Boule et Bill

Infobox comic book title
title = Boule et Bill


caption = Boule and Bill with the logo of the series
format = Bande dessinée
publisher = Dupuis, Dargaud
date = 1959 - Present
main_char_team = Boule, Bill
writers = Roba (until 2003)
artists = Roba
colorists =
creators = Roba, Maurice Rosy

"Boule et Bill" is a popular comic, created in 1959 by the Belgian writer-artist Jean Roba in collaboration with Maurice Rosy.Cite web|last=Lambiek Comiclopedia|title=Jean Roba|url=http://www.lambiek.net/artists/r/roba.htm] In 2003 the artistic responsibility of the series was passed on to Roba's former assistant Laurent Verron. Bill is a dog while Boule is a young boy.

History

"Boule et Bill" first appeared in the comics magazine "Spirou" on December 24, 1959.Cite web|last=BDoubliées|title=Spirou année 1959|url=http://bdoubliees.com/journalspirou/annees/1959.htm|language=French] . The ambition was to make a sort of European Peanuts. The debut was made in a so-called micro-story, a story in 32 very small pages, printed on four pages of the magazine. Roba had until then mainly made illustrations for the magazine and had helped some other authors (including André Franquin), and now started with his own series. A few months later, a four page comic with the same heroes appeared, and shortly thereafter Roba created a weekly one page comic. For the next twenty-five years, "Boule et Bill" was one of the most popular series of the magazine, and appeared mostly on the back cover. 21 Albums were edited by Dupuis until 1985, containing one long story and some 800 gags. Thereafter, Roba changed from editor, moving to Dargaud. In 2006, Jean Roba died, but he had announced that he wanted the series to be continued, and had appointed Verron as his successor.

tory

"Boule et Bill" related the homely adventures of a seven-year-old boy Boule and his dog Bill, a Cocker Spaniel. The dog, while slightly anthropomorphized, basically acts as a normal dog, and the whole series places comical adventures in the realistic setting of a normal family in a normal town, with normal lives. Bill is a brown and white dog with a collar that give Boule ideas or gags. Most gags happen in or around the house, while almost every year a few gags happened on the holidays of the family, usually at the beach. Boule's family is his mother and father, and their two pets Bill and Caroline, a turtle.

Characters

* Boule is a young boy, always dressed in a bleu overalls and a yellow T-shirt. He is an ordinary boy who goes to school and have some friend with whom he plays.
* Bill is a Cocker Spaniel. He can't speak but resorts to many tricks to make himself understood. He can communicate with other animals, such as his best friend, Caroline. He is very resourceful and cunning to find food, like sleeping on sofas but dislike bathing. His long hair provide him with many abilities.
* Boule's mother stay at home and comply with domestic tasks. His concerns are to keep the house clean and to prevent disasters from Boule and Bill's ideas.
* Boule's father try to educate poperly his son by taking opportunity of his questions and blunders. However, he fails most of the time, even if he is quite poud of his personal knowledge. He work for an advertising compagny, likes gardening and sleeping on a sofa, also appreciated by Bill, which provides some recurring gags.
* Caroline is a green turtle who belong to Boule's family. She lives in the garden. When Bill first met her, he feared she could eat his bones, but was then reassured, for she eats only lettuce. Caroline is insomniac.

* Madame Stick is the neighbour of Boule's family. The widow of a colonel, she is very strict and severe. She is the owner of Caporal, a cat who is Bill's greatest enemy.
* Gérard is a young snobbish boy, owner of a dog similar to him, try to dwarf Boule and Bill but ends up being overcome by their inventiveness.
* Monsieur Coupon-Dubois is the boss of Boule's father. Very respectable man, Boule's father sometimes invites him at home or is being trusted with precious objects, and finds it difficult to prevent Bill's blunders.
* Pouf is Boule's best friend, but is as a rival for Bill, who often teases him.
* Hildegarde is Pouf's cousin who lives in the country. She appeared few times in the series.
* Boule's teacher is caricatured under Morris's features.

Original albums

Boule et Bill were first published by Dupuis, then from 1988 by Dargaud.
* 0 : "Trésors des minis récits : Boule contre les minis requins", published in 1985
* 1 : "60 gags de Boule et Bill", 1962
* 2 : "60 gags de Boule et Bill", 1962
* 3 : "60 gags de Boule et Bill", 1964
* 4 : "60 gags de Boule et Bill", 1967
* 5 : "60 gags de Boule et Bill", 1969
* 6 : "60 gags de Boule et Bill", 1970
* 7 : "Des gags de Boule et Bill", 1971
* 8 : "Papa, maman, Boule et… moi", 1972
* 9 : "Une vie de chien !", 1973
* 10 : "Attention chien marrant !", 1974
* 11 : "Jeux de Bill", 1975
* 12 : "Ce coquin de cocker", 1976
* 13 : "Carnet de Bill", octobre 1976
* 14 : "Ras le Bill !", 1977
* 15 : "Bill, nom d'un chien", 1978
* 16 : "Souvenirs de famille", 1979
* 17 : "Tu te rappelles Bill ?", 1980
* 18 : "Bill est maboul !", 1980
* 19 : "Globe-trotters", 1982
* 20 : "Strip Cocker 90", 1984
* 21 : "Billets de Bill " 1987
* 22 : "Vl'à Boule et Bill" 1988
* 23 : "Faut rigoler !" 1991
* 24 : "Bwouf allo Bill ?" 1995

Other publications

* In 1999, the Boule et Bill series was entirely reedited by Dupuis, in albums of 48 strips, whereas the former albums were composed of either 64, 56 or 48 pages. This series consists of 24 albums published by Dupuis plus three albums originally published by Dargaud and reedited. The nine first albums of the original collection were replaced by 14 albums with different names. The other albums kept their original names, apart from the former 22th album which was renamed "Les v'la!". This new series went on after Roba's death with three new albums drawn by Verron: "Quel Cirque!" (2003), "La bande à Bill" (2005), "Graine de cocker" (2007).
* In 1979 was published "Une extraordinaire aventure de Boule et Bill: Bill a disparu !" in Spirou, a story written by André-Paul Duchateau.
* In 1987 was published "L'album de famille de Boule et Bill" by Dargaud.
* In 1997 was published "Boule et Bill en famille".
* In 1999 at the occasion of Boule et Bill's 40th anniversary was published "Boule et Bill font la fête".
* Four "Best of Boule et Bill" albums composed of previously published strips were published in 2003 and 2004 "Plumes poils et compagnie", "En vadrouille", "Jeux d'hiver", "Home sweet home".
* A series of books for children was published in the pocket format, illustrated by Roba and written by Fanny Joly, published by Mango in the collection "Bibliomango".
* An album was published in 1999 by Atlas "A l'école ... vite !".
* A lot of advertising albums were published.

Impact

* Boule and Bill were adapted in animation series and on the TV in the 1960, then in the 2000 by the french television channel TF1.
* The French Poste launched in 2002 two stamps representing Boule and Bill. Three stamps out of eight were taxed, in favour of the Red Cross. [http://dominique.hochereau.free.fr/bd/boule%20et%20bill.htm]
* A wall painting representing Boule and Bill can be seen at Brussels.
* A statute of Boule and Bill was erected at Jette. [http://bdmurales.skynetblogs.be/tag/1/boule%20et%20bill]

ources

* [http://bdoubliees.com/journalspirou/series1/bouleetbill.htm "Boule et Bill" publications in "Spirou"] BDoubliées fr_icon
* [http://www.bedetheque.com/serie-218-BD-Boule-et-Bill--1-.html "Boule et Bill" albums] Bedetheque fr_icon;Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.tfou.fr/boule-bill.html Boule et Bill official website] fr_icon
* [http://membres.lycos.fr/boule1bill Toute la Para-BD Boule et Bill] Non official site fr
* [http://www.dupuis.com/servlet/jpecat?pgm=VIEW_SERIE&lang=UK&SERIE_ID=16 On Dupuis website] en
* [http://www.dargaud.com/front/albums/series/serie.aspx?id=1638 On Dargaud website] en