Seccotine
Encyclopedia
Spirou et Fantasio
Spirou et Fantasio is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comic strips. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European humorous adventure comics like Tintin and Asterix...
comics, and the first major female character of the series, a strong-willed reporter. She was created by André Franquin
André Franquin
André Franquin was an influential Belgian comics artist, whose best known comic strip creations are Gaston and Marsupilami, created while he worked on the Spirou et Fantasio comic strip from 1947 to 1969, during a period seen by many as the series' golden age.-Franquin's beginnings:Franquin was...
, and made her first appearance in La turbotraction serialised in 1953 and published in the album La corne de rhinocéros
La corne de rhinocéros
La corne de rhinocéros, written and drawn by Franquin, is the sixth album of the Spirou et Fantasio series. The material was first serialised in Spirou in two parts, Spirou et la Turbotraction and the sequel La corne de rhinocéros, and finally merged into one for the release of the hardcover album...
in 1955.
Character
She is an energetic journalist with a knack for outwitting FantasioFantasio
Fantasio is a fictional character from the Spirou et Fantasio comic strip. He was introduced in 1944 by Jijé, who was then drawing Spirou's adventures. Fantasio is Spirou's best friend and co-adventurer, a graphic reporter with an uncontrolled imagination and a mop of blond hair...
as they compete to uncover interesting and/or sensational stories, much to his frustration. Because of this, there is always some antagonism between them, though Spirou is much more friendly with her. However, she has also been very helpful, such as during the events in Palombia
Palombia
Palombia is a fictitious South American country from the Belgian Spirou et Fantasio and Marsupilami comic book stories. The name is a portmanteau of Paraguay and Colombia. In French, Palombie is especially a word game between Colombie, Colombe and Palombe.-Overview:Palombia is a small country in...
in Le dictateur et le champignon
Le dictateur et le champignon
Le dictateur et le champignon, written and drawn by Franquin, is the seventh album of the Spirou et Fantasio series. After serial publication in Spirou, the story was released as a hardcover album in 1956.-Story:...
, when she helped Spirou
Spirou (character)
Spirou is the main character of the Spirou et Fantasio and Le Petit Spirou comic strips. The character was originally created by Robert Velter for the launch of Le Journal de Spirou in 1938....
and Fantasio send a secret message to the Count of Champignac, and later assisted Spirou with co-piloting an English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
bomber plane to prevent General Zantas (a.k.a. Zantafio
Zantafio
Zantafio is a recurring fictional antagonist in the Spirou et Fantasio comic book series. He was created by André Franquin and first appeared in Spirou et les héritiers . Zantafio bears a strong resemblance to Fantasio, because they are cousins...
) from starting a war.
She was the central character in Le nid des Marsupilamis
Le nid des Marsupilamis
Le nid des Marsupilamis, written and drawn by Franquin, is the twelfth album of the Spirou et Fantasio series. The title story, and another, La foire aux gangsters, were serialised in Spirou, before the release in a hardcover album in 1960....
, revolving around her documentary about the life of a Marsupilami
Marsupilami
Marsupilami is a fictional comic book species created by André Franquin, first published on 31 January 1952 in the magazine Spirou. Since then it appeared regularly in the popular Belgian comic book series Spirou et Fantasio until Franquin stopped working on the series in 1968 and the character...
family in the Palombian jungle. Even Fantasio was impressed by her story.
Seccotine disappeared from the series when Fournier took over (her only appearance in Fournier's period was a brief appearance in the Franquin tribute Joyeuses Pâques, Papa!). Fournier replaced her with Ororéa, another rival reporter but with whom Fantasio was madly in love, whereas he loathed Seccotine.
When Tome
Philippe Vandevelde
Philippe Vandevelde, working under the pseudonym Tome , is a comic strip script writer. He is known for collaborations with Janry on Spirou et Fantasio and Le Petit Spirou, and with Luc Warnant and later Bruno Gazzotti on Soda...
& Janry
Jean-Richard Geurts
Jean-Richard Geurts, perhaps better known under his pseudonym Janry , is a comics artist. With Tome he created Le Petit Spirou and made several Spirou et Fantasio albums.-Biography:...
took over the Spirou series, they dropped Ororéa and brought Seccotine back in their second album, Aventure en Australie
Aventure en Australie
Aventure en Australie, written by Tome and drawn by Janry, is the thirtyfourth album of the Spirou et Fantasio series, and the second of the authors...
and later in Machine qui rêve.
Love interest with Spirou
There have been various hints towards a romantic link between Seccotine and Spirou. In "Machine qui rêve" she gets in touch with him to do a report she actually wanted Fantasio to do. When she speaks to him over the phone detailing the mission and he addresses her as "Seccotine" she tells him to drop that silly nickname and instead using her real name. Later in the album She and the Spirou clone are seen onboard a ship and with her asking what his real name is.In the stand alone comic "Le tombeau des Champignac", by Yann and Fabrice Tarrin, Seccotine and Spirou are seen flirting and are even caught kissing by Fantasio. As the album ends and Seccotine and Spirou depart they can be seen looking at each other with the look of two lovers departing.
Finally in "Aux sources du Z" as Spirou uses the time shifter to get back to the events of "La corne de rhinocéros" he encounters Seccotine wandering around their yard waiting to snap pictures of the brand new Turbot he and Fantasio had just received. Seccotine notes how different Spirou acts from the way she's gotten to know him, he's far more like a man, a fact that she deems not to be that all unpleasant. To silence her Spirou kisses her on the mouth which leaves her frozen in surprise. As he makes his way inside the house he admits to himself that he wanted to kiss Seccotine for a long time and thanks Zorglub
Zorglub
Zorglub is a fictional character in the Belgian comic strip Spirou et Fantasio, created by Greg and André Franquin, and first appeared in the serialised story Z comme Zorglub in Spirou in 1959, later published in the diptych albums "Z comme Zorglub" and "L'ombre du Z"...
for creating the opportunity to do so.
Appearances
6. La corne de rhinocérosLa corne de rhinocéros
La corne de rhinocéros, written and drawn by Franquin, is the sixth album of the Spirou et Fantasio series. The material was first serialised in Spirou in two parts, Spirou et la Turbotraction and the sequel La corne de rhinocéros, and finally merged into one for the release of the hardcover album...
(Franquin)7. Le dictateur et le champignon
Le dictateur et le champignon
Le dictateur et le champignon, written and drawn by Franquin, is the seventh album of the Spirou et Fantasio series. After serial publication in Spirou, the story was released as a hardcover album in 1956.-Story:...
(Franquin)
- 11. Vacances sans histoires (in Le gorille a bonne mineLe gorille a bonne mineLe gorille a bonne mine, written and drawn by Franquin, is the eleventh album of the Spirou et Fantasio series. The title story and Vacances sans histoires , were serialised in Spirou, before the hardcover album release in 1959.The title literally means roughly The Gorilla's in Good Shape, but the...
) (Franquin) - 12. Le nid des MarsupilamisLe nid des MarsupilamisLe nid des Marsupilamis, written and drawn by Franquin, is the twelfth album of the Spirou et Fantasio series. The title story, and another, La foire aux gangsters, were serialised in Spirou, before the release in a hardcover album in 1960....
(Franquin) - HS4. Joyeuses Pâques, Papa! (Fantasio et le fantôme et 4 autres aventures) (Fournier)
- 34. Aventure en AustralieAventure en AustralieAventure en Australie, written by Tome and drawn by Janry, is the thirtyfourth album of the Spirou et Fantasio series, and the second of the authors...
(Tome & Janry) - 38. La jeunesse de SpirouLa jeunesse de SpirouLa jeunesse de Spirou, written by Tome and drawn by Janry, is the thirtyeighth album of the Spirou et Fantasio series, and the sixth of the authors. The stories were serialised in Spirou, before they were compiled as a hardcover album in 1987...
(Tome & Janry) - 46. Machine qui rêve (Tome & Janry)
- 47. Paris-sous-Seine (Morvan & Munuera)
- 50. Aux sources du Z (Yann, Jean-David Morvan & José-Luis Munuera)
Original meaning
"SeccotineSeccotine (adhesive)
Seccotine is a brand of refined liquid fish glue used for gluing paper and card and as a binder in gesso, which remains flexible after drying. It is also used in the mounting of preserved insect specimens, as it can be dissolved in water if the specimen must be removed for further...
" is an old brand of fish glue, sold in France tubes or in small jars. The character name chosen by Franquin comes from this well-known glue which had a very peculiar smell. This is a kind of "Madeleine de Proust" for all past schoolchildren. The phenomenon was so important that the brand 'Seccotine' has now become a usual common name, or a friendly adjective designating somebody who behaves in a clingy way, like the character who pestily sticks to Spirou and Fantasio.
In Dutch Seccotine is called "IJzerlijm" which means "Iron glue" again noting at how sticky she is.
In Finnish, (where the series is named Piko ja Fantasio) Seccotine is known as Kitariina (a wordplay based on Katariina "Catherine" and kita "jaws", hinting at Seccotine's loquacity). In the early seventies, an earlier translation published by Semic Press under the name Tipsu ja Tapsu, had her name varyingly as Sirpa Sirpakka and Sini Sirpakka.
In English translation of Aventure en Australie
Aventure en Australie
Aventure en Australie, written by Tome and drawn by Janry, is the thirtyfourth album of the Spirou et Fantasio series, and the second of the authors...
by Cinebook, she is known as Cellophine.
Her actual name was revealed in "Machine qui rêve" to be Sophie.
Sources
- Spirou et Fantasio Les Personnages: Seccotine spirou.com
- Spirou et Fantasio Personnages > Seccotine franquin.com
Footnotes