Editions Lug
Encyclopedia
Editions Lug was a French
comic book
publisher created in 1950 by writer
/editor
Marcel Navarro and businessman Auguste Vistel.
comics in digest-sized magazine
s.
Among its most popular Italian imports were:
The latter three from Studio EsseGesse
.
Another notable non-French comic book series published by Editions Lug at the time is Dan Dare
(in 1962).
However, early on, Navarro decided that his company needed some original characters. He enlisted a number of French and Italian studios to script and draw original series and began experimenting with a wide variety of genres. The look and feel of these series was often evocative of 1960s DC Comics
.
Editions Lug's first major original success was a Tarzan
-like jungle lord named Zembla
(1963); its eponymous title was an immediate hit. Among other notable characters created at the times were Rakar, a masked Lakota chief, Tanka, another jungle lord, Gun Gallon, a John Carter of Mars-type hero lost on a parallel world with three moons, World War II hero Rick Ross aka Baroud, kung-fu cowboy Jed Puma, Barbary Coast corsair Dragut and superhero Pilote Noir.
In 1968, Claude Vistel, Auguste Vistel's daughter, returned from a trip to New York
and convinced Navarro to publish the first translations of Marvel Comics
in France, in a magazine entitled Fantask (1969), which featured Fantastic Four
, Spider-Man
and the Silver Surfer
.
Sensing that he was on to something, Navarro followed suit with his own creations. Wampus
was launched the same year; it featured the eponymous alien monster sent by an evil cosmic intelligence to destroy the Earth, and the exploits of a S.H.I.E.L.D.
-like organization named C.L.A.S.H.
. Unfortunately, Editions Lug had run-ins with French censorship
, and both Fantask and Wampus were cancelled after only six issues.
The following year, Navarro re-launched the Marvel characters, first in a magazine called Strange
, then in Marvel (which also fell victim to censorship a year later). At the same time, he continued to introduce more new French characters in magazines such as:
The late 1970s and early 1980s were arguably the best years of the company. Its line of French-language Marvel editions thrived with titles such as Titans (1976), Nova (1978), Spidey (1979) and graphic novels of The Fantastic Four (1973), Conan the Barbarian
(1976), etc.
A number of new original titles were added, including a revamped version of Mustang (1980), which published Photonik, Mikros and Ozark. Other characters introduced during this period included Phenix (1978) and Starlock
(1980). It even licensed its own creations to Spanish
and Italian companies, where they sold with great success.
Around this time, a shared universe
began to emerge. It wasn't nearly as tightly integrated as the Marvel Universe
. While the titles made references to each other, characters from different titles never interacted directly.
In the mid-80's, Auguste Vistel died. This was the beginning of the end for Editions Lug. Eventually, Marcel Navarro chose to retire. The company was sold to the Semic Group, a Scandinavian comic book publisher, and later became a French company, Semic Comics
.
In 2004, a group of former Lug writers and artists reclaimed the rights to their characters and reorganized under the banner of Hexagon Comics
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
publisher created in 1950 by writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
/editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
Marcel Navarro and businessman Auguste Vistel.
History
When it started, Editions Lug only reprinted old French and ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
comics in digest-sized magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s.
Among its most popular Italian imports were:
- Tex WillerTex WillerTex Willer is the main fictional character of the Italian comics series Tex, created by writer Gian Luigi Bonelli and illustrator Aurelio Galleppini, and first published in Italy on 30 September 1948. It is among the most popular characters of Italian comics, with translations to numerous ...
(which it began publishing in 1951, then moved to its eponymous magazine in 1952), from Sergio Bonelli EditoreSergio Bonelli EditoreSergio Bonelli Editore is a publishing house of Italian comics. It takes its name from its president and comic book author, Sergio Bonelli.... - Il Grande BlekIl Grande BlekIl Grande Blek is an Italian western comic book, first published in Italy on October 3, 1954 by Editoriale Dardo. Blek was written and illustrated by the trio EsseGesse....
(which it began publishing in Kiwi in 1955) - Capitan Miki (which it began publishing in Nevada in 1958)
- Alan Mistero (renamed Ombrax) (which it began publishing in an eponymous magazine in 1967)
The latter three from Studio EsseGesse
EsseGesse
EsseGesse was an Italian team of cartoonists, most famous for their Western comics, which was hugely popular in the 1950s, and were translated to French, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish, Greek, Swedish, Danish and Norwegian....
.
Another notable non-French comic book series published by Editions Lug at the time is Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
(in 1962).
However, early on, Navarro decided that his company needed some original characters. He enlisted a number of French and Italian studios to script and draw original series and began experimenting with a wide variety of genres. The look and feel of these series was often evocative of 1960s DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
.
Editions Lug's first major original success was a Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
-like jungle lord named Zembla
Zembla (character)
Zembla is a French comic book character created by Augusto Pedrazza and Franco Oneta for French publisher Editions Lug in 1963.-History:Zembla was created at the initiative of editor-in-chief Marcel Navarro to compete with the highly successful pseudo-Tarzan, Akim, published by Lug's competitor,...
(1963); its eponymous title was an immediate hit. Among other notable characters created at the times were Rakar, a masked Lakota chief, Tanka, another jungle lord, Gun Gallon, a John Carter of Mars-type hero lost on a parallel world with three moons, World War II hero Rick Ross aka Baroud, kung-fu cowboy Jed Puma, Barbary Coast corsair Dragut and superhero Pilote Noir.
In 1968, Claude Vistel, Auguste Vistel's daughter, returned from a trip to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and convinced Navarro to publish the first translations of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
in France, in a magazine entitled Fantask (1969), which featured Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
and the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
.
Sensing that he was on to something, Navarro followed suit with his own creations. Wampus
Wampus
Wampus is a French comic book character written by Franco Frescura and illustrated by Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1969....
was launched the same year; it featured the eponymous alien monster sent by an evil cosmic intelligence to destroy the Earth, and the exploits of a S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
-like organization named C.L.A.S.H.
C.L.A.S.H.
C.L.A.S.H. is a comic book series published in France but realized by Italian artists Franco Frescura and Giorgio Trevisan for Editions Lug in 1969.Headquartered in Aspen, Colorado, C.L.A.S.H...
. Unfortunately, Editions Lug had run-ins with French censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
, and both Fantask and Wampus were cancelled after only six issues.
The following year, Navarro re-launched the Marvel characters, first in a magazine called Strange
Strange (comic book)
Strange is a six part American comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics under their Marvel Knights imprint.Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Samm Barnes, with artwork by Brandon Peterson, Strange is a re-imagining of Doctor Strange's origin.-Synopsis:While in Tibet, a medical...
, then in Marvel (which also fell victim to censorship a year later). At the same time, he continued to introduce more new French characters in magazines such as:
- FuturaFutura (magazine)Futura was an influential monthly French digest size comic book magazine launched by Editions Lug in August 1972. It ran for 33 issues until April 1975.-Contents:* Jaleb the Telepath - issues #1-#18.* Homicron - issues #1-#8...
(1972), which published JalebJalebJaleb is a French comic book character created by writer Claude J. Legrand and artist Annibale Casabianca for French publisher Editions Lug in 1972....
, HomicronHomicronHomicron is a French comic book character created by Lina Buffolente for French publisher Editions Lug in 1972.Homicron is an alien from planet Alpha, whose inhabitants have the power to turn into energy beings to explore the cosmos. To save the American scape capsule Apollo XIX, Homicron becomes...
, Brigade TemporelleBrigade TemporelleBrigade Temporelle is a French comic book series created by French writer Claude J. Legrand and Spanish artist Edmond Ripoll for the magazine Futura published by Editions Lug in 1972....
, L'AutreL'Autre (character)L'Autre [The Other] is a French comic book character written by Franco Frescura and illustrated by Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1973....
(The Other, a toned-down version of Wampus), Aster, Jeff Sullivan and Sibilla - Waki (1974)
- KaburKaburKabur is a French comic book character written by Claude J. Legrand and illustrated by Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1975....
which also published Le Gladiateur de Bronze (The Bronze Gladiator) (1975).
The late 1970s and early 1980s were arguably the best years of the company. Its line of French-language Marvel editions thrived with titles such as Titans (1976), Nova (1978), Spidey (1979) and graphic novels of The Fantastic Four (1973), Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
(1976), etc.
A number of new original titles were added, including a revamped version of Mustang (1980), which published Photonik, Mikros and Ozark. Other characters introduced during this period included Phenix (1978) and Starlock
Starlock
Starlock is a French comic book character created by writer Claude J. Legrand and artist Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1990....
(1980). It even licensed its own creations to Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Italian companies, where they sold with great success.
Around this time, a shared universe
Shared universe
A shared universe is a fictional universe to which more than one writer contributes. Work set in a shared universe share characters and other elements with varying degrees of consistency. Shared universes are contrasted with collaborative writing, in which multiple authors work on a single story....
began to emerge. It wasn't nearly as tightly integrated as the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. While the titles made references to each other, characters from different titles never interacted directly.
In the mid-80's, Auguste Vistel died. This was the beginning of the end for Editions Lug. Eventually, Marcel Navarro chose to retire. The company was sold to the Semic Group, a Scandinavian comic book publisher, and later became a French company, Semic Comics
Semic Comics
Semic Comics is one of the leading comic book publishers in France, also known as Semic S.A. Along with French comics, formerly the company published the official translations of products produced by DC Comics and Marvel Comics but now, Marvel and DC are published by Panini.Today, Semic Publishes...
.
In 2004, a group of former Lug writers and artists reclaimed the rights to their characters and reorganized under the banner of Hexagon Comics
Hexagon Comics
Hexagon Comics is a syndicate of French, Italian and Spanish comic book writers and artists formed in early 2004, after French publisher Semic Comics decided to cancel its line of comic books....
.
Selected Titles
- Plutos (1950)
- Rodeo (1951)
- Tex (1952)
- Pipo (1952)
- Pampa (1954)
- Kiwi (1955)
- Pim Pam Poum (1955) (French edition of the Katzenjammer KidsKatzenjammer KidsThe Katzenjammer Kids is an American comic strip created by the German immigrant Rudolph Dirks and drawn by Harold H. Knerr for 37 years...
) - Hondo (1956)
- Nevada (1958)
- Flambo (1959)
- Bourask (1960)
- Yuma (1962)
- ZemblaZembla (character)Zembla is a French comic book character created by Augusto Pedrazza and Franco Oneta for French publisher Editions Lug in 1963.-History:Zembla was created at the initiative of editor-in-chief Marcel Navarro to compete with the highly successful pseudo-Tarzan, Akim, published by Lug's competitor,...
(1963) - Blek (1963)
- Bronco (1966)
- Baroud (1966)
- Dago (1966)
- Ombrax (1966)
- Mustang (1966)
- Fantask (1969)
- WampusWampusWampus is a French comic book character written by Franco Frescura and illustrated by Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1969....
(1969) - Strange (1970)
- Marvel (1971)
- FuturaFutura (magazine)Futura was an influential monthly French digest size comic book magazine launched by Editions Lug in August 1972. It ran for 33 issues until April 1975.-Contents:* Jaleb the Telepath - issues #1-#18.* Homicron - issues #1-#8...
(1972) - Yampa (1973)
- Waki (1974)
- KaburKaburKabur is a French comic book character written by Claude J. Legrand and illustrated by Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1975....
(1975) - Titans (1976)
- Nova (1978)
- Spidey (1979)
Selected Characters
- Afrikanders, Boer War adventures
- Agent Sans Nom, espionage
- Ami Barry, ghost detective
- Antonin, Musketeer adventures
- Apollo, western adventures
- Archie, eccentric scientist
- Aster, science fiction
- L'AutreL'Autre (character)L'Autre [The Other] is a French comic book character written by Franco Frescura and illustrated by Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1973....
, toned down sequel to Wampus
- Babette, young fashion model adventures
- Barefoot le Magnifique, French-Indian wars adventures
- Baroud, WWII adventures
- Bathy-09, underwater adventures
- Ben Leonard, archeological, science fiction adventures
- Benny du Bayou, growing up in Louisiana
- Bill & Barry, a boy looking for his parents
- Billy Boyd, western
- Bob Lance, modern-days descendants of the Round Table
- Bob PepperBob PepperRobert Ernest Pepper was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played one game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1915.-External links:...
, insurance investigations - Bob Stanley, an American in 19th century Japan
- Brigade As, Interpol adventures
- Brigade TemporelleBrigade TemporelleBrigade Temporelle is a French comic book series created by French writer Claude J. Legrand and Spanish artist Edmond Ripoll for the magazine Futura published by Editions Lug in 1972....
, time travel adventures
- Capitaine Giroflée
- Captain Tiger, Polynesian adventures
- Captain Tom & Co.
- Le Chat, international boxing
- Champagne
- Chevalier de l'Espace, science fiction
- Chikotawa, Canadian adventures
- C.L.A.S.H.C.L.A.S.H.C.L.A.S.H. is a comic book series published in France but realized by Italian artists Franco Frescura and Giorgio Trevisan for Editions Lug in 1969.Headquartered in Aspen, Colorado, C.L.A.S.H...
- Comte de Saint-Germain
- Corsak, jungle lord
- Dago, supernatural western
- Dan Diamond, espionage
- Dan Lucky, western
- Dan Sabre, western
- Dan Tempest, western
- Dave Kaplan, news photographer
- Dick Demon, supernatural western
- Dick Spade, journalist
- Digger Drake, India under the Raj
- Doc Sullivan, medical adventures
- Don Juan l'Epervier, swashbuckler
- Dragut, pirate
- Etoile à Cinq Branches, supernatural adventures
- Face d'Ange, espionage
- Fargo Jim, western
- Flag des Neiges, Mountain rescue adventures
- Flambo, Napoleon's Little Drummer
- Flanagan, detective
- Frank Ale, boxing adventures
- Frank Universal, ecological science fiction
- Fred & Gib, western
- Frères Thunderbolt, private eyes
- Fury, Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
- Galaor, sword & sorcery
- Gallix, heroic fantasy against Rome
- Galton & Trumbo, NYPD adventures
- Gladiateur de Bronze, superhero
- Greg Jordan, racecar driver
- Gun Gallon, heroic fantasy
- Havoc, western
- HomicronHomicronHomicron is a French comic book character created by Lina Buffolente for French publisher Editions Lug in 1972.Homicron is an alien from planet Alpha, whose inhabitants have the power to turn into energy beings to explore the cosmos. To save the American scape capsule Apollo XIX, Homicron becomes...
, superhero - Homme de Metal, heroic fantasy
- Hunter, western
- Indian Kid, western
- Ivan Karine, Tsarist Russia adventures
- Ivan Wolonsky, Teenage Psychic
- Jacky West, western
- JalebJalebJaleb is a French comic book character created by writer Claude J. Legrand and artist Annibale Casabianca for French publisher Editions Lug in 1972....
, alien telepath - JaydeeJaydee (character)Jaydee is a French comic book character created by Danilo Grossi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1988.Jaydee is an alien abandoned on Earth as a baby. Raised in an orphanage, he later befriends Mary Stone and discovers that he has the power to metamorphose into any animal of his choice...
, alien shapeshifter - Jean Brume, Scarlet Pimpernel-like hero
- Jean Girodet, espionage
- Jed Puma, western martial arts
- Jeff Sullivan, superhero
- Jill & John
- Jim Mississippi, masked western avenger
- Johnny Bourask, Colonial hero
- KaburKaburKabur is a French comic book character written by Claude J. Legrand and illustrated by Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1975....
, heroic fantasy - Kit Kappa, martial arts
- Larry Cannon, insurance investigations
- Lion des Thermopyles, Greek Antiquity adventures
- Lucifer, fallen angel must do good to redeem himself
- Lys Noir, pirate adventures
- Mac, three Scotsmen in the Old West
- Madison Bill, Prohibition-era adventures
- Malinbourne, space fantasy
- Marino, underwater superhero
- Masque Blanc, Apartheid superhero
- Max Flanagan, WWI photographer
- Max Tornado, superhero
- Mikros, superhero
- Morgane, supernatural adventures
- Motoman, teenage superhero
- Mozam, African jungle lord
- Neptune, underwater adventures
- Oncle Rufus, eccentric superhero
- Ozark, Lakota magic
- Patrouille des Profondeuirs, underground adventures
- Pedro & Doc, western odd couple
- Petit Cube, superhero
- Petit Scout, western adventures
- Phenix, superhero
- Photonik, superhero
- Pilote Noir, superhero
- Prince de la Nuit, crimefighter in 1800 Paris
- Quanter, genius scientist
- Rakar, Lakota superhero
- Rataplan, US Cavalry adventures
- Renard le Flambeur, Mississippi riverboat adventures
- Ricky Rox, western
- Ring Joe, boxing
- Rip MacQueen, journalist
- Rod Zey, engineer and troubleshooter
- Roi des Profondeurs, underwater superhero
- Sadko le Prince Archer, Robin Hood-type adventures
- Sergeant Cannon, WWII adventures
- Sibilla, supernatural adventures
- Silver Shadow, science fiction adventures
- SOS Trio, detective
- StarlockStarlockStarlock is a French comic book character created by writer Claude J. Legrand and artist Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1990....
, superhero - Stormalong, 1800 New Orleans adventures
- Superbill, young prodigy
- Tahy Tim, adventures in the Raj
- Tanka, jungle lord
- Ted Brenton, western adventures
- Tocard Gang, Prohibition-era adventures
- Trapper John, French-Indian Wars adventures
- Trois Lords, three British Lords fight crime
- Utopia, three kids found a new country
- Viking, a vikingVikingThe term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
warrior in the New World
- Waki, post-cataclysmic adventures
- WampusWampusWampus is a French comic book character written by Franco Frescura and illustrated by Luciano Bernasconi for French publisher Editions Lug in 1969....
- Wingo Scout, western hero
- X-101, espionage hero
- YatanYatanYatan is a township-level division situated in Anqing, Anhui, China....
, a jungle lord
- Zapo, a western avenger
- ZemblaZembla (character)Zembla is a French comic book character created by Augusto Pedrazza and Franco Oneta for French publisher Editions Lug in 1963.-History:Zembla was created at the initiative of editor-in-chief Marcel Navarro to compete with the highly successful pseudo-Tarzan, Akim, published by Lug's competitor,...
External links
- Hexagon Comics official website Hexagon Comics website; contains detailed character bios and articles on history of Editions Lug.