Belgian writer Georges Simenon would have been 120 years old this year. To mark the occasion, the great comic strip artist Jacques de Loustal publishes Simenon, the Ostrogothwhose drawings he signed on a script by Jean-Luc Fromental, José-Louis Bocquet and John Simenon, the second of the four children of the creator of Maigret.
Simenon, the Ostrogoth, what a strange title to christen this comic strip, beautifully colored and recounting the beginnings of Georges Simenon’s career. We immediately think of Justin Trudeau calling out to the young party-goers on the Sunwing plane, ordering them to behave like good citizens, in the midst of COVID. But the title here refers to a charming boat, theOstrogothwhich made the popular novelist and his wife Tigy travel for several months from 1929 to 1931. And it is no coincidence that this work recounts segments of the writer’s life during the Roaring Twenties, a decisive period before literary notoriety.
“I started reading Simenon in situ when I was preparing my architecture diploma devoted to the space of canals,” explains Jacques de Loustal on the line from his Parisian studio, in the 19th century.e borough. “To find an atmosphere, I read The canal house. It was quite a revelation. His other books soon followed. I loved the atmospheres and the way he described the relationships between people, the humanity of the characters. »
The exoticism of Simenon
At the end of the 1980s, Loustal became known for illustration and comics. His interest in Simenon’s books, especially those related to the theme of travel, became more refined over the years. “I never met him, but he is a man I admire very much. I regularly return to his novels. It’s important for me to keep a connection. Simenon is like a friend that I meet three or four times every year. »
At the request of the actress Mylène Demongeot, the wife of Marc Simenon, son of Georges, the designer was one day offered the mission of illustrating the novel of his choice on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the death of the writer. “I really liked the travel writer side of Simenon, the reports he did around the world and his novels which I would describe as exotic in which he often develops news items that we find in his journalistic investigations. So I opted for Banana tourist, a novel with intoxicating charms, set in Tahiti, a thousand leagues from here. »
The designer of Barney and the Blue Notewhich has also just illustrated a recent reissue of the adventures of Commissioner Maigret, will then continue to put into images several covers, interior pages of novels and short stories by the Belgian writer who died in Lausanne on September 4, 1989. We think has A new one in town. “It’s a book set in the American state of Maine, on the border with Canada. I was touched by this atmosphere of a lost corner with the snow, the colors of the cold of winter and this light so unique and so special. »
Georges Simenon has written more than a hundred thrillers that he himself described as “hard”, books where human nature and its failings are exposed without makeup, with a darker style than that of Maigret. “It is from there that I illustrate Simenon’s American novels, such as The stowaway Or The Rico Brothers. On the other hand, I have never been very enthusiastic about a comic book adaptation of hard-boiled novels. »
Get out of your comfort zone
Change register with Simenon, the Ostrogotha project initially orchestrated by Jean-Luc Fromental and José-Louis Bocquet, two “old friends” of Loustal from the 1980s. They signed the screenplay with John Simenon, who launched the adaptation of a series of books by his paternal, such The Polarlys passenger.
“A classically styled comic strip with speech bubbles and no recitative was a first for me,” admits the designer, who, however, would not have let anyone else take his place. “We had to act quickly. I was given one year to complete this project since the publisher was aiming for publication in 2023, right on time to mark the 120th anniversary. »
The comic strip features this endearing young couple, Georges and Régine, known as Tigy. She is a painter, he, a journalist. Together, they romped through Parisian nights. “At that time, there were not many photos of Simenon. I started with his observable physical features, like the small eyes, the chin, the curved nose, without forgetting the famous pipe, of course! »
Someone who defines himself as an atmospheric designer found the exercise restrictive, but rather stimulating, forcing him to step out of his comfort zone. “I had to organize the dialogues and lines by drawing talking faces and structuring characters based on what they say. It was something very new for me to do. »
The ample and abundant work focuses on the period from 1926 to 1931, “the pivotal years,” says Loustal. It was in fact at this time that Simenon (then nicknamed “Sim”) settled in Paris with his wife. He who wholeheartedly desires to become a novelist blackens pages at the speed of light, but struggles to emerge from the shadows. The pseudonyms pile up. “It’s an episode in their lives little known to the general public. The young couple tries to make a career in the City of Lights, each on their own. The beginnings are difficult. They experience ups and downs. There are failures and doubts, those which will shape them and lead them towards success. »
Jacques de Loustal can now take a breather. He is preparing an exhibition of oils on canvas for a gallery in New York, far from the world of comics. “The exhibition will be presented in March 2024 at the Philippe Labaune gallery. I am delighted to find this freedom, this rhythm that I had neglected in recent months. »