Guess what's for dinner?

Doing some late night shopping, trying to get something decent on the table, I found myself lurking around the local comics shop, looking for a classic story. Although not my initial destination, I did find something  that would serve well with some chiante.

It’s a little gem from 1968, a first edition Cuvelier, which he created while still working for 'Le Journal de Tintin', the Tintin comic magazine, published in both French and Dutch between 1946 and 1993. Entitled 'The Devil’s Canyon' ('De Duivels Kloof' in Dutch) this comic was Cuvelier’s second comic featuring the female character 'Line' (or 'Dientje'as she was called here). In all, five books were published between 1966 and 1982, written by Michel Regnier aka Greg, the Belgian comic author who had worked with Franquin and wrote his scripts for 'Spirou'. Above: front and back cover of 'The Devil's Canyon')

Paul Cuvelier (November 22, 1923 - July 5, 1978) started out in comics for Belgian comic magazine 'Bravo' in 1946. Bravo magazine was a 16-page Dutch/Belgian weekly comic magazine founded by Belgian author Raymond De Kremer aka john flanders or Jean Ray and published by Jean Meuwissen between May 1936 and April 1951.

De Kremer (1887-1964), also wrote the French novel 'Malpertuis' in 1943, which was turned into a movie in 1973 starring Orson Welles, director of 'Citizen Kane', which, according to AFI (the American Film Institute) is still the #1 movie in their list of the 100 best (American) movies.

Bravo initially published popular American comics like 'Flash Gordon' and 'Jungle Jim', both by Alex Raymond, 'Felix the Cat' by Pat Sullivan (1887 - 1933), 'The Katzenjammer Kids' by Harold Knerr (1882 - 1949) and 'Connie' by Francis Godwin (1889 - 1959).

During the second World War, the Nazis outlawed American comics and paper became scarce. So local talents came forward and started making their own comics, that could replace them. One of those people was Edgar P. Jacobs (1904 - 1987), who created 'The U Ray', a prologue to his later famous comic series 'Blake & Mortimer'. Other artists were Jacques Laudy (1907 - 1993), a good friend of Jacobs, after who he had modeled his 'Blake' character, Raymond Reding (1920 - 1999) and Willy Vandersteen (1913 - 1990), who would draw 'Sinbad', 'Thor' and 'Lancelot'.

For Bravo magazine, Paul Cuvelier would draw his western comic 'Colby', written by Hergé and Edgar P. Jacobs.

When Hergé started 'Tintin' magazine, it was Cuvelier who was there from the first issue with his comic 'Corentin', on September 26 1946. French publishing house Le Lombard, founded by Raymond LeBlanc (1915 - 2008), who had also launched Tintin magazine, published seven Corentin books between 1950 and 1974. A Re-edited and restored series was published between 1996 and 1998.

"The Devil's Canyon" is in Dutch, but it's absolutely worthwhile to post some of that gorgeous interior artwork as well. Time to start reading! Bon Appétite!