Pilote
ISSN 0999-9728 | |
Pilote (French:
Pilote also published several international talents such as Hugo Pratt, Frank Bellamy and Robert Crumb.
History
Following the release of a teaser, issue number 0, on June 1, Pilote officially launched on October 29, 1959.[1]
The magazine was founded by experienced comic book writers Goscinny and Charlier, and artists Albert Uderzo and Jean Hébrard. Previously this team had worked together on several other projects, creating Le Supplément Illustré, a cartoon supplement for stuff like newspapers, and providing cartoons for Radio-Télé, a magazine published by Radio-Luxembourg. Pilote was promoted by Radio-Luxembourg and featured editorials written by well-known personalities of the era. The first issue of Pilote was met with overwhelming demand, selling out all 300.000 copies in a single day.
Unlike Belgian competitive magazines, such as Tintin and Spirou, from its launch, the magazine was positioned to target an adolescent audience already from the beginning, more directly aimed at an adolescent audience.
Charlier and Goscinny handled most of the initial writing. Although Charlier came up with two popular series, Tanguy et Laverdure with Albert Uderzo and Barbe-Rouge (Redbeard) with Victor Hubinon, it was Goscinny and Uderzo’s Astérix le Gaulois which was the biggest hit and the magazine’s initial mainstay.
Difficulties
Financial problems arose in 1960, but were resolved when the magazine was bought out by
Attempts were made in the 1970s to update the magazine with material of more interest to adults, but many artists like Druillet and Giraud felt Pilote was no longer the appropriate vehicle for their aspirations and left to found new magazines such as
Sales initially improved but a steady erosion took place through the 1980s as interest in the medium declined. Pilote was merged with the comics magazine Charlie Mensuel in 1986 and continued as Pilote et Charlie until 1988, when the name was changed back to Pilote. However, declining sales prompted Dargaud to suspend publication after what became the final issue on 1 October 1989.[2]
After 1989, there has been no regular publications of the magazine, although the name has been used for occasional oversized specials.[3]
Main authors and series
- Alexis: Timoléon et Stanislas (1969–1973), Al Crane (1976–1977)
- Philippe Bertrand: Linda aime l'art (1983–1989)
- La foire aux immortels(1980)
- Michel Blanc-Dumont: Jonathan Cartland (1974–1988)
- Claire Bretécher: Cellulite (1969–1977)
- Cabu: Grand Duduche (1963–1982)
- Caza: Scènes de la vie de banlieue (1975–1979)
- Jean Chakir: Séraphin contre Angelure (1962–1970)
- Barbe-Rouge (1959–1969), Tanguy et Laverdure(1959–1970)
- Pierre Christin: Valérian and Laureline (1967–1985), Légendes d'Aujourd'hui (1976–1982)
- Delinx: Buck Gallo (1963–1969)
- Philippe Druillet: Lone Sloane (1970–1974)
- F'Murr: Le Génie des alpages (1973–1989)
- Fred: Philémon(1965–1986)
- Jean Giraud: Blueberry (1963–1973)
- Vagabond des limbes(1978–1987)
- Petit Nicolas(1959–1965)
- Dingodossiers (1965–1967), Rubrique-à-Brac(1968–1973)
- Greg: Achille Talon(1963–1981)
- Laurence Harlé: Jonathan Cartland (1974–1988)
- Victor Hubinon: Barbe-Rouge (1959–1969)
- Jijé: Tanguy et Laverdure (1966–1970)
- Claude Lacroix: Homme au chapeau mou (1977–1983)
- Lauzier: Tranche de Vie (1970–1978), Al Crane (1976–1977)
- Jacques Lob: Submerman (1967–1970)
- Nikita Mandryka: Concombre masqué (1971–1981), Clopinettes (1970–1973)
- Martial: Tony Laflamme (1963–1971)
- Jean-Claude Mézières: Valérian and Laureline (1967–1985)
- Morris: Lucky Luke (1967–1973)
- Antonio Hernandez Palacios: Mac Coy (1974–1989)
- Julio Ribera: Vagabond des limbes (1978–1987), Dracurella (1973–1982)
- Sempé: Petit Nicolas (1959–1965)
- Jean Tabary: Iznogoud (1968–1977), Valentin le vagabond (1962–1974)
- François Thomas: Stan Caïman (1982–1989)
- Albert Uderzo: Asterix (1959–1973), Tanguy et Laverdure (1959–1967)
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Fred
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Marcel Gotlib
Circulation
Publication schedule | Issue date(s) | Issue circulation | Magazine sales |
---|---|---|---|
Weekly | 29 October 1959 | 300,000 | 300,000 |
5 November 1959 to 7 January 1960 | 235,000 | 2,350,000 | |
14 January 1960 to December 1960 | 125,000 | 6,375,000 | |
1961 to 1973 | 125,000 | 84,500,000 | |
Monthly | 1974 to 1988 | 125,000 | 22,500,000 |
January 1989 to October 1989 | 125,000 | 1,250,000 | |
Total sales | 117,275,000 |
References
- Pilote publications by year BDoubliées (in French)
Footnotes
- ^ BDoubliées. "Le journal Pilote en 1959".(in French)
- ^ BDoubliées. "Le journal Pilote en 1989".(in French)
- ^ BDoubliées. "Le journal Pilote et les publications Dargaud par année".(in French)
- hdl:10919/32760. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
External links
- La mémoire de Pilote issue descriptions on BDoubliées (in French)