Jean Roba
Encyclopedia
Jean Roba was a Belgian
comics author
from the Marcinelle school
. His best-known work is Boule et Bill
.
. In his youth, he was a reader of French magazines like Robinson and Mickey
, which featured mainly American comics. One of those that was especially influential on Roba was Katzenjammer Kids
. After working as an illustrator for different magazines and publicity agencies, he started to work as an illustrator for Spirou
in 1957, where he made small cartoons for the front page for a few years. He also worked on Bonnes Soirées, another magazine from the same publisher Dupuis
, where he continued the series Sa majesté mon mari after Albert Uderzo
stopped. For Spirou, he made a few short stories with Yvan Delporte
and collaborated on different stories of Spirou et Fantasio
with André Franquin
, who taught him the basics of making comics, before starting his own main series Boule et Bill in 1959, initially with stories by Maurice Rosy. Next to this series of mainly one-page comics, he started in 1962 La Ribambelle
about a group of kids from various countries and racial backgrounds.
Roba was both an artist and an author, and wrote most of his own gags for Boule et Bill, while others contributed stories for La Ribambelle. He handed over the drawing of Boule et Bill to Laurent Verron after more than 1000 pages. His work has been translated in fourteen languages and has sold in excess of 25 million copies. He lived in Jette
from 1951 until his death in Brussels in 2006.
In 2005, he ended on nr. 100 in the election for Le plus grand Belge
(The Greatest Belgian).
Roba was also a Knight in the Order of Léopold
.
Footnotes
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
comics author
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
from the Marcinelle school
Marcinelle school
The term "Marcinelle school" refers to a group of Belgian cartoonists formed by Joseph Gillain following World War II...
. His best-known work is Boule et Bill
Boule et Bill
Boule et Bill is a popular comic, created in 1959 by the Belgian writer-artist Jean Roba in collaboration with Maurice Rosy. In 2003 the artistic responsibility of the series was passed on to Roba's former assistant Laurent Verron...
.
Biography
Jean Roba was born in Schaerbeek, BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. In his youth, he was a reader of French magazines like Robinson and Mickey
Le Journal de Mickey
Le Journal de Mickey is a French weekly comics magazine established in 1934 and currently published by Disney Hachette Presse. It is centered around the adventures of Mickey Mouse and other Disney figures but contains also other comics. It is credited with "the birth of the modern bande dessinée"...
, which featured mainly American comics. One of those that was especially influential on Roba was Katzenjammer Kids
Katzenjammer Kids
The Katzenjammer Kids is an American comic strip created by the German immigrant Rudolph Dirks and drawn by Harold H. Knerr for 37 years...
. After working as an illustrator for different magazines and publicity agencies, he started to work as an illustrator for Spirou
Spirou (magazine)
Spirou magazine is a weekly Belgian comics magazine published by the Dupuis company...
in 1957, where he made small cartoons for the front page for a few years. He also worked on Bonnes Soirées, another magazine from the same publisher Dupuis
Dupuis
Éditions Dupuis S.A. is a Belgian publisher of comic books and magazines.Based in Marcinelle near Charleroi, Dupuis was founded in 1922 by Jean Dupuis, and is mostly famous for its comic albums and magazines. It is originally a French language publisher, but publishes many editions both in French...
, where he continued the series Sa majesté mon mari after Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo
Albert Uderzo is a French comic book artist, and scriptwriter. He is best known for his work on the Astérix series, but also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, also in collaboration with René Goscinny.-Early life:...
stopped. For Spirou, he made a few short stories with Yvan Delporte
Yvan Delporte
Yvan Delporte was a Belgian comics writer, and was editor-in-chief of Spirou magazine between 1955 and 1968 during a period considered by many the golden age of Franco-Belgian comics...
and collaborated on different stories of Spirou et Fantasio
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...
with 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...
, who taught him the basics of making comics, before starting his own main series Boule et Bill in 1959, initially with stories by Maurice Rosy. Next to this series of mainly one-page comics, he started in 1962 La Ribambelle
La Ribambelle
La Ribambelle is a Belgian comics series about a gang of kids living in the same neighbourhood. There were two versions of this strip: Joseph Loeckx drew a one-off story in 1958, but the longer-lasting version was that of Jean Roba who created a whole new set of...
about a group of kids from various countries and racial backgrounds.
Roba was both an artist and an author, and wrote most of his own gags for Boule et Bill, while others contributed stories for La Ribambelle. He handed over the drawing of Boule et Bill to Laurent Verron after more than 1000 pages. His work has been translated in fourteen languages and has sold in excess of 25 million copies. He lived in Jette
Jette
Jette is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.The Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Dutch-speaking university of Brussels has built its hospital and medical campus in Jette, while its other buildings are in the so-called Etterbeek campus actually...
from 1951 until his death in Brussels in 2006.
In 2005, he ended on nr. 100 in the election for Le plus grand Belge
Le plus grand Belge
Le plus grand Belge , was a television show on the Belgian French-speaking public channel RTBF. In the program the audience could vote for the greatest Belgian by using the website, sending an SMS or using the telephone...
(The Greatest Belgian).
Awards
- 1978: Angoulême International Comics FestivalAngoulême International Comics FestivalThe Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
, Best foreign comical work, for Boule et Bill - 1981: Angoulême International Comics Festival, Best comic for 9 to 12 years oldAngoulême International Comics Festival Prix Jeunesse 9-12 ansThe Prix Jeunesse 9-12 ans is awarded to comics authors at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. It rewards the best album for a 9 to 12 years old targeted public.The award started in 1981 as the "Alfred enfant", without the distinction in age groups....
, for Boule et Bill: Bill est maboul - 1992: Chevalier des Arts et LettresOrdre des Arts et des LettresThe Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
, France
Roba was also a Knight in the Order of Léopold
Order of Léopold
The Order of Leopold is one of the three Belgian national honorary orders of knighthood. It is the highest order of Belgium and is named in honour of King Leopold I. It consists of a military, a maritime and a civilian division...
.
Sources
- Roba publications in Spirou, Pif gadget BDoubliées BDoubliées
- Roba albums Bedetheque
Footnotes
External links
- Jean Roba biography on Lambiek Comiclopedia
- Jean Roba biography on Dupuis
- Jean Roba 2001 interview, with many drawings on BD Paradisio
- Interview in 2006 on Objectible.net