René Goscinny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids René Goscinny |
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Goscinny in 1971
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| Born | 14 August 1926 Paris, France |
| Died | 5 November 1977 (aged 51) Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist, Writer, Editor |
| Pseudonym(s) | d'Agostini, Stanislas |
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Notable works
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Notable collaborations
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| Awards | full list |
| Spouse(s) | Gilberte Pollaro-Millo (1967–1977; his death; 1 child) |
René Goscinny (born August 14, 1926 – died November 5, 1977) was a famous French writer and editor of comics. He is best known for creating the popular Astérix comic book series with artist Albert Uderzo.
René grew up mostly in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he went to French schools. He also lived in the United States for a while. There, he met the Belgian cartoonist Morris. After returning to France, Goscinny and Morris worked together for over 20 years. They created the comic series Lucky Luke, which was a very successful period for the series.
Goscinny also wrote Iznogoud with Jean Tabary. He also wrote a series of children's books called Le Petit Nicolas (which means Little Nicolas).
Contents
René Goscinny's Early Life
René Goscinny was born in Paris, France, in 1926. His parents were immigrants from Poland. His father, Stanisław, was a chemical engineer from Warsaw. His mother, Anna, was from a village near Zhytomyr (now in Ukraine). René had an older brother named Claude.
When René was two years old, his family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina. His father got a job as a chemical engineer there. René had a happy childhood in Buenos Aires. He went to French-speaking schools. He was often the "class clown" to hide his shyness. He started drawing very early, inspired by the illustrated stories he loved to read.
In December 1943, after René finished high school, his father died from a stroke. René had to start working. His first job was as an assistant accountant in a tire factory. Later, he became a junior illustrator at an advertising agency.
In 1945, René and his mother moved from Argentina to New York, United States. To avoid serving in the US Army, he went to France in 1946 to join the French Army. He became a senior corporal and drew illustrations and posters for the army.
First Steps in Comics
After his time in the army, Goscinny worked on an illustrated story in France. In April 1947, he returned to New York. This was a tough time for him. He was jobless, alone, and poor for a while.
By 1948, he started working in a small studio. There, he met other artists who would later work for MAD Magazine. Goscinny became an art director at Kunen Publishers, where he wrote four children's books.
Around this time, he met two Belgian comic artists: Joseph Gillain (known as Jijé) and Maurice de Bevere (known as Morris). Morris had already started his comic series Lucky Luke. Goscinny and Morris began working together on Lucky Luke in 1955. Goscinny wrote the stories until his death in 1977. This time is often called the "golden age" of Lucky Luke.
In 1951, Goscinny returned to France to work for the World Press agency. There, he met Albert Uderzo. This meeting started a long and successful partnership. They first worked on stories for a women's magazine and launched series like Jehan Pistolet and Luc Junior.
In 1955, Goscinny, Uderzo, and other artists started their own group called Edipress/Edifrance. They created publications for different groups. Goscinny and Uderzo worked on several series together. Goscinny also wrote Le Petit Nicolas for Jean-Jacques Sempé under a different name. This series later became very popular.
In 1956, Goscinny started working with Tintin magazine. He wrote many short stories and collaborated with various artists. One of his early creations with Uderzo, Oumpah-pah, was also published in Tintin magazine.
Pilote Magazine and Astérix
In 1959, the Edifrance/Edipresse group launched a new Franco-Belgian comics magazine called Pilote. Goscinny became one of the most active writers for the magazine. In the very first issue, he launched Astérix with Uderzo. The series became an instant success and is still loved around the world today.
Goscinny also brought back his series Le Petit Nicolas in Pilote. He started new series with other artists, including Iznogoud with Jean Tabary.
In 1960, Georges Dargaud bought Pilote magazine, and Goscinny became its editor-in-chief.
René Goscinny's Family Life
René Goscinny married Gilberte Pollaro-Millo in 1967. In 1968, their daughter Anne Goscinny was born. She also grew up to become a writer.
René Goscinny's Death
René Goscinny passed away at the age of 51 on November 5, 1977. He died in Paris from a cardiac arrest during a routine check-up at his doctor's office. He was buried in the Jewish Cemetery of Nice.
When Goscinny died, he was halfway through writing the comic book Asterix in Belgium. As a way to honor him, Uderzo drew dark skies and rain in the comic for the rest of the book. This showed the sadness of Goscinny's passing. At the end of Asterix in Belgium, Uderzo drew a rabbit looking sadly towards Goscinny's signature as another tribute.
After Goscinny's death, Uderzo took over writing Asterix himself. He continued the series, though at a slower pace, until 2011. Then, Jean-Yves Ferri became the writer and Didier Conrad became the illustrator. Similarly, Jean Tabary started writing Iznogoud himself, and Morris continued Lucky Luke with other writers.
In another tribute, Uderzo drew Goscinny's face on a character named Saul ben Ephishul in the 1981 Asterix book, Asterix and the Black Gold.
Awards and Honors for René Goscinny
- 1974: He received the Adamson Award for best international comic strip artist in Sweden.
- 2005: He was added to the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in the U.S., chosen by judges.
Since 1996, the René Goscinny Award is given out every year at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France. This award encourages young comic writers.
According to UNESCO, René Goscinny was one of the most translated authors in the world as of 2017. His works had been translated over 2,200 times.
On January 23, 2020, a life-sized bronze statue of Goscinny was revealed near his old home in Paris. It was the first public statue in Paris dedicated to a comic book author.
Main Works and Collaborations
René Goscinny created many famous comic series and characters. Here are some of his most well-known works:
- Astérix: Created with Albert Uderzo. This series is about a small Gaulish village that resists the Roman Empire.
- Lucky Luke: He wrote the stories for this series, which was drawn by Morris. It's about a cowboy who is "the man who shoots faster than his shadow."
- Le Petit Nicolas (Little Nicolas): A series of children's books about the adventures of a young boy, illustrated by Sempé.
- Iznogoud: Created with Jean Tabary. This comic is about a Grand Vizier who always wants to become Caliph "in place of the Caliph."
- Oumpah-pah: Another series he created with Albert Uderzo, about a Native American character.
See also
In Spanish: René Goscinny para niños
