Euro Previews: More Of The Marsupilami, More Comedic Brilliance, More Wonderful Ridiculousness

by Richard Bruton

Another Euro preview for you – the modern escapades of Andre Franquin’s created wonderfully weird creature with the leopard spots, the impossibly extendable prehensile tail, and the absolutely perfect comedic moments – it’s more of the Marsupilami…

The Marsupilami, the strange creature who would go on to spend many enjoyable moments with Spirou & Fanstasio, was created by Andre Franquin during his best-selling run on S&F in 1952. But when Franquin left S&F, the Marsupilami left with him and it wasn’t until 1987 that the Marsupilami would go on to star in his own multi-million-selling series, one that continued after Franquin’s passing in 1997.

Simply put, Franquin‘s Marsupilami is one of the most successful and most recognisable Euro comics characters of all time, on a par with Tintin and Asterix. And it’s as damn funny and enjoyable as both of them.

Cinebook’s reprinting of the Marsupilami volumes has concentrates on the ’90s version by Batem and Yann, all of which continue the comedic magnificence of Franquin’s version. Batem was Franquin’s chosen successor for his characters and he chose wonderfully well, as the artistic style is so pure and perfectly in line with Franquin’s visions of wjhat his work should be, whilst Yann’s writing continues the comedic farce of the storylines.

Anyway, Marsupilami: The Butterfly and the Treetop Squid takes us back to the jungles of Palombia, the natural habitat for all Marsupilamis. And amongst all the strange and beautiful creatures of the jungle, there’s one butterfly species that’s never been captured, something the scientists of the world are determined to change, much to the annoyancde of the Marsupilami whose naps are being disturbed by all this science stuff going on.

Meanwhile, as the Marsupilami investigate what’s going on, the scientists are in competition to get the butterfly, all of it happening way above the forest floor in the purpose build treetop research station, the treetop squid.

As with every Marsupilami I’ve read, whether it’s Franquin or these great Yann and Batem albums, it’s all just so well put together, whatever scenario and set-up they come up with always just there in service to getting the gags in, all towards setting up whatever farcical situation we’re going to find ourselves in – simply magnificent and always so wonderfully funny.