Isabelle (comics)
Encyclopedia
Isabelle is a Belgian comic
series drawn by Will
and written by Franquin, Delporte
and Macherot.
The comic first appeared in Spirou
in 1970. Created by a top team of already-famous contributors to the magazine, the series gained a small but fanatical following. The first stories were written by Franquin (of Gaston Lagaffe
fame), Delporte (editor of Spirou and writer of many comics) and Macherot (creator of Sybilline). Later, Delporte alone wrote the stories in collaboration with Will. Twelve albums were published until the series ended with Will's death in 2000.
The stories have a poetical tone, although mixed with tons of jokes and puns, rhyming ghosts, a talking diamond and Isabelle's down-to-earth aunt – whose greatest concern when Isabelle gets into an adventure is whether she's dressed warmly enough, even when she descends into Hades
. The drawings are packed with details and the poetic nature of the stories comes thru in the imaginative animals and backgrounds.
.
Belgian comics
Belgian comics are a distinct subgroup in the comics history, and played a major role in the development of European comics, alongside France with whom they share a long common history...
series drawn by Will
Will (comics)
Willy Maltaite known by the pseudonym Will, was a comics creator and comics artist in the Franco-Belgian tradition...
and written by Franquin, Delporte
Yvan Delporte
Yvan Delporte was a Belgian comics writer, and was editor-in-chief of Spirou magazine between 1955 and 1968 during a period considered by many the golden age of Franco-Belgian comics...
and Macherot.
The comic first appeared in Spirou
Spirou (magazine)
Spirou magazine is a weekly Belgian comics magazine published by the Dupuis company...
in 1970. Created by a top team of already-famous contributors to the magazine, the series gained a small but fanatical following. The first stories were written by Franquin (of Gaston Lagaffe
Gaston Lagaffe
Gaston is a comic strip created in 1957 by the Belgian cartoonist André Franquin in the comic strip magazine, Spirou. The series focuses on the every-day life of Gaston Lagaffe, a lazy and accident-prone office junior...
fame), Delporte (editor of Spirou and writer of many comics) and Macherot (creator of Sybilline). Later, Delporte alone wrote the stories in collaboration with Will. Twelve albums were published until the series ended with Will's death in 2000.
Plot
The little girl Isabelle (named after Franquin's daughter) gets into a lot of adventures when the evil witch Calendula troubles Isabelle's uncle Hermès and his fiancée, the good witch Calendula (who is the grand-grand-grand-etc. daughter of the evil Calendula). Other stories are about a magical painting, a flying village or a floating island.The stories have a poetical tone, although mixed with tons of jokes and puns, rhyming ghosts, a talking diamond and Isabelle's down-to-earth aunt – whose greatest concern when Isabelle gets into an adventure is whether she's dressed warmly enough, even when she descends into Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
. The drawings are packed with details and the poetic nature of the stories comes thru in the imaginative animals and backgrounds.
Reprints
All the stories have recently been reprinted in three omnibus editions by Le LombardLe Lombard
Le Lombard or Lombard Editions is a Belgian comic book publisher established in 1946 when the Tintin magazine was launched. In 1986 the company was acquired by Média-Participations.-Titles:Lombard's more famous series include:*Clifton...
.