Boule & Bill comic-strip works to go on show for first time at Ixelles gallery
Some 100 original plates from the comic strip Boule & Bill by Belgian illustrator Jean Roba are going on show to the public for the first time at the Huberty & Breyne gallery in Ixelles from 29 November to 25 January. The unprecedented retros
Some 100 original plates from the comic strip Boule & Bill by Belgian illustrator Jean Roba are going on show to the public for the first time at the Huberty & Breyne gallery in Ixelles from 29 November to 25 January.
The unprecedented retrospective marks the 65th anniversary of the birth of the two comic heroes, known in English as Billy & Buddy. It was in December 1959 that Roba published for the first time the adventures of the little boy Boule, his dog Bill and their family and their friends in the famous Spirou magazine.
Born in Schaerbeek in 1930, Roba honed his craft during the 1950s under his colleague Franquin, the visionary cartoonist who produced Spirou and Fantasio and created the characters Gaston Lagaffe and Marsupilami.
Roba went on to produce 22 albums at Dupuis publishing house, followed by seven more at Dargaud. In 2003, he passed the baton to Laurent Verron, who was in charge of the Boule & Bill albums until the arrival of Jean Bastide in 2016.
Since Roba's death in 2006 at the age of 75, the 1,149 original plates by the Brussels cartoonist have been protected by the Roba Foundation, in accordance with his wishes.
His work, appreciated for its humour and simplicity, is considered a true Belgian comic treasure. The artist’s iconic characters captivated generations of children in their youth.
The anniversary show in Place du Ch telain is a unique opportunity to discover or rediscover album covers and sketches by Roba, as well as hand-sketched plates.
Photos: ROBA Boule et Bill, 60 Gags de Boule et Bill numero 4 tome 4 page de garde ©Jean Roba Studio Boule et Bill 2024 ; ROBA Boule et Bill Album numero 7 Des Gags de Boule et Bill Couverture ©Jean Roba Studio Boule et Bill 2024
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