Les Aventures d'Attila (in English: The Adventures of Attila), also known as Attila, is a Franco-Belgian comic series of humorous animal adventures created in 1967 by Belgian scriptwriter Maurice Rosy and Swiss illustrator Derib in Spirou No. 1531. From 1968 onwards, Maurice Kornblum joined as a co-writer for the series. took over drawing duties in 1987 for a final story.
The series features Attila, a dog and spy for the Swiss army, whose mental faculties have been enhanced, including the ability to speak, rendering him the army's most valuable asset. He is accompanied by his handler, Ernest Bourrillon, a former quartermaster. In the second album, Attila adopts a young boy named Odée. In the subsequent album, they are assisted by another spy dog, designated as Z14, created by Professor Comant.
The series was first published in Spirou from 1967 to 1973 and then again in 1987. It was subsequently released in paperback by Dupuis in 1969 and, by 1974, four albums had been published. An anthology was released in 2010. In that same year, La Vache qui médite published the fifth previously unreleased story in album form.
The series, originally grounded in comedy derived from the contrast between Attila's status as a real dog and a highly trained spy, gradually transitioned into the domain of science fiction. This shift in genre gave rise to disagreements between the writers Rosy-Kornblum and artist Derib, ultimately leading to the series' untimely conclusion, despite its esteemed position among comic aficionados as a work destined to become a classic.
Description
Synopsis The series chronicles the exploits of Attila, a canine chosen for his remarkable intellect and capacity for verbal communication, who is deployed by the Swiss military as an intelligence operative. His mandate is to safeguard the confidential information of the Swiss Confederation from external threats.
Characters
Attila was selected from a pool of thousands of canine candidates based on his exceptional qualities. In addition to his ability to speak, he is also capable of reading and writing and has a command of the four national languages of Switzerland: French, German, Italian, and Romansh. Furthermore, his cognitive abilities have been augmented. However, he displays a lack of discipline and frequently engages in implausible pursuits rather than identifying adversaries. Ernest Bourrillon, Attila's owner, had previously been employed at a local animal shelter. He was subsequently recruited by the Swiss army after Attila was observed making a telephone call in the middle of the night. He is wont to recount anecdotes in situations of gravity. Subsequently, he assumes the role of legal guardian to Odée, a naive young boy with a penchant for fairy tales, who first appears in the second album. Odée was exploited by his initial guardian, Grismouron, who sought to inherit Odée's wealth, which includes a castle with clandestine subterranean corridors rumored to contain a concealed fortune. Z14 is another canine spy, who, like Attila, is capable of speech. He was created by Professor Comant, a scientist who frequently engages in paranormal mysteries, to safeguard Odée. Z14 is a diminutive, white, and disgruntled dog, yet he proves to be a valuable asset in protecting Odée. Labouf and Lerazé are two malevolent characters of limited intelligence. Labouf is preoccupied with consuming sandwiches, while Lerazé spends his time admonishing him.
History
Beginnings
By the end of 1966, Derib, who was still engaged in inking the Smurfs with Peyo, aspired to establish his series. At the time, it was exceedingly challenging to secure publication in Spirou, which was under the editorial direction of Yvan Delporte. The magazine was experiencing a period of considerable popularity, with a successful series featured in nearly every issue. Derib initially aspired to create a Western series, but the genre was already well-represented in Spirou by Lucky Luke, created by Morris, and Jerry Spring, created by Jijé. Instead, he opted to illustrate a medieval series, Arnaud de Casteloup, with a script by , which permitted him to depict horses, a subject close to his heart. At Spirou, Derib encountered Maurice Rosy, the artistic director of Dupuis for the past ten years and author of numerous series in the magazine, including Bobo and Tif et Tondu. Rosy postulated that Derib's style was better suited to comedy and, based on Derib's expressed desire to draw animals, created a talking dog for him, named Attila. Rosy found the concept of a talking dog interacting with humans to be an intriguing one. The project was initiated, and Derib dedicated several weeks to developing character designs. Through consultation with Delporte, Rosy became aware of Derib's Swiss nationality, which prompted him to situate the series within the context of Switzerland, a country that had been infrequently represented in comic books. Consequently, the canine espionage protagonist was granted Swiss nationality. The initial adventure of the series was initiated under the guidance of Delporte, as documented in Spirou issue number [...] The series debuted on August 17, 1967, with Attila on the cover. This inaugural issue was noteworthy for its inclusion alongside other prominent series such as Buck Danny, Gil Jourdan, Tif et Tondu, Marc Dacier, and Le Vieux Nick, as well as gag series like Gaston Lagaffe, Boule et Bill, and Poussy.
The inaugural adventure of the series was created under the guidance of Yvan Delporte and first appeared in Spirou magazine. The issue, dated August 17, 1967, was notable for featuring the character on its cover. This marked a pivotal moment for the series, as it was featured alongside other esteemed titles such as Buck Danny, Gil Jourdan, Tif et Tondu, , and Le Vieux Nick, as well as gag-based series like Gaston Lagaffe, Boule et Bill, and . The series was regarded as a notable and welcome addition to the 1967 offerings of Spirou, a publication that was facing challenges in maintaining a fresh and engaging lineup. Attila, , and were the only new inclusions in the magazine at the time. In terms of narrative style, Maurice Rosy opted to establish a fantastical ambiance, a genre he had previously explored in some of his Tif et Tondu stories, which he was concurrently developing alongside Attila. In this inaugural narrative, Derib's artistic style remained closely aligned with that of his mentor, Peyo. The initial narrative was concluded in the aforementioned issue. The date is 1551, which corresponds to January 4, 1968. Subsequently, the pair produced a second episode, demonstrating an increasing proficiency in their collaborative process. The collaboration proceeded as follows: Additionally, Rosy, a gifted artist in his own right, provided a comprehensive and meticulously detailed storyboard of the narrative, which Derib was at liberty to adapt and alter as he saw fit. The second story, , was published in Spirou from issue number 1574 on June 13, 1968, to issue number 1595 on November 7, 1968. That same year, the first two stories were published as albums.
The arrival of the third man
Towards the conclusion of the 1960s, there was a discernible evolution occurring within the Franco-Belgian comics landscape. While Spirou magazine was reaching the end of its Golden Age, the French magazine Pilote was effecting a radical transformation of the profession of comic book authorship. It was during this period of upheaval that Maurice Rosy initiated a reevaluation of his professional trajectory. Having worked for over twelve years as an idea generator for Dupuis Editions, he was experiencing difficulties in maintaining inspiration, particularly in the wake of the events of May 68. He subsequently encountered , a proprietor of a commercial establishment specializing in sporting and camping equipment, who aspired to pursue a career in painting. Through his contact with Kornblum, Maurice Rosy recognized that his contributions were not being adequately recognized at Dupuis. This led him to pursue a more ambitious professional trajectory. The two men resolved to collaborate, combining their respective talents and aspirations. Using Maurice Rosy's financial resources and the proceeds from Kornblum's business transaction, they leased an office in Brussels near the Spirou editorial office. Additionally, they procured an IBM typesetter, a scarce item for private individuals at the time, as well as a Rank Xerox camera, which they employed to enlarge, reduce, and reproduce the drawings they created. With this equipment, they then established their own company, which they named B.C.D.E. (Central Bureau of Distribution and Extension). Their objective was not merely to create comic books; they also sought to publish books and even develop a perfume. Concerning comics, Maurice Kornblum supplied storylines that Maurice Rosy would illustrate. The pair leased a spacious residence in , where they resided with their respective children (both men had recently undergone divorces). In 1969, the pair collaborated to write the script for the third story in the series, thereby formalizing their partnership with a contract. Their inaugural joint effort was an eight-page tale titled Attila's Christmas Eve, published in Spirou No. 1601 on December 19, 1968. The initial serialized narrative, , was first published in Spirou on January 1, 1970, with issue number 1655. It continued until the publication of the subsequent issue, number 1675, on May 21, 1970. The date is May 21, 1970, as indicated by the number 1675. From this point onward, Derib, the illustrator, began to perceive a diminution in his role and influence within the creative process due to the emergence of a new collaborative dynamic between the two scriptwriters. On the one hand, Derib was barely involved in the writing process, communicating with the duo only by mail. On the other hand, he found that he was deriving less and less enjoyment from drawing the series, as Maurice Kornblum made it clear that he should strictly adhere to Maurice Rosy's storyboards. This new constraint stifled Derib's creativity. In 1971, the third story was published in album format.
In 1973, the fourth story, , was published starting in Spirou no. 1816 on February 1, 1973, and ran until no. 1834 on June 7, 1973. By this time, Derib realized that he would not find his place within the new creative team. Additionally, the introduction of science fiction into the series made him lose interest in continuing the work, despite a fifth story having been fully storyboarded by Rosy and Kornblum. Derib even left Spirou after one of his story proposals was rejected by the editor, although great comic creators like André Franquin and Peyo had approved of it. Editor-in-chief Thierry Martens even told Derib that his comics no longer interested him. Charles Dupuis offered Rosy the chance to continue the series, but Rosy declined and took the opportunity to leave the comic book world altogether. At the same time, Rosy dissolved his partnership with Kornblum for financial reasons, as well as to regain a sense of freedom that he felt he had lost. The fourth story was published as an album in 1974.
The return of Attila