Le Journal de Mickey
Encyclopedia
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". It is now the most popular French weekly magazine for children between 8 and 13 years old.
in France since 1928. In 1934, he decided to capitalise on the success of Mickey Mouse
to create a new weekly youth magazine. Le Journal de Mickey was first published on October 21, 1934. A test issue was already published on June 1, 1934.
Initially, the magazine had eight pages, five of those filled with comics. Major differences with earlier French youth magazines with comics were, apart from printing American comics instead of local productions, the size of the magazine, with Mickey two to three times larger (27 by 40 cm), and the use of ballon comics instead of text comics. These comics were coupled with French stories and with reader interaction through letters, contests, and the Club Mickey.
The magazine revolutionised the French children's publications market and introduced the American comic strips on a much larger scale. A number of copycat magazines soon followed. This period was later called the Golden Age of the BD. By 1938, Mickey had a circulation of 400,000, the same as Robinson, another publication by Winckler. The most successful competing magazines only had circulations of 200,000 or less, while the most successful magazines before the start of Mickey only sold about 40,000 copies a week. One of the things that sset Le Journal de Mickey apart from its competitors was its production, with quality paper and ink and better printing resulting in brighter colours.
At the outbreak of World War II
, Le Journal de Mickey ceased publication on June 16 1940. It was relocated to Marseille
in the unoccupied zone of France, and reappeared from September 22, 1940 on. Circulation dropped by 86 percent, and the magazine was printed on much lower quality paper and with very limited colours. Paper shortages meant that by the end of 1941, the magazine was reduced to 4 pages of only half the original size, appearing only twice a month. No American comics were published anymore, and the balloon comics were replaced with traditional text comics. The final issue of the first run of Le Journal de Mickey would appear on July 2 1944.
Le Journal de Mickey was revived in 1952 and reached the height of its success later in the same decade, with a circulation of 633,000 by 1957. This dropped in the following decades to the current 150,000, which still makes it the leading French weekly magazine for the youth between 8 and 13 years old.
Hachette Filipacchi Médias
Hachette Filipacchi Médias, S.A. is a magazine publisher. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Media of France.- History :Hachette Filipacchi was founded by Louis Hachette in 1826 when he purchased the Librarie Brédif. Hachette was purchased by Matra in 1980, a firm associated with Ténot &...
. It is centered around the adventures of Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
and other Disney figures but contains also other comics. It is credited with "the birth of the modern bande dessinée". It is now the most popular French weekly magazine for children between 8 and 13 years old.
History
Paul Winckler, owner of the Opera Mundi syndicate, distributed the comics from King Features SyndicateKing Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
in France since 1928. In 1934, he decided to capitalise on the success of Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
to create a new weekly youth magazine. Le Journal de Mickey was first published on October 21, 1934. A test issue was already published on June 1, 1934.
Initially, the magazine had eight pages, five of those filled with comics. Major differences with earlier French youth magazines with comics were, apart from printing American comics instead of local productions, the size of the magazine, with Mickey two to three times larger (27 by 40 cm), and the use of ballon comics instead of text comics. These comics were coupled with French stories and with reader interaction through letters, contests, and the Club Mickey.
The magazine revolutionised the French children's publications market and introduced the American comic strips on a much larger scale. A number of copycat magazines soon followed. This period was later called the Golden Age of the BD. By 1938, Mickey had a circulation of 400,000, the same as Robinson, another publication by Winckler. The most successful competing magazines only had circulations of 200,000 or less, while the most successful magazines before the start of Mickey only sold about 40,000 copies a week. One of the things that sset Le Journal de Mickey apart from its competitors was its production, with quality paper and ink and better printing resulting in brighter colours.
At the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Le Journal de Mickey ceased publication on June 16 1940. It was relocated to Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
in the unoccupied zone of France, and reappeared from September 22, 1940 on. Circulation dropped by 86 percent, and the magazine was printed on much lower quality paper and with very limited colours. Paper shortages meant that by the end of 1941, the magazine was reduced to 4 pages of only half the original size, appearing only twice a month. No American comics were published anymore, and the balloon comics were replaced with traditional text comics. The final issue of the first run of Le Journal de Mickey would appear on July 2 1944.
Le Journal de Mickey was revived in 1952 and reached the height of its success later in the same decade, with a circulation of 633,000 by 1957. This dropped in the following decades to the current 150,000, which still makes it the leading French weekly magazine for the youth between 8 and 13 years old.
During the 1930s
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