{"id":31273,"date":"2025-01-07T09:00:50","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T09:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=31273"},"modified":"2025-01-04T19:11:28","modified_gmt":"2025-01-04T19:11:28","slug":"ducoboo-volume-5-lovable-dunce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/01\/07\/ducoboo-volume-5-lovable-dunce\/","title":{"rendered":"Ducoboo volume 5: Lovable Dunce"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"
\nBy Godi & Zidrou<\/strong>, coloured by V\u00e9ronique Grobet<\/strong>, translated by Mark Bence<\/strong> (Cinebook)
\nISBN: 978-1-84918-311-6 (Album PB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> included for comedic effect. <\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re currently experiencing offspring overload, fear not! The Back to School countdown has begun!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

School stories and strips about juvenile fools, devils and rebels are a lynchpin of western entertainment and an even larger staple of Japanese comics – where the scenario has spawned its own numerous wild and vibrant subgenres. However, would Dennis the Menace<\/strong> (ours and theirs), Komi Can\u2019t Communicate<\/strong>, Winker Watson<\/strong>, Don\u2019t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro<\/strong>, Power Pack<\/strong>, C\u00e9dric<\/strong> or any of the rest be improved or just different if they were created by battle-scarred, shell-shocked former teachers rather than ex-kids or current parents?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no surprise the form is evergreen: schooling (and tragically, sometimes, sufficient lack of it) takes up a huge amount of children\u2019s attention no matter how impoverished or privileged they are, and their fictions will naturally address their issues and interests. It\u2019s fascinating to see just how much school stories revolve around humour, but always with huge helpings of drama, terror, romance and an occasional dash of action\u2026<\/p>\n

One of the most popular European strips employing those eternal yet basic themes and methodology began in the last fraction of the 20th<\/sup> century, courtesy of scripter Zidrou (Beno\u00eet Drousie) and illustrator Godi. Drousie is Belgian, born in 1962 and for six years a school teacher prior to changing careers in 1990 to write comics like those he probably used to confiscate in class. Other mainstream successes in a range of genres include Blossoms in Autumn<\/strong>, Petit Dagobert<\/em><\/strong>, Scott Zombi<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em> La Ribambelle<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em> Le Montreur d\u2019histoires<\/em><\/strong>, African Trilogy<\/strong>, Shi<\/strong>, L\u00e9onardo<\/strong><\/em>, a superb revival of Ric Hochet<\/em><\/strong> and many more. His most celebrated and beloved stories are the Les Beaux \u00c9t\u00e9s<\/em><\/strong> sequence (only available digitally in English as Glorious Summers<\/strong>) and 2010\u2019s sublime Lydie<\/strong>,<\/em> both illustrated by Jordi Lafebre.<\/p>\n

Zidrou began his comics career with what he knew best: stories about and for kids, including Crannibales<\/em>, Tamara<\/em>, Margot et Oscar<\/em><\/strong> and, most significantly, a feature about a (and please forgive the charged term) school blockhead: L\u2019El\u00e8ve Ducobu<\/em><\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n

Godi is a Belgian National Treasure, born Bernard Godisiabois in Etterbeek in December 1951. After studying Plastic Arts at the Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels he became assistant to comics legend Eddy Paape in 1970, working on the strip Tommy Banco<\/em> for Le Journal de Tintin<\/em><\/strong> whilst freelancing as an illustrator for numerous comics and magazines. He became a Tintin<\/em><\/strong> regular three years later, primarily limning C. Blareau\u2019s Comte Lombardi<\/em>, but also working on Vicq\u2019s gag strip Red R\u00e9tro<\/em>, with whom he also produced Cap\u2019tain Anblus McManus<\/em> and Le Triangle des Bermudes<\/em> for Le Journal de Spirou<\/em><\/strong> in the early 1980s. Godi soloed on Diog\u00e8ne Terrier<\/em> (1981-1983) for Casterman prior to moving into advertising cartoons and television. He cocreated animated TV series Ovide<\/em><\/strong> with Nic Broca, only returning to comics in 1991 to collaborating with newcomer Zidrou on L\u2019El\u00e8ve Ducobu<\/em><\/strong>. The strip began in Tremplin<\/em><\/strong> magazine (September 1992) before transferring to Le Journal de Mickey<\/em><\/strong>, with collected albums starting in 1997: 28 so far in a raft of languages. When not immortalising modern school days for future generations, Godi diversified, co-creating (in 1995 with Zidrou) comedy feature Suivez le Guide<\/em><\/strong> and game page D\u00e9mon du Jeu<\/em><\/strong> with scripter Janssens. That series spawned a live action movie franchise and a dozen pocket books, plus all customary attendant merchandise paraphernalia.<\/p>\n

English-speakers\u2019 introduction to the series (5 volumes only thus far) came courtesy of Cinebook with 2006\u2019s initial release King of the Dunces<\/strong> – in actuality the 5th<\/sup> European collection L\u2019\u00e9l\u00e8ve Ducobu – Le roi des cancres<\/em><\/strong>. The indefatigable, unbeatable format comprises short – most often single page – gag strips like you\u2019d see in The Beano<\/strong>, involving a revolving cast; well-established albeit also fairly one-dimensional and easy to get a handle on. Our star is a well-meaning, good natured but terminally lazy young oaf who doesn\u2019t get on with school. He\u2019s sharp, inventive, imaginative, inquisitive, personable and not at all academical. Today he\u2019d be SEN, banished as someone else\u2019s problem, relegated to a \u201cspectrum\u201d or casually damned by diagnoses such as ADHD, but back then, and at heart, he\u2019s just not interested: a kid who can always find better – or certainly more interesting – things to do\u2026<\/p>\n

Dad is a civil servant and Mum left home when Ducoboo was an infant. It\u2019s no big deal: Leonie Gratin<\/em> – the girly brainbox from whom he constantly and fanatically copies answers to interminable written tests – only has a mum. Ducoboo and his class colleagues attend Saint Potache School and are mostly taught and tested by ferocious, impatient, mushroom-mad Mr Latouche<\/em>. The petulant pedagogue is something of humourless martinet, and thanks to him, Ducoboo has spent so much time in the corner with a dunce cap on his head that he\u2019s struck up a friendship with the biology skeleton. He (She? They!) answer to Skelly <\/em>– always ready with a crack-brained theory, wrong answer or best of all, a suggestion for fun and frolics\u2026
\n\"\"
\nReleased in 2001, Europe\u2019s sixth collected album Un amour de potache<\/em><\/strong> became another eclectic collation of classic clowning about that begins with another new term. Mr. Latouche is hard in, training for the trials to come whilst Ducoboo does his utmost to keep fresh young innocents away from the sinister scholastic hellhole. Here, many strips address burgeoning personal technologies as the wayward lad tests aids like earbuds and smartpens but finds nothing cleverer than his teacher or Leonie…<\/p>\n

An extended riff on the kinds of comics and magazines – and free gift premiums – kids consume leads to the cheater retrenching and re-exploring tried-&-tested ways of sneaking answers, before Leonie stumbles into new avenues to exploit and educational toys to distract the big oaf with.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Skelly, at least anatomy class is a breeze, but when Ducoboo looks for specialist cadavers for use in his other lessons, Latouche loses his cool – and his esteemed position. Inevitably, the pressure proves too great. Sadly, when teacher has a breakdown, the school replaces him with surly cleaning lady Mrs. Mop<\/em>, who employs extraordinary methods our bad boy cannot overcome…<\/p>\n

With swipes at modern methodology and mercantile means – such as teaching-by-photocopy and growing class sizes – a long section on Christmas holidays, festivities and just rewards leads to a new year and more of the same, as times tables, history and poetry increasingly impinge on Ducoboo\u2019s dreary supposedly free days. Nevertheless, he still finds time to defend Leonie from a bully before life goes topsy-turvy with the arrival of a pretty new girl. She\u2019s also called Leonie Gratin, lives in the same house as his educational fount of knowledge wellspring and has just had – reluctantly – her first maternally funded and fuelled makeover…<\/p>\n

When that chaos and confusion concludes, mysteriously returned original Leonie agrees to visit a museum with her engaging oaf and again discovers that there are depths he hasn\u2019t plumbed yet: gifts that come in handy when term end approaches and Latouche plans to upgrade the testing\/exams and parental reports side of his job.
\n\"\"
\nAs summer comes at last the kids enjoy markedly different vacations and activities, but Ducoboo\u2019s take a wild turn as his desperate dad hires a private tutor and accidentally becomes a sort of teacher\u2019s pet himself. It\u2019s clearly a common condition as, far, far away, Leonie succumbs to a holiday urge and finally tries to honestly communicate what she really feels about her truly aggravating classmate…<\/p>\n

Despite the accidental and innocent tones of stalking and potential future abuse, these yarns are wry, witty and whimsical: deftly recycling adored perennial childhood themes. Ducuboo<\/strong> is an up-tempo, upbeat addition to a genre every parent or pupil can appreciate and enjoy. If your kids aren\u2019t back from – or to – school quite yet, why not try keeping them occupied with Lovable Dunce<\/strong>, and again give thanks that there are kids far more demanding than even yours\u2026
\n\u00a9 Les Editions du Lombard (Dargaud- Lombard s.a.) 2001 by Godi & Zidrou. English translation \u00a9 2016 Cinebook Ltd.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Godi & Zidrou, coloured by V\u00e9ronique Grobet, translated by Mark Bence (Cinebook) ISBN: 978-1-84918-311-6 (Album PB\/Digital edition) This book includes Discriminatory Content included for comedic effect. If you\u2019re currently experiencing offspring overload, fear not! The Back to School countdown has begun! School stories and strips about juvenile fools, devils and rebels are a lynchpin … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Ducoboo volume 5: Lovable Dunce”<\/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":[113,255,63,125,97,148,111,296],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-comedy","category-environmentalism","category-european-classics","category-humour","category-kids-all-ages","category-romance","category-satirepolitics","category-school-stories"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-88p","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31273","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=31273"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31278,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31273\/revisions\/31278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}