Jean-Richard Geurts
Encyclopedia
Jean-Richard Geurts, perhaps better known under his pseudonym Janry (born 2 October 1957), is a comics
artist. With Tome
he created Le Petit Spirou
and made several Spirou et Fantasio
albums.
, Democratic Republic of the Congo
, he moved to Brussels
, Belgium
with his parents when he was ten years old, and went to school in Jodoigne
. His main hobby at the time was drawing, especially planes and other technological items.
In 1974, he took a comics course where he learned to draw figures, and where he met Vandevelde, of the same age and also studying in Jodoigne, although at a different college.
They became friends, and attended the same Art Academy in Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe studying the making of comics. There they met Stéphane De Becker, and the three together made comics, sharing the roles of author, artists, and colourist, but later they all would more or less specialize, with Janry mainly functioning as the artist.
After his studies, Janry began a professional career by becoming the assistant of Francis for the series Ford T, and later assisted Dupa
for Cubitus
. During this period, he also collaborated with Greg and with Turk
and Bob de Groot
.
Together with Tome, he started working for Spirou
, where they created the games page Eureka!, signing as J.R. and PH. They later changed their pseudonyms to Tome (for Philippe Vandevelde, who used Tom from a very early age) and Janry (from Jean-Richard). This was intended as a pun on Tom and Jerry
.
In 1981, they started working with the adventures of Spirou et Fantasio
. This is the title series of Spirou magazine, in continuous production since 1938 by a succession of authors, most famously André Franquin
. The last of those, Jean-Claude Fournier
, had left the series at the end of the 1970s, and the magazine was looking for a solution to get the series back in production. Three teams started making stories, but after a few years only Tome and Janry remained. For them, it was a childhood dream, and they showed their first two pilot pages to Franquin to get some advice. They continued making stories until 1998, when after 14 albums they ended their run.
However, in 1988, they began the project Le Petit Spirou
, a spin-off telling stories from Spirou's youth, predominantly in the 1 page format. Since then, they have published 12 albums of this series. After a few years, the series reached a circulation of 500,000 copies for each new album, thus becoming more successful than the original series.
Janry now functions as artist, and Tome as author of the stories, with Stéphane De Becker as colourist.
Footnotes
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
artist. With Tome
Philippe Vandevelde
Philippe Vandevelde, working under the pseudonym Tome , is a comic strip script writer. He is known for collaborations with Janry on Spirou et Fantasio and Le Petit Spirou, and with Luc Warnant and later Bruno Gazzotti on Soda...
he created Le Petit Spirou
Le Petit Spirou
Le Petit Spirou is a popular Belgian comic strip created by Tome and Janry in 1987. The series developed from La jeunesse de Spirou , a Spirou et Fantasio album in which Tome and Janry set to imagine Spirou's youth...
and made several Spirou et Fantasio
Spirou et Fantasio
Spirou et Fantasio is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comic strips. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European humorous adventure comics like Tintin and Asterix...
albums.
Biography
Born in Jadotville, currently LikasiLikasi
Likasi, formerly known as Jadotville or Jadotstad, is a city in Haut-Katanga Province, in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.-Demographics:Likasi has a population of around 367,000...
, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, he moved to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
with his parents when he was ten years old, and went to school in Jodoigne
Jodoigne
Jodoigne is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2006 Jodoigne had a total population of 12,440...
. His main hobby at the time was drawing, especially planes and other technological items.
In 1974, he took a comics course where he learned to draw figures, and where he met Vandevelde, of the same age and also studying in Jodoigne, although at a different college.
They became friends, and attended the same Art Academy in Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe studying the making of comics. There they met Stéphane De Becker, and the three together made comics, sharing the roles of author, artists, and colourist, but later they all would more or less specialize, with Janry mainly functioning as the artist.
After his studies, Janry began a professional career by becoming the assistant of Francis for the series Ford T, and later assisted Dupa
Dupa
Luc Dupanloup, more famous under his pen name Dupa, was a Belgian comics artist best known as the creator of Cubitus which later was turned into an animated series called Wowser...
for Cubitus
Cubitus
Cubitus is a Franco-Belgian comics series, and the basis for the Wowser cartoon series appearing in the United States. Cubitus was created by the cartoonist Dupa, and features Cubitus, a large anthropomorphic dog, who lives with his owner Semaphore...
. During this period, he also collaborated with Greg and with Turk
Philippe Liégeois
Philippe Liégeois is a Belgian comic book artist, born on 8 July 1947. He is best known by his penname Turk. He is the co-author of numerous comic books, including Colonel Clifton, Léonard and Robin Dubois...
and Bob de Groot
Bob de Groot
Bob de Groot was born on 26 October 1941 in Brussels, to Dutch and French parents and is a Belgian comics artist and writer.-Biography:While still a young art student de Groot got his first comics experience as an assistant to Maurice Tillieux on Félix. He began creating shorter work for the comics...
.
Together with Tome, he started working for Spirou
Spirou (magazine)
Spirou magazine is a weekly Belgian comics magazine published by the Dupuis company...
, where they created the games page Eureka!, signing as J.R. and PH. They later changed their pseudonyms to Tome (for Philippe Vandevelde, who used Tom from a very early age) and Janry (from Jean-Richard). This was intended as a pun on Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
.
In 1981, they started working with the adventures of Spirou et Fantasio
Spirou et Fantasio
Spirou et Fantasio is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comic strips. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European humorous adventure comics like Tintin and Asterix...
. This is the title series of Spirou magazine, in continuous production since 1938 by a succession of authors, most famously André Franquin
André Franquin
André Franquin was an influential Belgian comics artist, whose best known comic strip creations are Gaston and Marsupilami, created while he worked on the Spirou et Fantasio comic strip from 1947 to 1969, during a period seen by many as the series' golden age.-Franquin's beginnings:Franquin was...
. The last of those, Jean-Claude Fournier
Jean-Claude Fournier
Jean-Claude Fournier , known simply as Fournier, is a French cartoonist best known as the comic book artist who handled Spirou et Fantasio in the years 1969-1979.-Biography:...
, had left the series at the end of the 1970s, and the magazine was looking for a solution to get the series back in production. Three teams started making stories, but after a few years only Tome and Janry remained. For them, it was a childhood dream, and they showed their first two pilot pages to Franquin to get some advice. They continued making stories until 1998, when after 14 albums they ended their run.
However, in 1988, they began the project Le Petit Spirou
Le Petit Spirou
Le Petit Spirou is a popular Belgian comic strip created by Tome and Janry in 1987. The series developed from La jeunesse de Spirou , a Spirou et Fantasio album in which Tome and Janry set to imagine Spirou's youth...
, a spin-off telling stories from Spirou's youth, predominantly in the 1 page format. Since then, they have published 12 albums of this series. After a few years, the series reached a circulation of 500,000 copies for each new album, thus becoming more successful than the original series.
Janry now functions as artist, and Tome as author of the stories, with Stéphane De Becker as colourist.
Awards
- 1992: Youth Prize (9-12 years)Angoulême International Comics Festival Prix Jeunesse 9-12 ansThe Prix Jeunesse 9-12 ans is awarded to comics authors at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. It rewards the best album for a 9 to 12 years old targeted public.The award started in 1981 as the "Alfred enfant", without the distinction in age groups....
and Humour AwardAngoulême International Comics Festival Humour awardThe Humour award was presented to a comic at the Angoulême International Comics Festival from 1989 until 2001.-1990s:* 1990: Raoul Fulgurex: Le secret du mystère by Tronchet and Gelli* 1991: Le pauvre chevalier by F'Murr...
at the Angoulême International Comics FestivalAngoulême International Comics FestivalThe Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, both for Le Petit Spirou
Sources
- Janry publications in Spirou BDoubliées
Footnotes
External links
- Janry biography on Lambiek Comiclopedia