{"id":32950,"date":"2025-05-23T08:00:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T08:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=32950"},"modified":"2025-05-22T17:33:39","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T17:33:39","slug":"spirou-in-berlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/05\/23\/spirou-in-berlin\/","title":{"rendered":"Spirou in Berlin"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Flix<\/strong>, coloured by Marvin Clifford<\/strong> with Ralf Marczinczik<\/strong>, & translated by Michael Waaler <\/strong>(Europe Comics)
\nNo ISBN: digital only<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced for dramatic and humorous effect.<\/em><\/p>\n

Although I\u2019ve never for a moment considered history dry or dull, I can readily appreciate the constant urge to personalise characters or humanise events and movements, especially when that job is undertaken with care, respect, diligence and a healthy amount of bravado. An excellent case in point is this superb, digital-only (still!) romp from 2018, compellingly riffing on major geopolitical events that still feel relevant right now, through the somewhat suborned antics of two of Europe\u2019s – if not the world\u2019s – biggest comics stars.<\/p>\n

In case you were one of those who were asleep, surreptitiously ogling a classmate who wouldn\u2019t even acknowledge your existence, or just carving your name into a desk or body part: on November 9th<\/sup> 1989, a very physical symbol of ideological separation and political gamesmanship was torn down by the \u201cinconsequential\u201d prisoners stuck on either side of it. Now you can be told just how that might have happened, all comfortingly translated into a compelling, lively and lovely digital edition thanks to the benevolence of collective imprint Europe Comics…<\/p>\n

For most English-speaking comic fans and collectors, Spirou<\/strong> is probably Europe\u2019s biggest secret. The character is a rough contemporary of – and crassly calculated commercial response to – Herg\u00e9\u2019s iconic Tintin<\/strong>, whilst the comic he has headlined for decades is only beaten in sheer longevity and manic creativity by our own Beano<\/strong> and the USA\u2019s Detective Comics<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Conceived at Belgian Printing House by Jean Dupuis in 1936, an anthological magazine targeting a juvenile audience debuted on April 21st<\/sup> 1938; neatly bracketed by DC Thomson\u2019s The Dandy<\/strong> which launched on 4th<\/sup> December 1937 and The Beano<\/strong> on July 30th<\/sup> 1938. Edited by Charles Dupuis (a mere tadpole, only 19 years old, himself) it took its name from the lead feature, recounting improbable adventures of the plucky Bellboy\/lift operator employed by the Moustique Hotel – a sly reference to the publisher\u2019s premier periodical Le Moustique<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Joined from June 8th<\/sup> 1939 by pet squirrel, Spip<\/em> (the longest running character in the strip after Spirou himself), the series was realised by French artist Robert Velter (who signed himself Rob-Vel). Dutch language edition Robbedoes<\/em><\/strong> debuted some weeks later, running more-or-less in tandem with the French parent comic until its cancellation in 2005.<\/p>\n

The bulk of the periodical was taken up with cheap US imports (but no tariffs!) like Fred Harman\u2019s Red Ryder<\/strong>, William Ritt & Clarence Gray\u2019s Brick Bradford<\/strong> and Siegel & Shuster\u2019s landmark Superman<\/strong> – although home-grown product crept in too. Most prominent were Tif et Tondu<\/em><\/strong> by Fernand Dineur (which ran under assorted creators until the1990s) and L\u2019Epervier Blue<\/em><\/strong> by Sirius (Max Mayeu), latterly accompanied by work from comic strip wunderkind<\/em> Joseph Gillain – AKA Jij\u00e9. Legendarily, during World War II Jij\u00e9 singlehandedly drew the entire comic, including home grown versions of banned US imports, simultaneously assuming production of the Spirou strip and creating current co-star and partner Fantasio.<\/p>\n

Except for a brief period when the Nazis closed the comic down (September 1943 – October 1944) Le Journal de Spirou<\/em><\/strong> and its boyish star – now a globe-trotting journalist – have continued their exploits in unbroken four-colour glory. Among other major features that began within those hallowed pages are Jean Valhardi<\/em> (by Jean Doisy & Jije), Blondin et Cirage<\/em> (Victor Hubinon), Buck Danny<\/strong>, Jerry<\/em> Spring<\/em>, Les Schtroumpfs<\/em> (The Smurfs<\/strong> to you and me), Gaston Lagaffe\/<\/em>Gomer Goof<\/strong> and Lucky Luke<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Spirou the character (whose name translates as both \u201csquirrel\u201d and \u201cmischievous\u201d) has helmed the magazine in perpetuity, evolving under numerous creators into an urbane yet raucous fantasy\/adventure hero heavily wedded to light humour. With comrade\/rival Fantasio and crackpot inventor the Count of Champignac<\/em> (created by Andre Franquin) Spirou voyages to exotic locales, foiling crimes, revealing the fantastic and garnering a coterie of exotic arch-enemies.<\/p>\n

When Velter went off to fight in WWII, his wife Blanche Dumoulin took over the strip. As \u201cDavine\u201d and assisted by Luc Lafnet she handled everything until publisher Dupuis assumed control of and all rights to the strip in 1943, assigning it to Jij\u00e9 who handed it to his assistant Franquin in 1946. It was the start of a golden age. Among Franquin\u2019s innovations were archvillains Zorglub<\/em> and Zantafio<\/em>, the aforementioned Champignac and one of the first strong female characters in European comics, rival journalist Seccotine<\/em> (renamed Cellophine<\/em> for Cinebook\u2019s English translations. However, his greatest creation – and one he retained on his final departure in 1969 – was incredible magic animal Marsupilami<\/strong>. The miracle beast had debuted in Spirou et les h\u00e9ritiers<\/em><\/strong> (1952), and is now a star of screen, plush toy store, console and albums.<\/p>\n

From 1959, writer Greg and background artist Jid\u00e9hem assisted Franquin, but by 1969 the artist had reached his Spirou limit and resigned, taking his mystic yellow monkey with him. He was succeeded by Jean-Claude Fournier, who updated the feature over the course of 9 rousing yarns tapping into the rebellious, relevant zeitgeist of the times, telling tales of environmental concern, nuclear energy, drug cartels and repressive regimes. By the 1980s, the series seemed stalled: three different creative teams alternated on the serial: Raoul Cauvin & Nic Broca, Yves Chaland and Philippe Vandevelde (writing as Tome<\/em>) and illustrator Jean-Richard Geurts AKA Janry<\/em>. These last adapted and referenced the still-beloved Franquin era and revived the feature\u2019s fortunes, producing 14 wonderful albums between 1984-1998. Since their departure, Lewis Trondheim and the teams of Jean-Davide Morvan & Jose-Luis Munuera and Fabien Vehlmann & Yoann brought the official album count to 55. In 2022, scripters Sophie Guerrive & Benjamin Abitan united with artist and Olivier Schwartz on La Mort de Spirou<\/em><\/strong>). There have also been dozens of specials, spin-offs series and one-shots, official and otherwise. This review concerns one of those…<\/p>\n

As heroic Everymen, Spirou & Fantasio inhabit a broad swathe of recent history in tales ranging from wild comedic fantasy to edgy, trenchant satires. In 2018, German publisher Carlsen Verlag sought to celebrate 80 years of Spirou in a new tale by a German creator: one that would be inaugurally released in German before Dupuis published French and Dutch editions. Their choice was beloved and much-admired comics creator\/children\u2019s book author Flix (Faust<\/em><\/strong>, Don Quijote<\/em><\/strong>, M\u00fcnchhausen – Die Wahrheit \u00fcbers L\u00fcgen<\/em><\/strong>, held<\/em><\/strong>, Sch\u00f6ne T\u00f6chter, Gl\u00fcckskind<\/em><\/strong>, Der Swimmingpool des kleinen Mannes<\/em><\/strong>, Verflixt!<\/em><\/strong>).<\/p>\n

As Felix G\u00f6rmann, he was born in M\u00fcnster – about 45 miles from the German-Dutch border – on 16th<\/sup> October 1976. He grew up with the Berlin Wall very much a part of life and reading loads of comics, particularly Franquin, Peyo, Morris and the best of Le Journal de Spirou<\/em><\/strong>. Drawn to humour by inclination, he experienced a major system reset at age 16 after seeing Frank Miller\u2019s The Dark Knight Returns<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

G\u00f6rmann resolved to be a comics creator and to that end studied Communication Design at Saarbr\u00fccken\u2019s Saar College of Fine Arts before attending the Escola Massana in Barcelona. His rise was meteoric and his output prolific. Citing influences as diverse as Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes<\/strong>), Will Eisner (The Spirit<\/strong>, A Contract With God<\/strong>) and Craig Thompson (Blankets<\/strong>, Ginseng Roots<\/strong>) as well as Euro-stars from Christophe Blain (Socrate le Demi-Chien<\/em><\/strong>, Isaac Le Pirate<\/em><\/strong>) and Guy Delisle (Inspecteur Moroni<\/em><\/strong>, Shenzen<\/em><\/strong>, Pyongyang – A journey in North Korea<\/strong>) to countrymen Ralf K\u00f6nig (Bullenkl\u00f6ten<\/em><\/strong>, The Killer Condom<\/strong>, Down to the Bone<\/strong>) and \u201cMawil\u201d\/Markus Witzel (Teufel & Pistolen<\/strong>, Hitman<\/strong>, Supa-Hasi<\/em><\/strong>, Lucky Luke<\/strong>), Flix was ultimately the first German to create new adventures for Spirou & Fantasio. It was such a well-received affair that in 2019 Spirou in Berlin<\/strong> won the Peng! M\u00fcnchner Comicpreis<\/em>. In 2022, Flix created a similarly Spirou-inspired notional follow-up. Set in 1930s Berlin, the Das Humboldt-tier<\/em><\/strong> sees a little girl befriend a Marsupilami kept at the Museum of Natural History. Hopefully we\u2019ll see that someday soon…
\n\"\"
\nHere however, is a glorious edgy, gleefully barbed take on past events as, at the most precarious and tumultuous moment of the 44-years-long Cold War, East German apparatchiks and master manipulators starved of all resources but putting on a deceptive public show of affluence, activate a desperate last-ditch plan. They have a bizarre scheme to shatter the global economy and gain economic dominance, and one of the West\u2019s craziest villains to build the kit necessary to expedite it, but still need the unique expertise of the Count de Champignac to make it work.
\n\"\"
\nSadly, their supposedly seamless abduction of the mushroom mage is rumbled by regular house guests Spirou, Fantasio and Spip, who go after their friend and break\/sneak\/are allowed to enter into the German Democratic Republic (GDR), utterly unaware that their interference is not only anticipated but actively required…<\/p>\n

Of course, the machinations of the Stasi – officially the Ministry for State Security (MfS) – are constantly but quietly scotched by decent East Germans like Paul & Paula<\/em>, Rainier<\/em> and Momo<\/em> (and her army of liberated zoo animals), all working to be free from fear, liberated from lies and out from beneath crushingly brutal oppression. The ordinary East Berliners have a crucial need for their truth to be published on the other side of the Wall, but Spirou refuses to go anywhere until Fantasio and the Count are safe (PDQ)…
\n\"\"
\nWry, thrilling and sublimely whacky, this cartoon romp is a perfect, canny codicil to the comic canon, embracing the best of all Spirou sagas by wrapping the timeless tale up in a fast-paced, rollercoaster ride of subversive messaging. Total fun with verities that have never been more worth reviewing, Spirou in Berlin<\/strong> is a book all grown up kids need to see.
\n\u00a9 2018, 2019 – CARLSSEN\/DUPUIS – Flix. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Flix, coloured by Marvin Clifford with Ralf Marczinczik, & translated by Michael Waaler (Europe Comics) No ISBN: digital only This book includes Discriminatory Content produced for dramatic and humorous effect. Although I\u2019ve never for a moment considered history dry or dull, I can readily appreciate the constant urge to personalise characters or humanise events … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Spirou in Berlin”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","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":[191,351,113,239,63,122,125,225,111,184,169,93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-apes-monkeys","category-comedy","category-drama","category-european-classics","category-historical","category-humour","category-mystery","category-satirepolitics","category-spirou-fantasio","category-spy-stories","category-war-stories"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8zs","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32950","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=32950"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32955,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32950\/revisions\/32955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}