Zig et Puce

Zig et Puce is a Franco-Belgian comics series created by Alain Saint-Ogan in 1925 that became popular and influential over a long period. After ending production, it was revived by Greg for a second successful publication run.

Zig and Puce, the thin and the chubby one, respectively, are two teenagers who frequently experience adventures. On an expedition to the North Pole they meet their pet auk, Alfred. Their adventures are often exotic, and occasionally fantastic in nature, leading to destinations such as Venus or the future.

Zig et Puce first appeared in the Dimanche Illustré, weekly supplement of the French newspaper l’Excelsior, on 3 May 1925. The third major character, Alfred, made his first appearance on 25 December 1925. The series' style was influenced by the Art-Deco design of the period, and its engaging stories are suggested to be the main reason for its wide appeal among both adults and youth, and the subsequent success of the series. It is also considered the earliest French comic strip to employ speech bubbles, the device which was popularized by The Yellow Kid. After a long run of serial and album publications, Saint-Ogan ceased to produce the series in 1954.

The series was later revived by Greg who, with the consent of Saint-Ogan, resumed production in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Tintin. It was first published on 26 March 1963 and continued serial publication until 1969.

As a seminal comic strip in the bande dessinée culture, although appearing several years after Les Pieds Nickelés, Zig et Puce made an influential impact a few years before the debut of Hergé and The Adventures of Tintin. The character of Alfred is also considered a pioneering central animal character, in the tradition of Franco-Belgian comics animals such as Milou (Snowy), Spip, Jocko, Jolly Jumper, Marsupilami and Idéfix (Dogmatix).

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