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Few comic authors have filled their strips with as many curious inventions as
did André Franquin. Of all the eccentric inventors who populate his pages,
Gaston is arguably the most gifted and imaginative. Though they often border
on sheer craziness, his whimsical devices and processes nevertheless always retain
an element of scientific credibility.
From the very start of his career, Franquin demonstrates his passion for invention.
In Spirou et les Héritiers (Spirou and the Inheritors), we’re introduced,
for example, to a device for parking in narrow spaces and a windshield wiper
for spectacles. And although Fantasio may be Franquin’s first inventor,
he’s quickly surpassed by Champignac and then Zorglub.
Gaston drives Fantasio to distraction with his frenzied, relentless ingenuity.
But, one suspects, Fantasio’s irascible temper perhaps betrays his jealousy
at the seemingly lackadaisical newcomer’s amazing bursts of creativity.
Though merely a gifted amateur to begin with, Gaston soons become a master craftsman
and creator; his Mastigaston (a device that chews your food for you), with its
four-speed synchronisation, is testament to his awesome talents.
The Gaffophone takes Lagaffe’s inventions to a new dimension - that of
sound. Though originally slated to appear in just two or three stories, its devastating
sound waves and sometimes menacing shadow eventually graced the pages of more
than 10 strips.
What we see in the relationship between Franquin and Gaston, between author and
character, is the gradual development of a curious parallelism, in which the
fictional inventor mimics his creator - or perhaps it’s the other way round.
But while Gaston is a master craftsman in the physical, if fictional, world,
Franquin’s experiments remain tied to the drawing board where he feverishly
sketches new ideas, meticulously verifying the feasibilty of his countless discoveries.
A mechanical ballet
Giant tailfins, gleaming chrome radiators and bumpers and sleek bodywork are
the order of the day in 1950’s automotive design. From these, Franquin
gains inspiration, creates new shapes and, in the process, becomes a ‘designer’.
The Quick Super remains the outstanding gem among the many American Classic Cars
which grace the pages of the Spirou et Fantasio adventures. With the Turbotraction
1, a legend is born. Franquin’s superbly designed vehicle goes against
the fashions of the time, stressing true aerodynamics over the decorative stylings
of the era. To better ascertain his creation’s balance, look and feel,
Franquin has a clay scale model made of the prototype. A few years later, he
creates the Turbotraction 2.
Each series has its own particular style, usually inspired by existing models,
but it is Gaston’s Fiat 509, its chequered race car design belying its
unpredictable behaviour, which surely wins the race to the hearts of his fans.
Franquin’s mechanical wonders aren’t only earthbound. Fantasio’s
Fantacoptère, and his cousin Zantafio’s Zantajet are products of
an inventor’s ‘duel’ between the two, while the Count of Champignac
devises a revolutionary bright yellow one-man submarine.
If Champignac’s inventions are always intended for the good of mankind,
his old friend and current nemesis, Zorglub - in spite of his many failed attempts
- creates his technological marvels to gain world domination. Despite its genesis
in his dastardly schemes, Zorglub’s collection of ultramodern flying machines,
from the Zorglumobile to the Zorgléoptère, is an impressive one. |
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