Comic strip classics

Franco-Belgian comics are mainly French-language strips published by French and/or Belgian publishers.

After 1945, the weeklies Spirou and Tintin engaged in stimulating competition. Under the leadership of Hergé, the latter published realistic series intended to be serious and educational. Its heroes include Blake and Mortimer (created by Edgar P. Jacobs), Corentin (Paul Cuvelier), Barelli (Bob De Moor), Michel Vaillant (Jean Graton) and Ric Hochet (Tibet and Duchâteau). Under the influence of its editor-in-chief, Yvan Delporte, Spirou showed greater graphic imagination. Jerry Spring (created by Jijé), Tif et Tondu (Will and Rosy), Lucky Luke (Morris), Gil Jourdan (Tillieux), Boule et Bill (Roba), Johan et Pirlouit et les Schtroumpfs (Peyo) and Gaston Lagaffe (Franquin) are just some of the iconic characters.

In the following decade, Asterix, the Gaulish hero, gave a shot of magic potion to comics from France. The weekly Pilote revealed a generation of new heroes, from Blueberry to Philémon, and French authors, from Philippe Druillet to Enki Bilal. It opened up to a wide readership, whereas Belgian comics had been aimed primarily at children and teenagers.

Today, comics are internationalized. The notion of "Franco-Belgian comics" echoes the old cloth-backed albums published by Dupuis or Le Lombard. And while their creators may have disappeared, the great Belgian heroes never die: from Spirou to Blake and Mortimer and from Lucky Luke to Tif et Tondu, they are now being taken up by new authors.