From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Boule et Bill
Boule et Bill
Boule et Bill 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. Some of the
strips were even published in the rival Le Journal de Mick-
ey, which was based mainly around Walt Disney charac-
ters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
21 Albums were edited by Dupuis until 1985, contain-
ing 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 se-
ries to be continued, and had appointed Verron as his
successor.
Story
Boule and Bill with the logo of the series Boule et Bill relates the homely adventures of seven-year-
old boy Boule and his dog Bill, a Cocker Spaniel, as well
Publication information
as that of Boule’s mother and father and Caroline the tur-
Publisher Dupuis, Dargaud (in French) tle. Bill, while slightly anthropomorphized, basically acts
Cinebook Ltd (in English) as a normal dog, and the whole series places comical ad-
Format Bande dessinée ventures in the realistic setting of a normal family in a
normal town, with normal lives. Most of the gags happen
Publication date 1959 - present
in or around the house, but also include an almost year-
Main character(s) Boule, Bill ly holiday setting with the family travelling away from
home, usually at the beach.
Creative team
Writer(s) Roba (until 2003) Characters
Artist(s) Roba • is a young boy, always dressed in a blue overalls and
a yellow T-shirt. He is an ordinary boy who goes to
Creator(s) Roba, Maurice Rosy
school and has friends with whom he plays a lot.
• is a Cocker Spaniel. He can’t speak but resorts to
Boule et Bill is a popular comic, created in 1959 by the Bel-
many tricks to make himself understood. He can
gian writer-artist Jean Roba in collaboration with Mau-
communicate with other animals, such as his best
rice Rosy.[1] In 2003 the artistic responsibility of the series
friend, Caroline. He is very resourceful and cunning
was passed on to Roba’s former assistant Laurent Verron.
to find food, likes sleeping on sofas but dislikes
The stories center around a typical family: a man and his
bathing. Some of the most recurring gags revolve
wife, their young son Boule and Bill the cocker spaniel.
around Boule and his dad tricking Bill into a bathtub
for a reluctant wash. His long ears provide him with
History many abilities.
• stays at home and complies with domestic tasks. Her
Boule et Bill first appeared in the comics magazine Spirou
concerns are to keep the house clean and to prevent
on December 24, 1959.[2]. The ambition was to make a sort
disasters from Boule and Bill’s ideas.
of European Peanuts. The debut was made in a so-called
• tries to educate his son properly by taking advantage
mini-récit (mini-story), a story in 32 very small pages,
of his questions and blunders. However, he fails most
printed on the inner spread of the magazine. Roba had
of the time, even if he is quite proud of his personal
until then mainly made illustrations for the magazine
knowledge. He works for an advertising company,
and had helped some other authors (including André
likes gardening and sleeping on a sofa, also
Franquin), and now started with his own series. A few
months later, a four page comic with the same heroes
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Boule et Bill
appreciated by Bill, which provides some recurring names. The other albums kept their original names,
gags. apart from the former 22nd album which was
• is a green turtle who belong to Boule’s family. She renamed Les v’la!. This new series went on after
lives in the garden. When Bill first met her, he feared Roba’s death with three new albums drawn by
she could eat his bones, but was then reassured, for Verron: Quel Cirque! (2003), La bande à Bill (2005),
she eats only lettuce. Caroline is insomniac. Graine de cocker (2007).
• is the neighbour of Boule’s family. The widow of a • In 1979 Une extraordinaire aventure de Boule et Bill: Bill a
colonel, she is very strict and severe. She is the disparu ! was published in Spirou; written by André-
owner of Corporal, a cat who is Bill’s greatest enemy. Paul Duchateau, Bill goes missing and the various
• is a young snobbish boy, owner of a dog similar to characters from Spirou magazine search for him.
him. He tries to dwarf Boule and Bill but ends up • In 1987 L’album de famille de Boule et Bill was published
being overcome by their inventiveness. by Dargaud.
• is the boss of Boule’s father. Very respectable man, • In 1997 Boule et Bill en famille was published .
Boule’s father sometimes invites him to his home or • In 1999 Boule et Bill font la fête was published in
is being trusted with precious objects, and finds it commemoration of Boule et Bill’s 40th anniversary.
difficult to prevent Bill’s blunders. • Four Best of Boule et Bill albums composed of
• is Boule’s best friend, but is as a rival for Bill, who previously published strips were published in 2003
often teases him. He wear long hair which covers and 2004: Plumes poils et compagnie, En vadrouille, Jeux
most of his head and a cap. d’hiver, and Home sweet home.
• is Pouf’s cousin who lives in the country. She • A series of books for children was published in
appeared a few times in the series. pocket format, illustrated by Roba and written by
• Boule’s teacher is caricatured under Morris’s Fanny Joly, published by Mango as part of the
features. Bibliomango line.
• An album, A l’école ... vite !, was published in 1999 by
Original albums •
Atlas.
Various special advertising albums were published.
Boule et Bill were first published by Dupuis, then from
1988 by Dargaud.
1. Tel Boule, tel Bill 1. Ce coquin cocker
English translations
2. Boule et Bill déboulent 2. Carnet de Bill Cinebook has published two books in English, with Boule
3. Les Copains d’abord 3. Ras le Bill and Bill renamed Billy and Buddy, respectively.[3]
4. Système Bill 4. Bill, nom d’un chien ! 1. Remember this, Buddy? - Jun 2009 - ISBN 9781905460915
5. Bulle et Bill 5. Bill est maboul 2. Bored Silly with Billy - Sep 2010 - ISBN 9781849180498
6. Tu te rappelles, Bill ? 6. Globe-trotters
7. Bill ou Face
8. Souvenirs de famille
7. Strip-Cocker
8. Billets de Bill
Impact
9. Le fauve est lâché 9. Les V’là !, 1999 Boule et Bill is among the best-selling French language
10. Bill, chien modèle 10. Faut rigoler !, 1999 comics, with 300,000 copies for the new album by Verron
11. Bill de match 11. Bwouf allo Bill ?, 1999 in 2009.[4]
12. Sieste sur ordonnance 12. Les Quatre Saisons, • An animated television series based on Boule and Bill
13. Papa, Maman, Boule et… 2001 was broadcast on RTF in 1960, then later in 2000 on
moi 13. Quel cirque !, 2003 TF1.
14. Une vie de chien 14. La Bande à Bill, 2005 • In 2002 La Poste, France’s post office system, issued
15. Attention chien marrant ! 15. Graine de cocker, 2007 two postage stamps illustrating Boule and Bill. Three
16. Jeux de Bill 16. Mon meilleur ami, out of eight were semi-postal stamps benefiting the
2009 French Red Cross.[5]
• A wall painting representing Boule and Bill was
painted in Brussels.
Other publications • A statue of Boule and Bill was erected in Jette,
• In 1999, the Boule et Bill series was entirely reedited Belgium[6], next to where lived Roba.
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
Sources
plus three albums originally published by Dargaud • Boule et Bill publications in Spirou BDoubliées (French)
and reedited. The nine first albums of the original • Boule et Bill albums Bedetheque (French)
collection were replaced by 14 albums with different
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Boule et Bill
Footnotes [6] http://bdmurales.skynetblogs.be/tag/1/
[1] Lambiek Comiclopedia. "Jean Roba". boule%20et%20bill
http://www.lambiek.net/artists/r/roba.htm.
[2] BDoubliées. "Spirou année 1959" (in French).
http://bdoubliees.com/journalspirou/annees/
External links
1959.htm. • Boule et Bill official website (French)
[3] http://www.cinebook.co.uk/index.php?cPath=155 • Toute la Para-BD Boule et Bill Non official site
[4] "Bilan 2009". ACBD. December 2009. (French)
http://www.acbd.fr/bilan-2009.html. Retrieved 6 • On Dupuis website (English)
January 2010. • On Dargaud website (English)
[5] http://dominique.hochereau.free.fr/bd/ • Le site internet du dessinateur Laurent VERRON
boule%20et%20bill.htm
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boule_et_Bill&oldid=455428782"
Categories:
• Franco-Belgian comics
• Dupuis titles
• Dargaud titles
• Series of books
• Comics characters
• 1959 comic debuts
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