hoard (bones, toys, shoes, phones and other crucial household items), rummage in bins, wilfully and/or honestly misunderstand adults, cause accidents and cost money, with both kid and mutt equally adept at all of the above.
This time, domestic chaos is heightened by the introduction of classmate Celia’s new French Bulldog Brice. The pedigreed dog meets all the breed standards – which means he makes noises like a ruptured steam train when eating, sleeping or even just watching the others in bewilderment and becomes a cause celebre for the growing cast. A rival retriever makes his bow too: Pixel might look like a movie star mutt but he’s not a patch on mastermind Buddy…
Another much explored story strand involves Billy emulating a zookeeper, and his many attempts to train Buddy via “treat encouragement” – a system the dog instinctively distrusts and much time is spent comedically exploiting the doggy message retrieval system of widdling on lampposts…
And of course, when Buddy and Caroline aren’t futilely trying to teach Billy and Pat how to talk to human girls Celia and Hazel, hostile neighbour Madame Stick and her evil cat Corporal are a on hand to spoil all fun and frustrate their frolics…
Roba was a master of this cartoon art form and under his successors the strips remain genially paced, filled with wry wit and potent sentiment: enchantingly funny episodes running the gamut from heart-warming to hilarious, silly to surreal and thrilling to just plain daft.
This collection is exactly what fans would expect and deserve: another charming tribute to and lasting argument for a child for every pet and vice versa. Here is a supremely engaging family-oriented compendium of cool and clever comics no one keen on introducing youngsters to the medium should be without.
Original edition © Dargaud, 2016 by Cazenove & Bastide in the style of Roba © Studio Boule & Bill 2016. English translation © 2022 Cinebook Ltd.