What do we know about Marcel Gotlieb known as Gotlib (1934-2016), despite all the crazy enthusiasm of his alter ego (Gai Luron, Jovial Hamster, Pervers Pépère, Isaac Newton, etc.) that keeps making his zygomatics take off? How can we understand the life of this great comic book character, who went through dark times as well as extraordinary moments… Primarily through Pilote magazine, then l’Echo des Savanes and finally Fluide Glacial, which he created in 1975?
Who’s he?
This is what the magazine and publisher want to convey, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its creation, through a comic strip of course. And who better to tackle it than two renowned authors of the 9th art and pages of Fluide, in this case designer Julien Solé and screenwriter Arnaud Le Gouëfflec?
The duo, based in Brest (Finistère) for a long time, delved into the family archives of Ariane Gotlieb, Marcel’s daughter, to better understand who she was, and thus delivered “Gotlib: life in the strip”*, which has just been published.
“The idea was to tell more or less chronologically the life, youth and work of Marcel Gotlib in 70 plates,” explain the authors. From his childhood to the creation of Fluide Glacial, to finally stopping the cursor at this exact spot, although there is a small epilogue that occurs during his retirement.
Symbolic slice of life
From the deportation of his father – Gotlib comes from a family of Romanian and Hungarian Jewish immigrants living in Paris, to creative passion, from his first love (disappointed, inevitably) to the death of his son, Arnaud Le Gouëfflec and Julien Solé have chosen a symbolic slice of life. “Well expressed his approach and work”, touching, moving, tender, and accurately reflects the echo of laughter that will mark generations.
“Very human, in the end,” said Julien Solé, who with a moved smile recalled his first meeting with “the master”, when he was still very small. “I remember when my father sometimes took me to the Pilote editorial office,” he said (Editor’s note: her father is none other than comics artist Jean Solé). I have to be on carpet level, and there has to be Fred (Philémon) and Goscinny. Later, there was no more writing, Marcel came to work with my father directly at home but I was obviously not allowed to enter the workshop while they were working.”
“Serious thoughts are systematically ridiculed”
On Arnaud Le Gouëfflec’s part, the meeting took place at the CDI campus. “What immediately struck me was the spirit of seriousness that was systematically ridiculed, but also the spirit of pataphysics; that is to say that he could make fun of comic and script techniques and express it through the board by placing himself on the stage. He talked about how one builds character and at the same time, while telling it, he made fun of his own character… and himself.”
Through the backdrop of photography and Gotlieb’s various letter exchanges, interspersed with various comic chapters, the two Breton authors almost find themselves, as part of Gotlib’s authorial life, facing a mirror that is ultimately less distorted.
“He was someone who was very loved”
“It’s touching because I know him well,” says Julien Solé, “but there are things that Arnaud and I recognize in the everyday life of a writer. Especially when you’re really in a hurry, when you feel like you’re sacrificing your entire family life, because you have pages to finish, that blank page is running out, etc.”.
In a biography with many metaphors reminiscent of Goscinny and Gotlib’s own refinement, the memory of Goscinny and Gotlib themselves is also honored by archival notebooks and interviews with Ariane Gotlieb… and our two Breton writers, who will be dedicated at Le Mans on November 22 and 23, then in Brest on December 6 and 11.
“He is someone who is very loved,” concluded the tandem. His laughter and work always resonate, healing life’s wounds and reminding us that laughter is absolutely necessary. Even important.”
*“Gotlib, life in a comic strip”, classic color edition with bonus notebook and archival photos, 88 pages, €19.90; Luxury black and white edition for €25.90; Bulle Edition for 25 euros.
