The Best Of Euro Comics: Cinebook’s Titles For March 2024 Will Put A Smile On Your Face

Every month the publisher Cinebook brings us the very best of the incredibly rich and diverse world of European comics, and we’ve got the previews of their March titles right here…

Time to have a look at the March releases from Cinebook, the 9th Art publisher, bringing the finest of European comics to an English-speaking audience. They’ve been doing this for a long time now, bringing us the delights of the Euro comics world, where you’re about to discover that these comics are way more diverse, way more part of Euro culture than anyone involved in North American comics could imagine.

In fact, here in Britain, people of a certain age like me may well have discovered comics through Euro comics, where your local public library would stock volumes of Asterix, Tintin, and Lucky Luke. Now of course your local library should have a whole big graphic novel section for kids and adults, but there’s still that reluctance on English-speaking comic readers to dive into the world of Euro comics. Which is where Cinebook and our promotion of their titles comes in – it’s time to dive into Euro comics, where you’re guaranteed to find something you’ll absolutely love!

March finds another couple of great titles out there for you, two that will definitely bring a huge smile to your face – the latest Billy & Buddy and another chance to read the exploits of the world’s greatest blunderer, Gaston Lagaffe, othewise known to us as Gomer Goof.

Billy & Buddy (originally Boule & Bill) is one of those beautifully simple things, along the lines of some classic Amercian comic strips, reminiscent of Dennis The Menace and Calvin & Hobbes, featuring the warm and gently funny (mis)adventures of young Buddy and his cocker spaniel Billy. Along with mom and the frequently put-upon, frustrated, and generally hapless dad, Buddy and Billy have plenty of lovely, silly, mischievous adventures that have been delighting Europe since their creation by Jean Roba in 1959.

It’s a gently funny, wonderfully silly comedy, always warm and welcoming, whether reading the exploits of boy and dog as originally created by Roba, or continued by various writers and artists, including Roba’s assistant Laurent Verron and this more modern team of Christophe Cazenove and Jean Bastide, always in the style of Roba.

As for the second of Cinebook’s titles this month, it’s an absolute classic of Euro comics created, written and drawn by a legend – Gomer Goof (originally Gaston Lagaffe) by Andre Franquin.

Created as a gag strip for Spiro magazine way back in 1957, it’s a series that’s beloved across Europe, who’ve taken Gomer/Gaston to their hearts. Gaston/Gomer is a lazy, accident-prone (Lagaffe means blunder in French) innocent dreamer and anti-establishment icon who somehow walked into a job at Spiro all those years ago and where he’s continued to cause chaos and stress to all around him ever since.

Despite being hugely successful in Europe, with an incredible 28 million plus albums sold, this is the first time Franquin’s magnificent comedy has been seen in English (apart from a couple of strips translated By Fantagraphics in the early ’90s. So it really is about time you discovered the comedic genius to be found in every single album of the series – no matter what the character’s called, it’s always a barrel of laughs with the chaos that Gaston or Gomer brings to everyday life and all the majestic comedic turns that Franquin brings to the gags, whether they’re short or long.

Now, cover reveals and the Cinebook PR for their March releases…

Billy & Buddy 9 – Symphony In Buddy Major

Written by Christophe Cazenove

Illustrated by Jean Bastide
Published by Cinebook on 28th March 2024

“A little boy and his best friend, a cocker spaniel, get up to all sorts of mischief

Music soothes the wild beast – it’s a well-known fact. Though you have to admit it very much depends on the music. Dad’s bagpipes tend to give people murderous ideas, Billy’s flute is torture on all delicate ears … and as for Buddy’s various artistic forays, they generate far more noise than harmony. When all’s said and done, though, there’s nothing like a family jam session to have jolly good fun!”

Gomer Goof 11 – Goof-Off at Gomer Corral

Written and illustrated by Andre Franquin
Published by Cinebook on 28th March 2024

“Gomer Goof is a master loafer. He’s also a genius, if absent-minded, inventor. His laziness, his gadgets and his sheer bad luck create havoc at Spirou Magazine and drive his colleagues crazy – but he’s such a likeable guy!

When Gomer isn’t unwittingly sabotaging all work at Spirou Magazine, he naps at his desk and dreams of being a handsome, fearless action hero for Miss Jeanne – not realising that this is already how she sees him! But outside the office, out in the city streets, well, that’s Officer Longsnoot’s territory, and between him and gomer – and most importantly Gomer’s often apocalyptically tweaked car – a merciless war of nerves is waged every day!”