I almost missed this, but a few days ago the Europe section of the BBC News site ran an article celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Asterix co-creator Rene Goscinny’s Le Petit Nicolas character, which has gone on to sell around ten million albums around the globe, although sadly many in the UK don’t know about them, which is a little ironic given that publisher Aymar du Chatenet explains that many in France feel Nicolas has a ‘British’ sense of humour (and I think Aymar has a point). On the up side the Beeb’s reporter showed some Nicolas books to some kids here and they loved them; Francesca Simon, creator of the best selling Horrid Henry kid’s books also heaps praise on Nicolas and Goscinny (and rightly so). The Beeb also reports on an upcoming exhibition due in September which will be held in the Hotel de Ville in the middle of Paris (somehow hard to imagine a major government building hosting an exhibition of the Bash Street Kids or Dennis the Menace in the middle of London or Edinburgh, isn’t it?). The Beeb article also boasts a brief slideshow. Bon anniversaire, Nicolas.
(Le Petit Nicolas by Goscinny and Sempe, published in the UK by Phaidon)
Wed, Apr 1, 2009
Comics and cartoons