Ex-libris Frank Margerin : Triumphant Lucien

MARGERIN Frank

Frank MARGERIN is a French cartoonist and author of comic books.
The son of painters, he was drawn to drawing from an early age, going from small, scribbled caricatures in the margins of his notebooks to the prestigious School of Applied Arts, from which he graduated (as a lacquerer and textile designer) in the early 1970s.
More attracted to humorous drawing than the textile industry, he made a living from odd jobs while trying to get his unique style and talent recognized. Encouraged to turn to comics by advertising agencies he wanted to work for, he started with three-panel comics for Malabar chewing gum and then submitted comic pages to Métal Hurlant. However, it was Lui and Playboy that published his first drawings!
A versatile artist, he published Simone et Léon in Métal Hurlant, illustrated album and 45 rpm covers (including the charity record Ethiopie carried by the singer Renaud), film posters (including La Smala with Josiane Balasko), and participated in the musical adventure of Dennis Twist (a Top 50 success in the late 1980s, especially with Tu dis que tu l'M), all while continuing to work in advertising. Margerin's style then gained unanimous recognition and almost symbolized an era!
It was in the early 1980s that Lucien was born, initially for a "special rock" issue of Métal Hurlant, and the character became a recurring hero. With his forever-balanced quiff, rolled-up jeans, and rebellious rock attitude that clung to his leather jacket, Lucien is a sort of restless post-adolescent who lives for music and friends. The character evolved (both physically and intellectually) over the years and across albums.
For the needs of an animated series (which was broadcast on the now-defunct La Cinq), Margerin, who didn't want his character Lucien to slip away, created Manu, a 14-year-old blond teenager who later became a comic book character due to the success of the series.
The 1990s saw him transition from Lucien to Manu, and then to Momo, a young Maghrebian who rides a scooter (not a motorcycle) and listens to rap rather than rock. Margerin observed the world around him and illustrated it in his own way. He supported the "Yellow Vests" in 2019.
Having moved from Humanoïdes associés to Fluide Glacial in 2008, he "revived" Lucien with this new publisher, but with the character aging. While the quiff is still there, it has seriously whitened!! Lucien has put on some weight but still loves rock, teaches it to teenagers, all while managing his family and his wife's addiction to the internet! Yes, Lucien is 50 years old and, like Margerin, looks at the world from a different angle... Working successively for Le Journal de Spirou and then for Le Journal de Tintin, his reputation grew, and he collaborated with various writers, including Jean Dufaux. His realistic style, precise but simple drawings, made Renaud one of the most prominent artists in the mid-1980s.
And it was with Dufaux that he came up with the heroine who would bring him fame: Jessica Blandy!
We are in the late 1980s, and by riding the wave of this visual culture (which would become iconic), drawing inspiration from MTV music videos as well as the Coen brothers' films, he established his style and found a wide audience. Jessica Blandy has 25 albums and two spin-offs: La Route Jessica and Crotales.
With Dufaux, he also created the series: Les Enfants de la Salamandre, Santiag, and Venus H. Highly prolific (his latest album, Blousés, was released in 2021 when he was 84 years old), he continued to work on series, collaborations, and became the author of his own scripts (in addition to being the artist), always with the same enthusiasm and talent over the years!

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