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This week’s issue of the Journal de Spirou (#3934) is something of a treat for Spirou fans.
First, there’s the cover by Yoann & Vehlmann. (To be honest, I have no idea how involved Vehlmann actually is with these illustrations, but he might propose gags and so on, and in any case he’s credited in the signature.)
As the cover indicates, this is a special “back from vacation” issue, and the magazine traditionally uses this issue every year to preview upcoming series. This time around, that includes an update on the next Spirou album, #54. More on that in a separate post.
Then there’s a special 4-page inset of a “lost” issue of the Journal from 1943. Of course it’s not really from 1943, but a pastiche by Alec Séverin to promote the release of his album Spirou sous le manteau (“Spirou Under the Counter”). Al draws versions of the magazine’s most popular series from that time: Valhardi, Spirou, Tif et Tondu, and Noire Cavalière – the latter clearly an alias for Red Ryder, presumably for copyright reasons. He has even gone to the effort of ensuring that they fit into each comic’s continuity, with his pages following directly on from the last issue of the Journal before it was shut down by the Nazis.
Finally, there’s the first part of the serialization of the next Marsupilami album by Batem & Colman. I gave up on this spin-off many years ago, but have to admit that seeing the latest installment, I’m impressed with Batem’s illustrations.
So if you’re in a position to get hold of the magazine, you should. If not, well, at least you have this post to see what you’re missing.
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I’m sure some would argue that “scanlation” sites like this detract from the publisher’s income, but all the excerpts I’ve seen here have inspired me to buy a subscription to Spirou!
That’s good to hear! One of the goals of Spirou Reporter is to promote the series in the English-speaking world, to try to raise its profile so more might be published here. I try to make sure the site won’t damage Spirou sales in any country (unless it’s by fairly criticizing poor releases, which hasn’t really become an issue yet), by thinking through what is posted, and when.
That’s why, for example, I didn’t post the whole Séverin Spirou page, but just a sample frame. If I do post it later, it will be when the issue is definitely no longer for sale, and only in English scanlation which won’t be as attractive to French readers.
All that said, if you’re thinking of buying the Journal just for Spirou, I don’t think you’ll be getting good value for money. The Journal is nice for keeping up to date with the latest and for little extra bonuses, but it can go many weeks between each time there’s anything relevant, which will usually only be a page or two of the whole magazine. It only really makes sense if you’re also interested in some of the other comics, but even then it’s probably cheaper and more convenient to buy them in album form. At least flick through an issue on the Journal de Spirou website to see if it looks interesting to you as a whole.
For someone who’s considering buying Spirou in French, I would definitely recommend the Intégrale collected edition books. They are chronological, essentially complete (once finished, they’ll cover the period 1938-2008), well presented, affordable, and come in a nice, readable, durable format. Of course, maybe you already have them.
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I suppose I wanted a regular fix of “Le Neuvieme Art”/BD, as I’ve been finding the posts here so inspiring. Your reports have given me a sense of how hungry the community is for *any* sign of new Spirou work, so I knew that it was scarce (despite the magazine’s title). I’m just hoping there’ll be enough other artwork I like in the magazine as well.
I was hoping Spirou.Z might be such an outlet (and was really impressed by the initial issue), but it seems to be abandoned. Any inside scoop on that?
Thanks, as always, for the great content!
Well sure, there are a few other good comics in the magazine too. But then there’s a lot of filler and frankly pretty poor material as well. One way to sample it before committing to a subscription would be to buy one of the digest books (in French called recueil, reliure, or album du journal), which collect about 8 or 9 issues of the magazine under one cover.
Spirou.Z is definitely not abandoned; it should start regular monthly publication this October. (The issue #0 that came out was just an early preview to celebrate the 75th anniversary.) However, it looks like the Android version will be delayed; a spokesperson for Dupuis has said they were simply unsatisfied with the quality of the app. They are also reportedly working on making the Journal itself available through digital distribution; that should make it easier for readers not based in la francophonie.
Thanks for the support!