Born 03/01/24 in Etterbeek (Belgium) Deceased 05/01/97
Scenario writer - and one of the biggest european artist of this century...
20 years old, Franquin attends Saint Luc School in Brussels for oneyear.
Finishing in 1944 and fascinated by Disney, he enters the C.B.A.animated cartoon studios.
He meets Morris, Peyo and Paape.Following the disappearance of this studio, a new team places itselfunder the wings of the one-man band of the Journal de Spirou : JosephGillain, alias Jijé. A new 4 man band is formed (Jijé, Franquin, Morriset Will). They work and live together.
All take profit in the advice of genius Joseph. He confides Franquin the revival of Spirou to which he just added Fantasio, which he does by drawing the Tank, a complete 12 pages story (published in the 1947 Spirou Almanach), then taking over on high speed les Maisons préfabriquées starting from the 6th page (look at ’ the album" Radar le Robot" - Dupuis 1977).
In parallel, he realises numerous illustrations not only in the weekly Spirou but also in Le Moustique, Plein-Jeu and Bonnes Soirées.
In 1948, the four travel to the United States and to Mexico. Once back in Belgium, Franquin marries the woman of his life, Lilian, and consecrates himself entirely to the personage of Spirou. He gives his best effort to this series and his best personages : the Count and the Mayor of Champagne, Zorglub,...
January 31st 1952, during the episode « Spirou et les héritiers », he brings in Marsupilami, one of the most fabulous imaginary animals of the 9th art. Following a difference with editor Dupuis, Franquin works not only for Spirou but also for Tintin. For Raymond Leblanc’s weekly, he sketches (from 1954 to 1959) the exquisite « Modeste et Pompom ». Presented in the form of a one page joke, this series restrains him to a sober and efficient presentation. An exactitude which he keeps for his entire career.
« Modeste et Pompom » announce what will be his most poplar personage : Gaston Lagaffe. In 1957, the ancestor of all anti-heros, makes his appearance in Spirou. In 1968, Franquin decides to abandon Spirou and Fantasio, confiding the series to Jean-Claude Fournier, in order to consecrate himself totally to the fiancé of Mademoiselle Jeanne.
After 14 titles with Dupuis, a new album is realized (100% Franquin) with Marsu Productions. In 1977, with Yvan Delporte, he creates Le Trombone Illustrated, an autonomous supplement of Spirou’s Journal, and here he conceives his first « Idées Noires ». With the disappearance of the Trombone, Fluide Glacial shifts into place and welcomes the masters of black humour. Real geniuses never sleep and appear there where we don'’t expect them! Man of all challenges, he creates, at the dawn of the 90'’s, a universe destined for animated cartoons : the Tifous. In the secret of his workshop, for his own pleasure, he sketches thousands of « Monsters ».
Along with Gaston, Marsupilami remains his favorite character. Didn'’t he choose to keep his rights when he abandoned « Spirou et Fantasio » ?
In 1987, with Batem et Greg, he decides to bring Marsupilami back to life. A publishor’s house was created for this noble task : Marsu Productions. Franquin continues to watch over the destiny of the palombian forest king. He actively participates in the development of the scenario with Yann and suggests to Batem a number of graphic compositions.
In 1992, Dupuis publishes « Signé Franquin », a collection reuniting his best work. In addition, Franquin drew up - with Delporte and sometimes Raymond Macherot - several episodes of Isabelle illustrated by Will, then Arnest Ringard drawn by Frédéric Jannin.
Hergé would say of him : « When I see a Franquin, for example, I say to myself : « How could anyone compare us? - he is a grand artist, beside which I am only a shabby drawer. »(Numa Sadoul - ouvrage Tintin et moi, edition Casterman); if this judgement appears a little peremptory, it is nonetheless witness of the admiration from the father of Tintin and Milou, towards one of the most fabulous representatives of European comic book artists.
The graphic style of André Franquin, lively and expressive, his inspired sense of humour, subtle and intelligent, his legendary modesty, impose him in fact as one of the uncontestable leaders in the line of the Marcinelle school. (regrouping the classic sketch artists from the Spirou Journal).
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