Didier Conrad

Didier Conrad
Born	6 May 1959 Marseille France
Nationality	French

Didier Conrad, born on 6 May 1959 in Marseille, France, is a cartoonist and comics writer. He is the illustrator and cartoonist of Asterix and the Missing Scroll and Asterix and the Picts.

Biography

Beginnings

Didier Conrad was born in Marseille of parents originally from Switzerland. He developed a passion for comics and, at age 14, he sent a plank Journal de Spirou that was published in a page reserved for new talents. Five years later, in 1978, Conrad published his first cartoon in the newspaper: "Jason" from a script by Mythic. Spirou editor Thierry Martens put him in touch with another aspiring comics author also from Marseille: Yann Pennetier. The pair hit it off despite having different personalities and decided to work together.

Spirou years

After publishing a few short comics in Spirou together in which they collaborated on both the writing and art, Yann & Conrad were tasked by the new editor Alain de Kuyssche with adding doodles and jokes in the top margin of the magazine's pages. This was generally considered a chore by the magazine's contributors, but Yann & Conrad shook things up by spoofing and sometimes outright insulting the series straight below their work. This caused a controversy at the magazine, during which they were defended by the magazine's veteran artist André Franquin, who felt they were regenerating a now stale publication.

The pair was next asked to devise an action series in the style of another Spirou star character, Buck Danny, then on a hiatus. They appeared to comply, teasing a new series to be called "Chuck Willis", apparently starring a square-jawed all-American war hero. This character however was run over by a Jeep in the second panel, never to be seen again, and the series retitled Les Innommables (the Unnamables). Les Innommables was originally written by Conrad, who was busy drawing Jason, and drawn by Yann, but recognising their respective strengths, they eventually switched tasks. The series broke every possible taboo in a comics magazine aimed at children, featuring violence, sex and cruelty, and the pair were eventually sacked in 1982.

During their period at Spirou, Conrad and Yann both still lived in Marseille and would spend the odd week in Brussels, staying in a guest room in the magazine's building. They later boasted that they would frequently break into the offices at night and read all the internal correspondence about themselves.

Circus years

Yann and Conrad were in search of a new journal to publish their brands. They contacted organizations and ended up at Circus, a brand new magazine editions Glénat. Initially, the publisher repeated the feat of offering them 'senior pages but the duo refused because they did not see the point as the newspaper did not have the same liability as the Journal Spirou. They then intended to resume the parody "Bob Morane" they had already published two short stories in 1981 in Spirou. The first episode of "Bob Morane" called "White Dinosaur", started in October 1983. The second episode, "The Clash", started a year later. It also marked the end of the collaboration of the duo. Yann and Conrad are blurred in the publication of this episode and was Sophie Commenge, the companion of Conrad, who finished the script.

Exotic adventures

After parting with Yann, Conrad became less productive. He created stories of exotic adventures continuing his collaboration with Lucie and signing scenarios "Conrad" now under his real name, Sophie Commenge. "The Avatar", the first episode of the adventures of Ernest Poildu, is published directly in edition 1985 in Bédéfil. A second episode, "Jatra - The Fall of Allyor", was announced but was never published, although produced and pre-published in the eponymous part of the quarterly editions Bédéfil.

For 5 years, Didier Conrad did not produce anything new. His only appearances in the comic rays were republishing Adventure yellow in the 1986 edition of Bédéscope and the first edition of Shukumei the following year. On the back of these publications are announced "cloaca" and a fourth episode named "The Innommables".

The return of Conrad

1990 was a decisive year for Conrad. He is back at Dupuis at that. Meanwhile, the publishing house evolved and offered a collection that is aimed more for adults: "Aire Libre". Conrad published in this collection diptych "Malay Trap" which portrays the character of "The Avatar" Ernest Poildu in a similar story. The same year, published by the author, on a limited edition "Tatum: The Scarlet Machine", scripted again by Sophie Commenge. In these new works, the style is changed. It is less nervous, less influenced by Franquin and gradually shifts to that of author Morris.

Conrad offers a new regular series, "Donito", the adventures of a little boy who talks to animals which is set in the Caribbean. A series is classic, the opposite of provocative style of previous years. Graphically, Donito is a band with bright colors and Direct Line simplified. In five editions, Conrad uses his sensitivity. The "brat" becomes a storyteller of wonderful stories closer to Walt Disney and Pepito Conrad read as a child.

The return of Innommables

In 1994, appears in bookstores new unreleased album of Innommables, "The Skull Father Zé", published by Dargaud. Meanwhile, the series became cult and the first album a real success. It comes in three different covers and the back of this album is announced two new episodes. The story is the result of Adventure yellow. Marketing is the same as another series of Yann also published at the time with Philippe Berthet Pin-Up. Yann and Conrad are back along the Innommables. The second episode, Ching SOAO, released the following year and won just as successful. It offers a supplement: the price list Purple Lotus, the brothel in which evolve Mac and his two accomplices. The album regularly come out with, for the first editions, original supplements ever more than each other. After four episodes, Adventure yellow is republished. Its supplement is the first edition of Serial Triple Zero. The series is the first time reorganized. Cesspools is rehabilitated in two volumes. New episodes are emerging. The series is renumbered several times until the republication of Shukumei, which requires a final numbering.

The mysterious Pearce

While the first two episodes of Innommables came out in bookstores, a new writer, graphic design very similar to that of Conrad, made its appearance. Pearce shape "Kid Lucky" or the adventures of young "Lucky Luke" that runs through the West in the company of an old trapper. The world of comics questioned this author. This is the trait of Conrad and Yann humor, although the scenarios are of John Léturgie. Later, we learn that under the pseudonym Pearce actually hides the duo Yann and Conrad, returning both for drawings and scenarios. Morris gives them carte blanche to this spin-off of Lucky Luke but after the second album, Jim Oklahoma, Morris thanked the trio and the project is abandoned. John Pearce Léturgie and recycle their ideas in a new series close enough, Kid Cotton, the first episode, pre-published in Bodoï, was published in album with Winds of West in 1999. The series continues until 2002 and continues for five albums.

Conrad US

In 1996, he was hired by the studio Dreamworks to work in the film The Road to El Dorado. He decided to settle in the United States. That's where it will lead two projects: The Innommables, under his real name, and Kid Lucky and Kid Cotton under the pseudonym Yann common with Pearce. The duo Yann and Conrad also scripted new episodes of Bob Marone in cold fluid from 2003. Their original intention was to propose several designers for the cover of Bob Marone on their list are Hardy, Verron or Tarrin which will propose a project that will eventually be rejected by Fluid cold. It is ultimately Yoann, under the name Janus, to be selected in the drawing. Seven Stories from May to July planks are published 2003 to 2005.

The life of Conrad in the United States influenced his vision of the country. It is reflected in the latest round of Innommables that starts with "East of Roswell". After this last cycle, Conrad and Yann proposed a new story that features only Alix Yin Fu, Asian including Mac falls in Innommables. The publisher offers them rather than incorporating this album to the series, to make a spin-off series. Thus is born White Tigress. In this first episode, many references are made to the episode Shukumei of Innommables. Yann leaves the post of writer after the second episode is Wilbur, aka Sophie Commenge, which repeats the scenario for the next four albums. In 2007, always written by Wilbur, Conrad publishes a new series for Dargaud, Raj, which tells the beginnings of British colonialism in India. A framework he knows and has operated in "The Avatar"' then the diptych Malay Trap.

Asterix

He is chosen by Albert Uderzo to replace him as draftsman of Asterix, series created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo in 1959 from 2013. The 35th volume "Asterix and the Picts", scripted by Jean-Yves Ferri, was released on Oct. 24 2013.

External links

• http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/24/asterix-picts-interview-ferri-conrad
• http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/02/08/meet-the-new-creators-of-asterix-jean-yves-ferri-and-didier-conrad/
• Publications by and about Didier Conrad in the catalogue Helveticat of the Swiss National Library
• A site dedicated to Didier Conrad

Notes and references

• Vivian Lecuivre and Serge Buch, Yann and Conrad a monograph, Mosquito, 2007.