10 - Franquin

Franquin ANDRÉ FRANQUIN SPIROU AND FANTASIO Rombaldi Original cover of the collected editions published between 1985 and 1987. India ink and graphite on paper 28.8 × 36.5 cm (11.34 × 14.37 in.) In the 1980s, the venerable Rombaldi publishing house—which sold beautiful hardcover editions of works by major literary authors through its mail-order catalog—considered, at the instigation of its director Henry Kaufman, launching a collection of great classics of Franco-Belgian comics. Alongside *Bécassine*, *Tintin*, *The Smurfs*, and *Alix*, the collection naturally included the *Gaston Lagaffe* and *Spirou* series—publications featuring a documentary introduction and previously unpublished material highly prized by collectors. Notably, this illustration of Spirou, Fantasio, Spip, and the Marsupilami was created by Franquin specifically for this collection. Palomb’s animal naturally takes center stage, much to the chagrin of Spip, who is doomed to remain a secondary character forever. The illustration is simple, with the Marsupilami’s tail serving a decorative purpose, while a diagonal line showcases the series’ iconic characters. What’s interesting is that Franquin, always very meticulous, anticipated the printing process for the illustration, which was intended for hot stamping on the volume’s faux-leather cover. The printing process is based on screen printing: the lines are drawn with a pen, while the print may involve up to ten passes of Pantone-referenced colors, including the gold border that frames the illustration.