{"id":17901,"date":"2018-02-01T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T08:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=17901"},"modified":"2018-01-30T15:49:00","modified_gmt":"2018-01-30T15:49:00","slug":"marsupilami-volume-1-the-marsupilamis-tail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2018\/02\/01\/marsupilami-volume-1-the-marsupilamis-tail\/","title":{"rendered":"Marsupilami volume 1: The Marsupilami’s Tail"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nBy Franquin<\/strong>, Batem<\/strong> & Greg<\/strong>; coloured by Leonardo<\/strong> and translated by Jerome Saincantin<\/strong> (Cinebook)
\nISBN: 978-1-84918-363-5<\/p>\n

One of Europe’s most popular comic stars is an eccentric, unpredictable, rubber-limbed ball of explosive energy with a seemingly infinite elastic tail. The frantic, frenetic Marsupilami<\/strong> is a wonder of nature and bastion of European storytelling who originally spun-off from another immortal comedy adventure strip\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

In 1946 Joseph \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jij\u00c3\u00a9\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Gillain was crafting keystone strip Spirou <\/em>for flagship publication Le Journal de Spirou<\/em><\/strong> when he abruptly handled the entire kit and caboodle to his assistant Andr\u00c3\u00a9 Franquin who took the reins, slowly abandoned the previous format of short complete gags in favour of longer epic adventure serials and began introducing a wide and engaging cast of new characters.<\/p>\n

In 1952’s Spirou et les h\u00c3\u00a9ritiers<\/em><\/strong> he devised a beguiling little South American critter dubbed Marsupilami<\/strong> to the mix. The little beast returned over and over again: a phenomenally popular magic animal who inevitably grew into solo star of screen, toy store, console games and albums all his own. He increasingly included the bombastic little beast in Spirou’s increasingly fantastic escapades until he resigned in 1969…<\/p>\n

Franquin was born in Etterbeek, Belgium on January 3rd<\/sup> 1924. Something of a prodigy, he began formal art training at \u00c3\u2030cole Saint-Luc in 1943 but when the war forced the school’s closure a year later, found animation work at Compagnie Belge d’Animation in Brussels. Here he met Maurice de Bevere (Lucky Luke<\/strong> creator \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Morris\u00e2\u20ac\u009d), Pierre Culliford (Peyo, creator of The Smurfs<\/strong>) and Eddy Paape (Valhardi<\/em><\/strong>, Luc Orient<\/em><\/strong>).<\/p>\n

In 1945 all but Culliford signed on with publishing house Dupuis, and Franquin began his career as a jobbing cartoonist and illustrator, producing covers for Le Moustique<\/em><\/strong> and scouting magazine Plein Jeu<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

During those formative early days Franquin and Morris were being trained by Jij\u00c3\u00a9 – at that time the main illustrator at Spirou<\/em><\/strong>. He quickly turned the youngsters and fellow neophyte Willy Maltaite – AKA Will – (Tif et Tondu<\/em>, Isabelle<\/em>, Le jardin des d\u00c3\u00a9sirs<\/em><\/strong>) into a potent creative bullpen dubbed La bande des quatre<\/em> or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Gang of Four\u00e2\u20ac\u009d who subsequently revolutionised Belgian comics with their prolific and engaging \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Marcinelle school\u00e2\u20ac\u009d style of graphic storytelling.<\/p>\n

Jij\u00c3\u00a9 handed Franquin all responsibilities for the flagship strip part-way through Spirou et la maison pr\u00c3\u00a9fabriqu\u00c3\u00a9e<\/em>, (Spirou<\/em><\/strong> #427, June 20th<\/sup> 1946). The eager novice ran with it for two decades, enlarging the scope and horizons until it became purely his own.<\/p>\n

Almost every week fans would meet startling and zany new characters such as comrade and eventual co-star Fantasio<\/em> or crackpot inventor the Count of Champignac<\/em>. In the ever-evolving process Spirou et Fantasio<\/em><\/strong> became globe-trotting journalists, continuing their weekly exploits in unbroken four-colour glory and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153reporting back\u00e2\u20ac\u009d their exploits in Le Journal de Spirou<\/em><\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

In a splendid example of good practise, Franquin mentored his own band of apprentice cartoonists during the 1950s. These included Jean Roba (La Ribambelle<\/em>, Boule et Bill\/<\/em>Billy and Buddy<\/strong>), Jid\u00c3\u00a9hem (Sophie<\/em>, Starter<\/em>, Gaston Lagaffe<\/em><\/strong>\/Gomer Goof<\/strong>) and Greg (Bruno Brazil<\/em>, Bernard Prince<\/em>, Achille Talon<\/em>, Zig et Puce<\/em>), who all worked with him during his tenure on Spirou et Fantasio<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In 1955 a contractual spat with Dupuis resulted in Franquin signing up with publishing rivals Casterman on Journal de Tintin<\/em><\/strong>, where he collaborated with Ren\u00c3\u00a9 Goscinny and old pal Peyo whilst creating the raucous gag strip Modeste et Pompon<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Franquin soon patched things up with Dupuis and returned to Spirou<\/em><\/strong>, subsequently co-creating Gaston Lagaffe<\/em><\/strong> in 1957 but was now legally obliged to carry on his Tintin work too\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

From 1959, writer Greg and background artist Jid\u00c3\u00a9hem assisted Franquin but by 1969 the artist had reached his Spirou limit and resigned for good, happily taking his mystic yellow monkey with him\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

His later creations include fantasy series Isabelle<\/em>, illustration sequence Monsters<\/em><\/strong> and bleak adult conceptual series Id\u00c3\u00a9es Noires<\/em>, but his greatest creation – and one he retained all rights to on his departure – is Marsupilami<\/strong>, which in addition to comics tales has become a star of screen, toy store, console and albums.<\/p>\n

Franquin, plagued in later life by bouts of depression, passed away on January 5th<\/sup> 1997 but his legacy remains, a vast body of work that reshaped the landscape of European comics.<\/p>\n

Having learned his lessons about publishers, Franquin kept the rights to Marsupilami and in the late 1980’s began publishing new adventures of the fuzzy and rambunctious miracle-worker.<\/p>\n

He tapped old comrade Greg as scripter and invited commercial artist and illustrator Luc Collin (pen name Batem) to collaborate on – and later monopolise – the art duties for a new series of comedy tales. Now numbering 30 albums (not including an all-Franquin short story collection volume #0), the first of these was La Queue du Marsuplami<\/em><\/strong>, released in 1987 and translated here as The Marsupilami’s Tale<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Blessed with a talent for mischief, the Marsupilami is a devious anthropoid inhabiting the rain forests of Palombia<\/em>, and regarded as one of the rarest animals on Earth. It speaks a language uniquely its own and also has a reputation for causing trouble and instigating chaos\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Into that teeming life-web of the Palombian rainforest comes dissolute riverboat captain Bombonera<\/em> and his idiot boilerman Innadeiz<\/em>. They are ferrying impatient and irascible great white hunter Mr. Bring M. Backalive<\/em> up the inaccessible Rio Huaytoonarro<\/em> so that he can be the first to capture and exhibit the legendary long-tailed monkey to an unbelieving world.<\/p>\n

Sadly, Backalive has just reached the inescapable conclusion that the bumbling, prevaricating river rogue hasn’t the faintest clue where Marsupilamis dwell\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

With his life endangered, Bombonera thinks fast and remembers a native fisherman who might be able to help. Yafegottawurm<\/em> is up for the change of pace too; anything is better than sitting on a log waiting for the vile and voracious piranha to bite\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 at least until he realises the crazy white man wants to hunt the infernal, trouble making Marsupilami\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

And so begins a madcap rollercoaster of hairsbreadth escapes, crazy plans and close shaves as the humans stalk the unflappable golden monkey (and its unsuspected, equally formidable family), upsetting the rhythms of the jungle and making enemies of not just the beasts but the Havoca<\/em> natives who should have known better than to ignore their better judgement and join the hunt for the supposedly wonderful tasting Marsupilami\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Fast-paced, furiously funny and instantly engaging, the riotous romps and cataclysmic chases instigated by the mesmerising Marsupilami are big hits and beloved reads of wide-eyed kids of every age all over the world. Now it’s your turn to join in the fun. Hoobee, Hoobah Hoobah!
\n\u00c2\u00a9 Dupuis, Dargaud-Lombard s.a. 2017 by Franquin, Greg & Batem. English translation \u00c2\u00a9 2017 Cinebook Ltd.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Franquin, Batem & Greg; coloured by Leonardo and translated by Jerome Saincantin (Cinebook) ISBN: 978-1-84918-363-5 One of Europe’s most popular comic stars is an eccentric, unpredictable, rubber-limbed ball of explosive energy with a seemingly infinite elastic tail. The frantic, frenetic Marsupilami is a wonder of nature and bastion of European storytelling who originally spun-off … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Marsupilami volume 1: The Marsupilami’s Tail”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[113,63,97],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-comedy","category-european-classics","category-kids-all-ages"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-4EJ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17901"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17901\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}