Pif gadget
Encyclopedia
Pif Gadget was a French comic
magazine for children that ran from 1969 to 1993 and 2004 to 2009. Its audience peaked in the early 1970s.
, it was initially entitled Le Jeune Patriote. Published illegally from January 1942 under Nazi Occupation of France, then legally in 1944–1945, it was succeeded by Vaillant, Le Jeune Patriote in 1945. The title was moderated in 1946 to read simply Vaillant, with the tag, "le journal le plus captivant" (The Most Captivating Magazine). For the April issue of 1965, the title was changed to Vaillant, le journal de Pif, in honour of the prominently featured Pif le chien, a dog character created by José Cabrero Arnal
. Until 1969, Vaillant had, like all its competitors, printed "to be continued"-stories, but the magazine in this incarnation ended with issue number 1238 on February 23, 1969.
Pif Gadget started again with issue number 1, released on February 24, 1969, but retained the old number relative to Vaillant. The magazine was called Pif et son gadget surprise for a few months in the beginning. The name gadget
referred to the 'free gift' with each issue, including the very popular Pifises (brine shrimp
in stasis
, which readers could raise as minuscule pets - known in English as sea monkeys).
The magazine spawned some international spin-offs such as Yps
in Germany and Jippo in Scandinavia.
Pif Gadget gathered interest through its determination to publish only "complete stories" (i.e.: unserialized
). Its featured comics included:
Pif Gadgets record print run was one million copies, first on April 6, 1970, and again in September 1971. This set a record for a European comic strip that still stands. The paper also benefited from being able to reach the newly industrialized countries
, and was one of the select few Western magazines allowed to be sold behind the Iron Curtain
due to its left-wing credentials. It went into rapid decline at the same time as the Soviet Union
faded, with content thinning and stories extended over several issues. Its last major feature was during the bicentennial of the French Revolution
in 1989. The original version was last printed in 1993.
The magazine was revived in 2004 under the aegis of Pif Editions, with runs of approximately 100,000 units. Saddled with about 4 million euros of debt, the 6-person company went into receivership
(redressement judiciaire) in March 2007. The company then went into liquidation
(liquidation judiciaire) on January 15, 2009.
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
magazine for children that ran from 1969 to 1993 and 2004 to 2009. Its audience peaked in the early 1970s.
History
Created as an outlet of the French Communist PartyFrench Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
, it was initially entitled Le Jeune Patriote. Published illegally from January 1942 under Nazi Occupation of France, then legally in 1944–1945, it was succeeded by Vaillant, Le Jeune Patriote in 1945. The title was moderated in 1946 to read simply Vaillant, with the tag, "le journal le plus captivant" (The Most Captivating Magazine). For the April issue of 1965, the title was changed to Vaillant, le journal de Pif, in honour of the prominently featured Pif le chien, a dog character created by José Cabrero Arnal
José Cabrero Arnal
José Cabrero Arnal or C. Arnal was a Catalan-Spanish cartoonist, who became a naturalized French citizen....
. Until 1969, Vaillant had, like all its competitors, printed "to be continued"-stories, but the magazine in this incarnation ended with issue number 1238 on February 23, 1969.
Pif Gadget started again with issue number 1, released on February 24, 1969, but retained the old number relative to Vaillant. The magazine was called Pif et son gadget surprise for a few months in the beginning. The name gadget
Gadget
A gadget is a small technological object that has a particular function, but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be more unusually or cleverly designed than normal technological objects at the time of their invention...
referred to the 'free gift' with each issue, including the very popular Pifises (brine shrimp
Brine shrimp
Artemia is a genus of aquatic crustaceans known as brine shrimp. Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae, has changed little externally since the Triassic period...
in stasis
Stasis
The term stasis may refer to* A state of stability, in which all forces are equal and opposing, therefore they cancel out each other....
, which readers could raise as minuscule pets - known in English as sea monkeys).
The magazine spawned some international spin-offs such as Yps
Yps (comics)
Yps was a German comic book which ran for over 1,000 issues from 1975 to 2000. In 2005 and 2006 several prototype issues were published, but the series was not revived. Loosely based on the French Pif Gadget, Yps was highly popular due to the toy 'gimmick' with every issue.-External links:* *...
in Germany and Jippo in Scandinavia.
Pif Gadget gathered interest through its determination to publish only "complete stories" (i.e.: unserialized
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
). Its featured comics included:
- Rahan
- Doc Justice
- Hugo PrattHugo PrattHugo Eugenio Pratt was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as Corto Maltese...
's Corto MalteseCorto MalteseCorto Maltese is a comics series featuring an eponymous character, a complex sailor-adventurer. It was created by Italian comic book creator Hugo Pratt in 1967... - Marcel Gotlib's Gai-LuronGai-LuronGai-Luron is a French comics series featuring an eponymous character, created on July 12, 1964 by Gotlib. Originally published in the comics magazine Vaillant, the character joined Nanar, Jujube et Piette, which Gotlib had drawn since 1962, but eventually headlined a hit series of its own...
- Nikita MandrykaNikita MandrykaNikita Mandryka is a French cartoonist of Russian origin.He started drawing in the Pilote magazine, then created L'Écho des savanes along with Claire Bretécher and Marcel Gotlib in 1973...
's Les Aventures potagères du Concombre masqué - Raymond PoïvetRaymond PoïvetRaymond Poïvet was a French cartoonist.-Biography:Poïvet was born in 1910 in Le Cateau-Cambrésis, Nord....
and Roger Lecureux's Les Pionniers de l'Espérance - Le Grêlé 7/13, Nasdine Hodja, Arthur le fantôme justicierArthur le fantôme justicierArthur le fantôme justicier is a character in a comic book strip created by Jean Cézard , first published in Vaillant #449 from December 20, 1953...
, Les Rigolus et les Tristus, Corinne et Jeannot, Dicentim le petit Franc etc.
Pif Gadgets record print run was one million copies, first on April 6, 1970, and again in September 1971. This set a record for a European comic strip that still stands. The paper also benefited from being able to reach the newly industrialized countries
Newly industrialized countries
The category of newly industrialized country is a socioeconomic classification applied to several countries around the world by political scientists and economists....
, and was one of the select few Western magazines allowed to be sold behind the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
due to its left-wing credentials. It went into rapid decline at the same time as the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
faded, with content thinning and stories extended over several issues. Its last major feature was during the bicentennial of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
in 1989. The original version was last printed in 1993.
The magazine was revived in 2004 under the aegis of Pif Editions, with runs of approximately 100,000 units. Saddled with about 4 million euros of debt, the 6-person company went into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
(redressement judiciaire) in March 2007. The company then went into liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
(liquidation judiciaire) on January 15, 2009.