Simon Alexander
André Franquin (French: [fʁɑ̃kɛ̃]; 3 January 1924 – 5 January 1997) was an influential Belgian comics artist, whose best-known creations are Gaston and Marsupilami. He also produced the Spirou et Fantasio comic strip from 1946 to 1968, a period seen by many as the series’ golden age.
| Name | André Franquin |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 January 1924, Etterbeek, Belgium |
| Died | 5 January 1997 (aged 73), Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Occupation | Comics artist, illustrator |
| Known for | Gaston Lagaffe, Marsupilami, Spirou et Fantasio |
| Awards | Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême (1974), Knight of the Order of Leopold (1991), among others |
| Style/Movement | Marcinelle School |
| Notable works | Gaston Lagaffe, Spirou et Fantasio, Idées noires |
| Influenced | Jean Roba, Janry, Jidéhem, Francisco Ibáñez |
Biography
Franquin’s Beginnings
Franquin was born in Etterbeek in 1924. Although he started drawing at an early age, he received his first formal art training at the École Saint-Luc in 1943. A year later, the school was forced to close due to World War II. Franquin then joined Compagnie belge d’actualités (CBA), a short-lived animation studio in Brussels. There, he met future comics luminaries such as Maurice de Bevere (Morris), Pierre Culliford (Peyo), and Eddy Paape. After CBA dissolved, Franquin, Morris, and Paape were hired by Dupuis in 1945.
Franquin began his career drawing covers and cartoons for Le Moustique, a weekly magazine, and contributed to the scouting magazine Plein Jeu. He and Morris were mentored by Joseph Gillain (Jijé), who turned his home into a creative hub for young artists. Franquin joined Jijé’s “Gang of Four,” which formed the foundation of what became known as the Marcinelle school of comics.
Jijé handed the Spirou et Fantasio strip to Franquin just five pages into Spirou et la maison préfabriquée. From issue #427 in June 1946, Franquin took over full responsibility for the series. Over the next two decades, he reinvented the strip with longer story arcs and a cast of eccentric characters. Among them was the Marsupilami, a fictional creature with a prehensile tail that became a cultural icon.
Mid Period
By the early 1950s, Franquin had solidified his style and become a favorite among readers. He mentored younger artists like Jean Roba and Jidéhem. In 1955, due to a dispute with Dupuis, Franquin briefly worked for Tintin magazine, creating Modeste et Pompon with scripts from René Goscinny and Peyo.
In 1957, Spirou editor Yvan Delporte suggested a character that would become Gaston Lagaffe. Initially used to fill empty spaces in the magazine, Gaston’s humorous mishaps soon earned him a regular spot and widespread popularity. The character evolved to reflect Franquin’s growing interest in themes such as pacifism and environmentalism.
A bout of depression in the early 1960s forced Franquin to pause his work on Spirou et Fantasio, though he continued drawing Gaston due to its lighter tone. He officially passed the Spirou series to Jean-Claude Fournier in 1967 and focused on his own projects.
Later Period
Franquin’s art style continued to evolve in the 1960s and 70s, becoming more dynamic and expressive. In 1977, during another bout of depression, he created Idées noires, a darkly humorous and pessimistic strip tackling themes such as war, death, and pollution. Initially published in Le Trombone Illustré, it later moved to Fluide Glacial.
From 1978 to 1986, Franquin helped develop Isabelle, a fantasy series featuring a young girl in a world of monsters and witches. The series was named after Franquin’s daughter.
In 1974, he was honored with the inaugural Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême. His works have been widely translated and remain influential. Franquin passed away in 1997 in Saint-Laurent-du-Var at age 73. A major retrospective, “Le monde de Franquin,” was held in Paris in 2004 and later in Brussels. In 2005, he was voted the 18th greatest Belgian in a public poll.
Awards and Honors
- 1972: Prix Saint-Michel (Belgium) for Gaston Lagaffe
- 1974: Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême (France)
- 1980: Adamson Award (Sweden)
- 1981: Prix Saint-Michel (Belgium) for Idées noires
- 1987: Grand Prix for Graphic Arts at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
- 1991: Knight of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)
- 1996: Max & Moritz Special Prize for Lifetime Achievement (Germany)
- 2017: Asteroid 293985 Franquin named in his memory
Bibliography
Series
- Spirou et Fantasio (1946–1968) – 20 albums (Dupuis)
- Modeste et Pompon (1955–1959) – 3 albums (Lombard)
- Gaston Lagaffe (1957–1996) – 19 albums (Dupuis and Marsu Productions)
- Le Petit Noël (1957–1959) – 1 album (Dupuis)
- Idées noires (1977–1983) – 2 albums (Fluide Glacial)
- Isabelle (1978–1986) – 5 albums (Dupuis)
- Marsupilami (1987–1989) – 3 albums (Marsu Productions)
One-Shots and Other Works
- Cauchemarrant (1979)
- Les robinsons du rail (1981)
- Les démêlés d’Arnest Ringard et d’Augraphie (1981)
- L’Encyclopédie du Marsupilami (1991)
- Arnest Ringard et Augraphie (2006)
- Slowburn (1982)
- Les Tifous (1990)
- Le trombone illustré (2005)
- Un monstre par semaine (2005)
- Les noëls de Franquin (2006)
Sketchbooks
- Les doodles de Franquin
- Le bestiaire de Franquin (Vol. 1 & 2)
- Les monstres de Franquin (Vol. 1 & 2)
- Tronches à gogo
- Les signatures de Franquin
Influence
Franquin’s style, full of dynamic movement and vibrant emotion, contrasts with the cleaner, more static ligne claire style of Hergé. Hergé himself admired Franquin’s draftsmanship, once saying, “Compared to him, I’m but a poor draftsman.”
As a central figure of the Marcinelle School, Franquin influenced generations of artists, including Jean-Claude Fournier, Nic Broca, Janry, Jidéhem, and Batem. His influence extended to Spain, notably impacting Francisco Ibáñez and Ramón María Casanyes.
Legacy
André Franquin’s legacy in the world of comics is monumental. Widely considered one of the greatest European cartoonists of the 20th century, Franquin elevated the art of humorous comics with his vibrant line work, expressive characters, and narrative depth. His creations, such as Gaston Lagaffe and the Marsupilami, became icons of Franco-Belgian pop culture and continue to charm audiences today through reprints, animated adaptations, and merchandise.
His innovative storytelling in Spirou et Fantasio not only revitalized the series but also set a new standard for serialized adventure comics. The characters he created and the humor he infused into his work have left an enduring mark on generations of readers and artists. Gaston, in particular, evolved into a symbol of anti-authoritarian whimsy, environmental awareness, and absurdist humor—traits that resonated deeply with readers in the postwar and countercultural eras.
Franquin’s technical prowess, particularly his ability to imbue movement and emotion into every panel, has been praised by peers and critics alike. His works have become essential study material in comic art schools, and his stylistic innovations have influenced countless artists not only in Belgium and France but also across Europe and Latin America.
Moreover, his darker work Idées noires showed the breadth of his emotional and thematic range, venturing into the realms of satire, existential dread, and social criticism. This bold shift demonstrated that comics could serve as a medium for both laughter and serious reflection.
Franquin’s influence lives on in the continued popularity of his characters, the artists he mentored and inspired, and the reverence with which his work is still held in the comic community. His name is synonymous with excellence in cartooning, and his creations remain enduring symbols of the artistic and cultural vitality of the Franco-Belgian comics tradition.
