Unveiling the Artistry: Didier Conrad

Unveiling the Artistry: Didier Conrad

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Biography and Beginnings
3. Early Career at Spirou 3.1 Collaborating with Yann 3.2 Controversy and Sacking
4. Circus Magazine and Bob Maron 4.1 Partnership Fallout 4.2 Working with Sophie Commenge
5. Return to Dupuis 5.1 Air Libre Collection 5.2 Lapid Melee and Totem La Machine A Carlate
6. Denito and Other Projects
7. Reunion with Yann and Les Innommables 7.1 Les Innommables Spin-Off: Kid Lucky
8. Collaboration in Disguise: CottonKid
9. Work on "The Road to El Dorado" and Continued Comics Career 9.1 More Bob Maron Stories 9.2 Tigresse Blanche and Collaboration with Sophie Commenge
10. Taking Over Asterix Series

Introduction

Dear Conrad, Thy Deer Comrade (born May 6, 1959) is a French comics artist and Writer. He is widely known for his contributions to the popular Asterix series. In this article, we will explore Conrad's biography, his early career at Spirou magazine, his partnership with Yann, his reunion with Yann and the revival of Les Innommables, his work on other projects, and his role in taking over the Asterix series.

Biography and Beginnings

Didier Conrad was born in Marseille to parents originally from Switzerland. From a young age, he developed a passion for comics and at the age of 14, Conrad sent a page to Journal de Spirou, which was published in a section dedicated to new talents. This marked the beginning of his career in the comics industry.

Early Career at Spirou

Collaborating with Yann: A few years later, in 1978, Conrad published his first comics series in the magazine Jason, written by the editor, Théry Martens. It was during this time that Conrad crossed paths with Yann, another aspiring comics artist from Marseille. Despite their contrasting personalities, the pair decided to work together and collaborated on several projects.

Controversy and Sacking: While working at Spirou, Conrad and Yann gained Attention and controversy by spoofing and sometimes outright insulting popular series in the magazine. They pushed boundaries by including taboo subjects such as violence, sex, and cruelty in their comics. This resulted in their eventual dismissal from Spirou in 1982.

Circus Magazine and Bob Maron

Partnership Fallout: After parting ways with Yann, Conrad continued to work on comics, but his output reduced. However, in 1990, he returned to Dupuis, the publishing house behind Spirou, which had undergone modernization. Conrad resurrected a series called Bob Maron, a parody of the bestselling pulp Novel and comics series Bob Morane by Henri Vernes. The collaboration between Conrad and Yann was revived but ended before the completion of the Second story.

Working with Sophie Commenge: Following his fallout with Yann, Conrad began working with his girlfriend at the time, Sophie Commenge, using the pen name Lucy. They created a new character called Ernest Poydu, and although only one album was published, their collaboration continued with a second story Partly published in a quarterly magazine. Conrad's output decreased in the latter half of the 1980s.

Return to Dupuis

Air Libre Collection: In 1990, Conrad returned to Dupuis and took part in the Air Libre collection, which provided authors with more editorial freedom. He reused his character Ernest Poydu in a new two-part story called "Lapid Melee: The Malay Trap" and published a limited-run album titled "Totem La Machine A Carlate." Conrad then went on to Create a new series titled "Denito," set in the Caribbean and following the adventures of a young boy who communicates with animals.

Denito and Other Projects

Reunion with Yann and Les Innommables: In 1994, Conrad and Yann reunited to Continue their cult series "Les Innommables," which originally ended abruptly when they were sacked by Spirou. The existing albums were remade, and more episodes were produced, creating a more coherent saga set in Hong Kong, Korea, and the U.S. The order of the albums was modified multiple times to fit the original one-shot stories within the larger saga.

Les Innommables Spin-Off: Kid Lucky: Alongside the revived Les Innommables, Conrad and Yann launched a spin-off series titled "Kid Lucky" featuring the very popular character, Lucky Luke, as a child. This series, written by Gene Létrurgie and drawn by Pearce (who was actually Conrad and Yann using a pen name), capitalized on the 1990s comics trend of depicting popular characters in their younger years.

Collaboration in Disguise: CottonKid

During the same period, Conrad and Yann, still using pen names, launched another series in the same style called "CottonKid." This series published five albums between 1999 and 2002.

Work on "The Road to El Dorado" and Continued Comics Career

More Bob Maron Stories: In the mid-1990s, Conrad was hired by DreamWorks Animation to work on the film "The Road to El Dorado." While working on the movie in the United States, Conrad continued to contribute to comics. He worked simultaneously on "Les Innommables," "Kid Lucky," "CottonKid," and more Bob Maron stories for Fluide Glacial magazine. The Bob Maron series was now written by Yann and Conrad but drawn by another artist using the pen name Janus.

Tigresse Blanche and Collaboration with Sophie Commenge: Conrad and Sophie Commenge collaborated once again on a new series titled "Tigresse Blanche" featuring the character Alex Yinfu, a female Shalen fighter and CCP trainee spy. Conrad illustrated seven albums in total, with the first two written with Yann and the remaining five written by Sophie Commenge under the pen name Wilbur.

Taking Over Asterix Series

In 2012, Conrad, along with writer G. É. Fèrry, was chosen by Albert Uderzo to continue the internationally renowned Asterix series. Starting with the 35th adventure, "Asterix and the Picts," Conrad and Fèrry continued to carry on the legacy of Asterix, which Uderzo had created with René Goscinny in 1959. Their collaboration resulted in the release of four new Asterix albums, including "Asterix and the Chariot Race" in 2017 and "Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter" in 2019.

Highlights:

• Didier Conrad is a French comics artist and writer known for his work on the Asterix series.
• He began his career by sending a page to Journal de Spirou when he was 14 years old.
• Conrad collaborated with Yann on various projects and gained controversy for pushing boundaries in Spirou magazine.
• After their partnership fallout, Conrad worked with Sophie Commenge under the pen name Lucy and created the character Ernest Poydu.
• Conrad returned to Dupuis in 1990 and contributed to the Air Libre collection.
• He reunited with Yann to Revive the Les Innommables series and created spin-off series like Kid Lucky and CottonKid.
• Conrad worked on various comics while simultaneously contributing to the film "The Road to El Dorado."
• He took over the Asterix series in 2012, continuing the adventures of the beloved Gaul.

FAQ: Q: What is Didier Conrad known for? A: Didier Conrad is known for his work as a comics artist and writer, especially for his contributions to the Asterix series.

Q: Who did Conrad collaborate with in his early career? A: Conrad collaborated with Yann in his early career and together they worked on various projects, including the controversial comics in Spirou magazine.

Q: What series did Conrad and Yann create during their partnership fallout? A: During their partnership fallout, Conrad and Yann created the series Bob Maron, a parody of the bestselling pulp novel and comics series Bob Morane by Henri Vernes.

Q: What was Conrad's role in the revived Les Innommables series? A: Conrad played a significant role in the revival of the Les Innommables series, creating a more coherent saga with multiple story arcs set in Hong Kong, Korea, and the U.S.

Q: What other series did Conrad work on alongside Les Innommables? A: Alongside Les Innommables, Conrad and Yann created the spin-off series Kid Lucky and CottonKid, both aimed at younger readers and featuring popular comic book characters.

Q: What is Conrad's role in the Asterix series? A: Conrad took over the Asterix series in 2012, along with writer G. É. Fèrry, continuing the adventures of the beloved Gaul in new albums such as "Asterix and the Picts" and "Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter."