The Pieds Nickelés trioLes Pieds nickelés en Amérique
Les Pieds Nickelés (French for "The nickel plated feet") is a French comic series, originally created by Louis Forton. The comic premiered on June 4, 1908 in the newspaper L'Épatant, published by Société Parisienne d'Édition.[1] It is considered to be one of the earliest French comics[2] and one of the longest-running.[3] It centers on a group of anarchist youth getting in trouble.[4] In French informal speech of the early twentieth century, "nickel-plated feet" was a moniker for slackers, work-shy people.
History
The story features three main characters named Croquignol, Filochard, and Ribouldingue, three brothers who are good hearted but at the same time are indolent crooks and slackers, characteristics of anarchists.[5]
Les Pieds Nickelés was originally drawn in text comics format, with the text written beneath the images.[6] Louis Forton had to struggle with his editors to use actual speech balloons, as was common in American comics.[7]
At the beginning of their "career", the 'nickel-plated feet' constantly clash with the police in various adventures where they rarely have the upper hand. Gradually, as the comic book became increasingly popular, the Pieds-Nickelés gain widened scope, complexity, and audacity. Over time, they are seen rubbing shoulders with the elite of their time, such as the President of France, the King of England, and the Kaiser of Germany.[8][9]
With the arrival of First World War, the personalities of the Pied-Nickelés takes a new turn. They embody the popular French values of ingenuity and resourcefulness known as "System D." Operating behind the enemy lines under multiple guises, they constantly fool the "Boches" (French derogatory nickname for the Germans), portrayed as big heavy oafs who are easily fooled.
Louis Forton continued to draw the Pied Nickelés until his death in 1934, after which the series was taken over by Aristide Perré and Albert Badert.[10] However, it was not until Pellos took over in 1948 that the Nickelés returned to success. The successive authors of the Nickelés thus changed the comics and evolved the comics in new directions.
In 2010, Onapratut publishes a compilation of the contributions of Michel Baril, Aurélien Bédéneau, Fabien Bertrand, Paul Burckel, Ced, Clotka, Dib, François Duprat, Frédéric Duprat, Elric, Filak, Stéphane Girod and Olivier Ka. , Lommsek, Alejandro Milà, Pasto, Radi, Loïc Senan, Thibaut Soulcié, Unter, Waltch, Wayne, Wouzit, Carali, Caza, Hardy, Hugot, Lamorthe, Laurel, Thierry Martin, O'Groj, Obion, Nancy Peña, Jeff Pourquié, Olivier Schwartz, Al Séverin, Walthéry, and Wasterlain. The cover design is the work of Pascal Rabaté.[11]
Derivatives and parodies
In French informal speech of the early twentieth century, "nickel-plated feet" was a moniker for slackers, work-shy people. The meaning extended later to include, in the 21st century, characters not very commendable, conspiracy-minded, roguish, dishonest and clumsy. For example, these characters were referenced by the media in the Clearstream affair to describe the various protagonists. The same was true of the operation of the "Ark of Zoe".[12]
Les Pieds Nickelés also inspired a 1972 magazine in which the cartoonist Régis Loisel made his debut.[13]
In 2011 the cartoonist Luz replaced the headband of the one-eyed character Filochard with adjustable sunglasses.
Chronology of authors
Louis Forton led the publication under a pen name. In 1934, he decided to focus on other projects and let someone else take over.
Starting from 1991, a series of new "Pieds Nickeles" to represent the "New Adventures" premiered, a collaboration of multiple publishers.
Michel Rodrigue (1991-1992) - Les nouvelles aventures des Pieds Nickelés (Studio Cadero - Vents d'Ouest)
Juillard (1999) - Le dernier chapitre (Tome 3) Les Pieds Nickelés : demain sera un autre jour (Dargaud)
Trap et Stéphane Oiry (2009) - La Nouvelle Bande des Pieds nickelés (Delcourt)
Un ouvrage collectif (2010) - Les Nouveaux Pieds nickelés (Onapratut)
Philippe Riche (2011) (Vents d'Ouest - Georges Ventillard)
Richard Malka, Ptiluc et Luz (2011) (Vents d'Ouest - Georges Ventillard)
Corteggiani et Herlé (2012) (éditions de l'Opportun)
Gérald Forton et Julien Moca (2013) (l'àpart éditions)
Jihel pour des planches d'hommage tirées à part en sérigraphie pour le support carte postale.
TIBERI JP (scénario) et Bévé (Dessin) - éditions REGARDS (Les Pieds Nickelés à Manounouland - 2014)
TIBERI JP (Scénario) et Bévé (Dessin) - éditions REGARDS (Les Pieds Nickelés et le mystère du crâne de cristal - 2015)
TIBERI JP (Scénario) et Bévé (Dessin) - éditions REGARDS (Les Pieds Nickelés - Aventures dans les îles - 2016)
TIBERI JP (Scénario) et Bévé (Dessin) - éditions REGARDS (Les pieds Nickelés - Comminges... Nous voilà ! - 2017)
Main characters
The comics center on 3 principal protagonists, Croquignol, Filochard, and Ribouldingue, who evolve greatly over the run of the comics. Under the authorship of Louis Forton, all drawn to the same size and proportions with Croquignol being the leader of the trio. All three, under the purview of Pellos developed their own personalities:
Ribouldingue is the sympathetic one.
Filochard: has a small stature; possesses one eye and gains Herculean strength when angry
Croquignol is a fine person and usually the leader of the band.
Although they disguise themselves regularly, they also have the same recurrent style:
Croquignol wears the monocle, a small hat, a jacket, and a bow tie;
Ribouldingue wears the green cap, matching the green sweater, and a red scarf around the neck.
Filochard wears the beret, a red turtleneck and a black jacket.
Among the recurring characters of the series, one crosses in some episodes:
Manounou, the African wife of Ribouldingue, an accomplice of the various larcenies of his legitimate and acolytes.
One finds also again, among the traditional foes:
le commissaire Croquenot
l'inspecteur Duflair
Fantômard
la Clique (autrefois un allié des pieds nickelés, puis le complice de Fantômard)
les Cagoulards (sbires de Fantômard)
The travels of the Les Pieds Nickelés generally crosses the paths of the rich, the bourgeois, the peasants, who are distinguished by their stupidity and naivety, making them the privileged prey of the nickel-plated feet. The representatives of the public forces are also among the regular characters, regularly in the series of opponents of the three companions.
