Jean Roba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roba |
|
|---|---|
Jean Roba
|
|
| Born | 28 July 1930 Schaerbeek, Belgium |
| Died | 14 June 2006 (aged 75) Brussels, Belgium |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Area(s) | artist, writer |
|
Notable works
|
Boule et Bill |
| Awards | full list |
Jean Roba (born July 28, 1930 – died June 14, 2006) was a famous Belgian comic book artist and writer. He was part of a special group of artists called the "Marcinelle school." Roba is most famous for creating the comic series Boule et Bill.
About Jean Roba
Jean Roba was born in Schaerbeek, a town in Belgium. When he was young, he loved reading French magazines. These magazines, like Robinson and Mickey, often showed American comics. One comic that really inspired Roba was Katzenjammer Kids.
Before becoming a comic artist, Roba worked as an illustrator. He drew pictures for different magazines and advertising companies. In 1957, he started working for Spirou magazine. For a few years, he drew small cartoons for the front page of Spirou.
He also worked on another magazine called Bonnes Soirées. There, he took over a series called Sa majesté mon mari after another artist, Albert Uderzo, stopped drawing it.
Starting His Own Comics
For Spirou, Roba created some short stories with Yvan Delporte. He also worked with André Franquin on Spirou et Fantasio comics. Franquin taught him many important things about making comics.
In 1959, Roba started his most famous series, Boule et Bill. At first, Maurice Rosy helped him with the stories. These comics were usually just one page long.
In 1962, he began another comic series called La Ribambelle. This series was about a group of kids from different countries and backgrounds.
Roba's Work and Legacy
Jean Roba was both an artist and a writer. He wrote most of the jokes and stories for Boule et Bill himself. Other writers helped him with the stories for La Ribambelle.
Roba drew over 1,000 pages of Boule et Bill. Later, he handed over the drawing of the series to Laurent Verron. Roba's comics have been translated into 14 languages. More than 25 million copies of his books have been sold around the world!
Roba lived in Jette from 1951 until he passed away. He died in Brussels, Belgium, on June 14, 2006, at the age of 75.
Awards and Honors
Jean Roba received many awards for his amazing work in comics.
- 1978: He won an award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France. This was for Boule et Bill, recognized as the best foreign comical work.
- 1981: Again at the Angoulême Festival, he won an award for the best comic for kids aged 9 to 12. This was for his book Boule et Bill: Bill est maboul.
- 1992: France made him a "Chevalier des Arts et Lettres." This means "Knight of Arts and Letters," a special honor for people who have done great things in art and literature.
Roba was also made a Knight in the Order of Léopold in Belgium. This is another important honor given by the Belgian government.
