18 - Tillieux

Tillieux MAURICE TILLIEUX GIL JOURDAN The Submerged Car (Vol. 3), Dupuis 1960 Original plate No. 39 with color specifications in gouache on the reverse, previously published in *Le Journal de Spirou* No. 1087, February 12, 1959. India ink on paper 36 × 49.6 cm (14.1 × 19.53 in.) Here is a recap of the story, published in *Le Journal de Spirou* in February 1959: Gil Jourdan, Libellule, and Croûton found themselves trapped at the Pas-du-Malin, a ford providing access to the island of the Joyful Knight’s Tower, which is cut off from the mainland at high tide. They are rescued at the last minute by a gendarme to whom they had confided their plan for the getaway. All of Tillieux’s strengths are on full display here. First, his attention to detail and atmosphere: the sea, with its luminous reflections in the dead of night; the depiction of the lifeboat, complete with every piece of rigging; the atmosphere of the small hotel where our friends are staying, with its recognizable advertisements; and finally, his Audiard-style dialogue, which rings out with irresistibly funny wit. We never fall into stereotypes: note the coffee served to the hurried customer on the reception desk; the allusion to Yul Brynner, the notorious bald actor of the 1960s; while the final panel sets up, as a cliffhanger, the resolution of the investigation. Note the magnificent color scheme on the back of the page, the effect of which can be seen through the paper. These are actually color guidelines rather than the original colors; the colorists at the Dupuis printing plant were responsible for applying the final colors. A magnificent piece. Didier Pasamonik