AHC : European Comics end up better than Japanese Mangas and American Comics

Yuelang

Yuelang

Banned
With a PODs somewhere after 1935, make European (esp Belgian) comics much more well known compared to their Japanese and American counterparts in 2000s

Bonus points if the positions are shuffled like this : European on top with many publications and encompassing all genres, Japan in second, and US Comics withers away and only known as classics for collectors.
 

Badshah

European comics do have global reach; Tintin and Asterix are popular in India, for example, while manga is much more niche. In Quebec as well.
 

PoorBoy

Badshah said:
European comics do have global reach; Tintin and Asterix are popular in India, for example, while manga is much more niche. In Quebec as well.
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Indeed, French comics were popular before the 1980s. Perhaps, the challenge would be for French artists to continue this momentum.
 

mlp

I mean, who hasn't heard of Tintin? :D
Perhaps assessing why they gained such a global renown would be important before going any further. Why did they become so famous? Was it *Belgian governmental policy? Was it sheer luck?
 
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Driftless

Driftless

Donor
The great things with both Tintin & Asterix:
  • Great narrative stories with a beginning, middle, and end
  • Great detailed drawing - beautiful, but that had to be expensive to produce
  • Good (if dated) humor
  • Universal appeal across cultures
They were products of a time where conventional mores for that era - both involved some level of ethnic stereotyping that was a part of the storylines. Perhaps the post-1960's era takes a somewhat darker twist?
 
Eivind

Eivind

Spirou and Fantasio has only recently been published in English, although together with the spin-off Gaston, it is the third most popular Franco-Belgian comic. It is strange that they have not become translated to English before, as they have become translated to many other languages. In Scandinavia Franco-Belgian comics are more wellknown than Japanese mangas (at least among the adult population).
 
Michel Van

Michel Van

yes, TinTin and Spirou are Belgium and they began before 1940.

but they became world fame in 1960s in same time the French comic made similar evolution
there is gap in Belgium comic, while Walloon team up with french to form the French-Belgium comic world
Went the Flemish another way independent with connection to Netherlands
like Will Vandersteen with Spike and Suzy ( US tittle: Willy and Wanda ) or ingenious Nero by Marc Sleen.

French-Belgium comic world flourished with work of Herge The Adventures of Tintin, Peyo the Smurfs, Jacobs Blake and Mortimer, André Franquin version of Spirou and his mean Gaston and Morris Lucky Luke or the devil of a fellow artist Jijé
but that work was split under two publishing house: Lombard (Studio Herge, ligne Clair style) with magazine Tintin and Dupuis ( Marcinelle School style) and there magazine Spirou

in same time allot of French artist and writers were looking for Jobs in Belgium Comic like Albert Uderzo, René Goscinny they work for little while for Spirou in 1950s
Also allot of French and Belgium comic artist made educational tour to USA ! like Jijé who took Morris, Franquin and Will on lunacy odyssey true 1950s USA
At end of 1950s Albert Uderzo, René Goscinny left Dupuis with disillusion about creative freedom, back in France Goscinny proposed publishing house Dargaud, a Comic magazine in stile of Spriou,
It Became PILOTE the first issue feature a story by Albert Uderzo, René Goscinny: Asterix, the Gaulle

Allot of Belgium and French Artis came to PILOTE to work because editor René Goscinny guarantee Artistic freedom, what Catholic conservative Lombard and Dupuis not offer in that time.
a new Generation of Artis came and join the team of PILOTE, Like Jean-Claude Forest Babarella, Jean Giraud Blueberry and returning from educational tour to USA Jean-Claude Mézières Valérian and Laureline
now during 1960s the French-Belgium comic world explode, but instead to stop, it went in higher gear
a exhausted Jean Giraud went to trip in Mexican desert, after some months He return calling himself now Mœbius

Mœbius and other french artis start there publishing house: Les Humanoïdes Associés (the united Humanoids) and there legendary magazine Metal Hurlant (US tittle: HEAVY METAL)



Now how to give this a way into USA and it Comic Superheros market ?
one way would be the Bankrupcy of Marvel or DC Comic (what happen several times almost)
other way is that US Congress push harsher Comic code, like Batman & Robin is banned for calumniation about it's Homosexuality tune
that publishing house editor are force switch to French-Belgium comic imports like The Adventures of Tintin, Spirou and the Smurfs
until they are reorganized, only to realized that readers really like those comic more that superheros...
 
NCW8

NCW8

For British comics, how about a more successful relaunch of Dan Dare in the Seventies:

spread01.jpg



Cheers,
Nigel.
 

Cryhavoc101

2000 AD breaks into the US

The 'Dark' TV animated series Rogue Trooper later airs in the 90's

Heh - just watched Dredd again last night - the "Slow" scenes are superb

Making Violence Beautiful :D
 

pompejus

Eivind said:
In Scandinavia Franco-Belgian comics are more wellknown than Japanese mangas (at least among the adult population).
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In the Netherlands too. Franco-Belgian comics are far better known than Japanese or American comics*. Here Franco-Belgian comics, like Tintin, Asterix and Lucky Luke dominate the comicbook market, while superhero comics and Manga are a nichemarket.


*there is one exception though. The most populair comics in the Netherlands are American: Donald Duck comics, although in these days most aren't made in America anymore.
 
Michel Van

Michel Van

pompejus said:
In the Netherlands too. Franco-Belgian comics are far better known than Japanese or American comics*. Here Franco-Belgian comics, like Tintin, Asterix and Lucky Luke dominate the comicbook market, while superhero comics and Manga are a nichemarket.


*there is one exception though. The most populair comics in the Netherlands are American: Donald Duck comics, although in these days most aren't made in America anymore.
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Last time i was in Eindhoven comic shop EPPO, the dutch Manga "corner" became a complete room...
but not so insane like in German or French/Walloon Comic shop who are partitioned into two big section Comic and Manga...

On Donald Duck, Disney got European studios, who made duck Comic, the moste famous is in Italy.
with ingenious Paperinik, (brit titel. Avenger Duck, US title Super-Duck)

I forgot 2000AD, next to Judge Dredd, there have hell of brilliant work like Shakara, Sláine (Simon Bisley) and Brass Sun etc.
and sub zero cool move "DREDD" a truly adaptation to Judge Dredd, not that Stallone Box office bomb...
 
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