Dargaud
Encyclopedia
Les Éditions Dargaud is a publisher of Franco-Belgian comics
series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris
. It was founded in 1943 by Georges Dargaud.
Initially, Dargaud published novels for women. In 1948, they started Line, a "magazine for elegant women", as well as a French edition of the Belgian
Tintin magazine
.
In 1960, Dargaud bought the weekly magazine Pilote
from René Goscinny
, Albert Uderzo
, and Jean-Michel Charlier
, and the same year they published their first albums. Goscinny continued as editor of the magazine, and Charlier was album editor for a period.
In 1974, Dargaud wanted to diversify, and Pilote became a monthly magazine, and spawned another two monthly magazines. The new magazines were Lucky Luke Mensuel (a Western
themed magazine around the series Lucky Luke
) and Achille Talon Magazine (a humor based magazine around the series Achille Talon
). However, both of them were unable to sustain a readership and folded within a year. The comics from these two magazines were put back into Pilote.
In 1988, Dargaud was acquired by Média-Participations
.
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
series, headquartered in the 18th arrondissement of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It was founded in 1943 by Georges Dargaud.
Initially, Dargaud published novels for women. In 1948, they started Line, a "magazine for elegant women", as well as a French edition of the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Tintin magazine
Tintin (magazine)
Le journal de Tintin or Kuifje , was a weekly Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century...
.
In 1960, Dargaud bought the weekly magazine Pilote
Pilote
thumb|Cover of the first Pilote teaser issue, #0.Pilote was a French comics periodical published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major French or Belgian comics talents of its day the magazine introduced major series such as Astérix le Gaulois, Blueberry, Achille Talon, and Valérian et...
from René Goscinny
René Goscinny
René Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family...
, Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
, and Jean-Michel Charlier
Jean-Michel Charlier
Jean-Michel Charlier was a Belgian script writer best known as a writer of realistic European comics. He was a co-founder of the famed European comics magazine Pilote.-Biography:...
, and the same year they published their first albums. Goscinny continued as editor of the magazine, and Charlier was album editor for a period.
In 1974, Dargaud wanted to diversify, and Pilote became a monthly magazine, and spawned another two monthly magazines. The new magazines were Lucky Luke Mensuel (a Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
themed magazine around the series Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke
Lucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist, Maurice De Bevere better known as Morris, the original artist, and was for one period written by René Goscinny...
) and Achille Talon Magazine (a humor based magazine around the series Achille Talon
Achille Talon
Achille Talon is a Franco-Belgian comics series featuring an eponymous main character, created by Greg . Starting publication in the comics magazine Pilote in 1963, the series presents the comic misadventures of an anti-hero.The name derives from "talon d'Achille", the French term for an...
). However, both of them were unable to sustain a readership and folded within a year. The comics from these two magazines were put back into Pilote.
In 1988, Dargaud was acquired by Média-Participations
Média-Participations
Média-Participations is a French media concern, controlled by a Belgian holding concern, specialized in Franco-Belgian comics. It has some forty publishers in its portfolio, including Dupuis, Dargaud, Le Lombard and Fleurus.-History:...
.
Selected titles
- AsterixAsterixAsterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
- Albert UderzoAlbert UderzoAlbert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
and René GoscinnyRené GoscinnyRené Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family... - Barbe rouge - Jean-Michel CharlierJean-Michel CharlierJean-Michel Charlier was a Belgian script writer best known as a writer of realistic European comics. He was a co-founder of the famed European comics magazine Pilote.-Biography:...
, Victor HubinonVictor HubinonVictor Hubinon was a Belgian comic-book artist, best known for the series Buck Danny and Redbeard.-Biography:...
etc. - Black Moon ChroniclesBlack Moon ChroniclesThe Black Moon Chronicles is an epic dark fantasy French comic series.-Publication history:Written by François Marcela-Froideval, the Black Moon Chronicles is an epic story offset by liberal doses of irreverent humour and the use of colloquial modern French over the archaic language usually found...
- Olivier LedroitOlivier LedroitOlivier Ledroit is a French comic book artist, perhaps best known for his work on the Black Moon Chronicles series. He has also worked on art designs in the Might and Magic franchise....
and François Marcela-FroidevalFrançois Marcela-FroidevalFrançois Marcela-Froideval is a French role-playing game, videogame and comic scenarist.Froideval had a major influence on the introduction of role-playing games in France, mainly as editor in chief of the now-defunct Casus Belli role-playing magazine... - BlacksadBlacksadBlacksad is a comic album series created by Spanish authors Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido , and published by French publisher Dargaud. Though both authors are Spanish, their main target audience for Blacksad is the French market and thus they publish all Blacksad volumes in French first;...
- Juan Diaz CanalesJuan Díaz CanalesJuan Díaz Canales is a Spanish comics artist and an animated film director, known as the co-creator of Blacksad.-Biography:...
and Juanjo GuarnidoJuanjo GuarnidoJuanjo Guarnido is a Spanish illustrator and the co-author of the comic book series Blacksad.-Biography:Guarnido was born in Granada, Spain. He studied painting at the art school of Granada. He collaborated on several fanzines and produced work for Marvel comics. Unfortunately, the small size of... - Blake and MortimerBlake and MortimerBlake and Mortimer is a Belgian comics series created by the Belgian writer and comics artist Edgar P. Jacobs. It was one of the first series to appear in the Belgian comics magazine Tintin in 1946, and was subsequently published in book form by Les Editions du Lombard.The main protagonists of the...
- Edgar Pierre JacobsEdgar Pierre JacobsEdgard Félix Pierre Jacobs, , better known under his pen name Edgar P. Jacobs, was a Belgian comic book creator , born in Brussels, Belgium...
etc. - Blueberry - Jean-Michel CharlierJean-Michel CharlierJean-Michel Charlier was a Belgian script writer best known as a writer of realistic European comics. He was a co-founder of the famed European comics magazine Pilote.-Biography:...
, Jean GiraudJean GiraudJean Henri Gaston Giraud is a French comics artist. Giraud has earned worldwide fame, not only under his own name but also under the pseudonym Moebius, and to a lesser extent Gir, the latter appearing mostly in the form of a boxed signature at the bottom of the artist's paintings, for instance the...
etc. - DjinnDjinn (comic book)Djinn is a Franco-Belgian comics series written by Jean Dufaux and illustrated by Ana Mirallès. The story is an adult adventure-thriller and deals with themes of sexuality and colonial politics....
- Jean DufauxJean DufauxJean Dufaux is a Belgian comic book writer. Initially beginning his professional career as a journalist for "CINÉ-PRESSE", Dufaux started writing comic books in the 1980s...
and Ana MirallèsAna MirallesAna Miralles is a Spanish comic books artist, known particularly for her treatment of erotic subjects.... - Lucky LukeLucky LukeLucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist, Maurice De Bevere better known as Morris, the original artist, and was for one period written by René Goscinny...
- MorrisMorris (comics)Maurice De Bevere , better known as Morris, was a Belgian cartoonist and the creator of Lucky Luke. His pen name is an alternate spelling of his first name.-Biography:...
, René GoscinnyRené GoscinnyRené Goscinny was a French comics editor and writer, who is best known for the comic book Astérix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris and Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.-Early life:Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, to a family...
etc. (on Lucky Comics, joint venture between Lucky Productions and Dargaud) - PhilemonPhilémon (comics)Philémon is a series in the Franco-Belgian comics style created by French artist Fred and published by Dargaud. The series began serial publication in the comics magazine Pilote on July 22, 1965, before it eventually became an album series...
- FredFred (comics)Fredéric Othon Theodore Aristidès, known by his pseudonym Fred, is a French comics artist and comic book creator in the Franco-Belgian comics tradition... - Tanguy et LaverdureTanguy et LaverdureLes Aventures de Tanguy et Laverdure is a Franco-Belgian comics series created by Jean-Michel Charlier and Albert Uderzo, about the two pilots Michel Tanguy and Ernest Laverdure, and their adventures in the French Air Force.-Publication history:...
- Jean-Michel CharlierJean-Michel CharlierJean-Michel Charlier was a Belgian script writer best known as a writer of realistic European comics. He was a co-founder of the famed European comics magazine Pilote.-Biography:...
, Albert UderzoAlbert UderzoAlbert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
, JijéJijéJijé was a Belgian comics artist, best known for being a seminal artist on the Spirou et Fantasio strip and the creator of one of the first major European western strips, Jerry Spring.-Biography:Born Joseph Gillain in Gedinne, Namur, he completed various art studies Jijé (13 January 1914 – 20...
etc. - The Vagabond of LimboThe Vagabond of LimboThe Vagabond of Limbo is a French science-fiction comic book series written by Christian Godard and illustrated by Julio Ribera, and published by Dargaud....
- Christian GodardChristian GodardChristian Godard is a French comic artist and writer of the comic series Martin Milan for Tintin magazine.He has also worked on the following series, among others:* Le vagabond des limbes* Norbert and Kari...
, Julio Ribera - Valérian - Pierre ChristinPierre Christin- Biography :Christin was born at Saint-Mandé in 1938.After graduating from the Sorbonne, Christin pursued graduate studies in political science at SciencesPo and became a professor of French literature at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. His first comics story, Le Rhum du Punch, illustrated...
and Jean-Claude MézièresJean-Claude MézièresJean-Claude Mézières is a French comic strip artist and illustrator. Born and raised in Paris, he was introduced to drawing by his older brother and influenced by comics artists such as Hergé, Andre Franquin and Morris and later by Jijé and Jack Davis... - XIIIXIII (comic book)XIII is a Franco-Belgian comics series written and drawn by Belgians Jean Van Hamme and William Vance, revolving around an amnesiac protagonist who seeks to discover his concealed past. With its plot inspired by Robert Ludlum's book The Bourne Identity, XIII was initially serialised in 1984 in...
- Jean van HammeJean Van HammeJean Van Hamme is a Belgian novelist and comic book writer. He has written scripts for a number of Belgian/French comic series, including Histoire sans héros, Thorgal, XIII and Largo Winch.-Early years:...
and William VanceWilliam VanceWilliam Vance, the pen name of William van Cutsem, born 8 September 1935, is a Belgian comics artist widely known throughout a long career for his distinctive style and work in Franco-Belgian comics.- Biography :...