9e Art et Toy Design

On the occasion of the 52nd Angoulême Comic Strip Festival, we wanted to look at the links between the 9th art and the Toy Design. It will also be an opportunity to present our latest News whether it is Bearbrick, of mini figurines or of the books.

9th art and Toy Design

Comics? Manga? graphic novel? BD?

At the end of times and geographic locations, several names were used to define these works with illustrated boxes. If we talk about comics in Europe, manga in Asia and comics in America, these three words define the same thing. As for the graphic novel, it is a more recent name which aims to legitimize comics. To put it simply, it is a dense comic book, reserved rather for an adult audience and with serious themes.

Alfred the penguin: a precursor

If the animated series Felix the cat has already known derivatives in the 1920s, it will be necessary to wait (to my knowledge) 1927 to see the first figurine adapting a comic strip. From the comic "Zig and Chip" and made by the author himself (Alain Saint-Ogan), it adapts the character of Alfred who is a pet penguin

Rapid proliferation.

If the cartoon figurine is long considered a toy, the collection and adult aspect of the thing will come between the 70s and 2000s with, mixed, the creations of Jean-Marie Pigeon for Tintin, the creation of McFarlane Toys in 1994 for American comics, or the creation of the Marvel Legends label in 2002 by Toy Biz (label taken over by Hasbro in 2006, but that’s another story we’ll talk about another day.)

A recent diversification.

Recently, we have seen several players in the world of miniatures (in the broad sense of the term) try to adapt our favorite heroes differently. From Toubédé editions with its paper dioramas inspired by Franquin or Boyhood and its superb wooden Snoopy, the attempts at renewal are multiplying and it is a great pleasure.

Well done Anouk Ricard

And before presenting our various universes in connection with comics, let's take a few minutes to point out that this year, the Grand Prix of the BD festival was won by Anouk Ricard. Mistress of the absurd, queen of falsely naive drawing and hilarious author, I can only invite you to discover or dig her work.

COMICS