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Philémon (comics)
Encyclopedia
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. The general tone of the series is of fantastic realism
, depicting the adventures of the young farmboy Philémon in surreal adventures featuring odd creatures in odd places, and it is considered one of the most poetic and original bande dessinée series of all time.
Philémon's early adventures had him as a young local troublemaker who is attacked one day by a crocodile in the river (in the middle of a typical European countryside). This leads him to an underground circus run by a hypnotist. His next adventure had him discovering that his uncle Phélicien could make things tiny or gigantic by looking at them through a magic telescope.
The real story however began when, by accident, Philémon fell down a well and ended up on a beach. This well was a "portal" and Philémon ended up in an odd world, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland in its alterations of commonly accepted reality, with strange characters which varied from people with butterfly wings to centaur
s. Philémon also met Barthélémy, a well digger who had gone through the same portal and ended up trapped on an island for forty years. The island was one of many which formed the letters of the Atlantic Ocean
on maps and globe
s. In the course of their adventures Philémon and Mister Barthélémy would travel from between their native countryside to the various islands, using Uncle Phélicien's magic.
s.
Barthélémy: a well-digger who, while at work, found himself travelling through a portal and ending up on the first A island. Although he got to live in a beautiful palace he soon became homesick and sent messages in bottles in an attempt to get rescued from the island. This lasted 40 years before Philémon came across one such message and helped Barthélémy return home. Before long, however, Barthélémy became homesick for the island! and his desperate desire to return was the cause of many of their subsequent adventures.
Phélicien: Philémon's uncle whose studies of magic enable him to send Barthélémy and Philémon to and from the magical lands. No method of travel can be used twice, so Phélicien's methods vary from a zipper
hidden in the ground to a magical barrel of water. The constant travelling does cause disturbances in the fabric of reality, causing Phélicien problems with the islands' authorities.
Hector: Philémon's father who refuses to believe his son's stories and maintains his disbelief in the fantasy islands even when he happens to go there himself (see "Le Voyage de l’incrédule" (French for "The Sceptic's Journey")).
Footnotes
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...
style created by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
artist Fred
Fred (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...
and published by Dargaud
Dargaud
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...
. The series began serial publication in the comics magazine
Franco-Belgian comics magazines
Belgium and France have a long tradition in comics. They have a common history for comics and magazines.In the early years of its history, magazines had a large place on the comics market and were often the only place where comics were published. Most of them were kids-targeted.In the 1970s,...
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...
on July 22, 1965, before it eventually became an album series. The general tone of the series is of fantastic realism
Fantastic Realism
Fantastic Realism can refer to:*Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, a 20th century group of artists in Vienna combining techniques of the Old Masters with religious and esoteric symbolism...
, depicting the adventures of the young farmboy Philémon in surreal adventures featuring odd creatures in odd places, and it is considered one of the most poetic and original bande dessinée series of all time.
Synopsis
Philémon is a rural French teenager. His best friend is a "mature" donkey named Anatole. Philémon's mother seldom appears while his father is an upset authority figure who despairs at the "tall stories" his son tells him. Philémon's uncle Phélicien is a practitioner of pagan techniques (rebouteux: bone setter/sorcier: sorcerer).Philémon's early adventures had him as a young local troublemaker who is attacked one day by a crocodile in the river (in the middle of a typical European countryside). This leads him to an underground circus run by a hypnotist. His next adventure had him discovering that his uncle Phélicien could make things tiny or gigantic by looking at them through a magic telescope.
The real story however began when, by accident, Philémon fell down a well and ended up on a beach. This well was a "portal" and Philémon ended up in an odd world, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland in its alterations of commonly accepted reality, with strange characters which varied from people with butterfly wings to centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
s. Philémon also met Barthélémy, a well digger who had gone through the same portal and ended up trapped on an island for forty years. The island was one of many which formed the letters of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
on maps and globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
s. In the course of their adventures Philémon and Mister Barthélémy would travel from between their native countryside to the various islands, using Uncle Phélicien's magic.
Main characters
Philémon: a young teenage farm boy who finds himself travelling to the various and fantastic islands that make up the letters "Atlantic Ocean" on maps and globeGlobe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
s.
Barthélémy: a well-digger who, while at work, found himself travelling through a portal and ending up on the first A island. Although he got to live in a beautiful palace he soon became homesick and sent messages in bottles in an attempt to get rescued from the island. This lasted 40 years before Philémon came across one such message and helped Barthélémy return home. Before long, however, Barthélémy became homesick for the island! and his desperate desire to return was the cause of many of their subsequent adventures.
Phélicien: Philémon's uncle whose studies of magic enable him to send Barthélémy and Philémon to and from the magical lands. No method of travel can be used twice, so Phélicien's methods vary from a zipper
Zipper
A zipper is a commonly used device for temporarily joining two edges of fabric...
hidden in the ground to a magical barrel of water. The constant travelling does cause disturbances in the fabric of reality, causing Phélicien problems with the islands' authorities.
Hector: Philémon's father who refuses to believe his son's stories and maintains his disbelief in the fantasy islands even when he happens to go there himself (see "Le Voyage de l’incrédule" (French for "The Sceptic's Journey")).
Sources
- Philémon publications in Pilote BDoubliées
- Philémon albums Bedetheque
Footnotes
External links
- Batbad Philémon homage site