Free on Gallica, the heritage of comics (…)

We ardently expressed the desire in [notre série d’articles sur « Les habits neufs de l’Histoire de la bande dessinée francophone »-art27065] : the work of contextualization has been lacking in comics for nearly fifty years that this medium has been studied by historians.

No or few studies on publishers, a Franco-centrism that has been asserted for too long while comics are a global phenomenon, little or no work on the media for its distribution, and in particular the press. Sylvain Lesage recalled that Tintin is above all a press phenomenon, whereas most of the studies concerning it relate to albums, that is to say to immediately marketable items.

A story of “Donkey skin” published by the Imagerie d’Epinal, an active editor since the beginning of the 19th century.

However, this “six-sou” press, more expensive to produce and much more deadly than album collections, has a history of incredible wealth. Hundreds of creators produced their works there, largely ignored today. Who knows the role of editors like Émile de Girardin, the inventor of the popular press, Offenstadt brothers, the editors of Nickel-plated feet, or from Paul Winkler, the creator of Opera Mundi and Mickey’s Diary, in the development of what was to be called the 9th Art?

A few years ago, when the Cité de la BD d’Angoulême was still under the leadership of Gilles Cement, a digitization campaign was launched, with the support of European funds. This work has been done in other European countries, notably in Germany. It is starting to bear fruit.

In the European edition of the New York Herald, printed in Paris, the wonder “Little Nemo” by Winsor McCay, created in 1904.

And on the occasion of BD2020-21, the BnF joined the movement with its formidable Gallica portal, which for years has been digitizing a large number of documents from the past that have become untraceable. An incredible source of information.

“Tarzan” par Harold Foster.

With its chronological access by authors (Töpffer, Cham, Gustave Doré, Christophe, Caran d’Ache, Steinlein, Outcault, Rabier, Verbeck, Studdy, Forton, Calvo, Saint-Ogan, Mat), by series (Little Nemo, Buster Brown, Félix Le Chat, Les Pieds Nickelés, Popeye…), By themes (animals, detectives, science fiction…) and by press titles (42 titles, fromAmerican Illustrated, a French magazine in which artists like Louis Forton or Raoul Thomen, sometimes under “American” pseudonyms in the Belgian review Wrill), you’ve got hours of discovery that show off the creativity of comic book authors since the early 19th century.

In 1934, the formidable “Futuropolis” of Pellos.

The BnF and the City went to seek Antoine Sausverd, host of site Töpfferiana to organize this trip, a history of comics (mainly French-speaking) through more than 6000 documents and certain albums by authors Calvo, Matt, or Saint-Ogan (Zig & Puce), reproduced here with the consent of the rights holders. A treasure !

“The American Illustrated” or how the French imitate the Americans.

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