Spirou (, ; ;
Walloon for "squirrel", "mischievous"; nl, Robbedoes, link=no) is a Belgian comic strip character and protagonist in the comic strip series ''
Spirou & Fantasio
''Spirou & Fantasio'' (french: Spirou et Fantasio, wa, Spirou eyet Fantasio) is one of the most popular classic Franco-Belgian comics. The series, which has been running since 1938, shares many characteristics with other European comics, European ...
'' and ''
Le Petit Spirou
''Le Petit Spirou'' ( nl, De Kleine Robbe, link=no; ''"Young Spirou"'') is a popular Belgian comic strip created by Tome and Janry in 1987. The series developed from '' La jeunesse de Spirou'' (1987), a ''Spirou & Fantasio'' album in which Tom ...
'', and the
eponym
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
ous character of the Belgian comic strip magazine ''
Spirou''.
History
The character was originally created by
Robert Velter (Rob-Vel) for the launch of ' (''
Spirou'' magazine) in 1938.
''Spirou'' was originally an
elevator operator
An elevator operator (North American English), liftman (in Commonwealth English, usually lift attendant), or lift girl (in British English), is a person specifically employed to operate a manually operated elevator.
Description
Being an effec ...
and
bell-boy at the fictional Moustique Hotel. At some point he became a reporter for the eponymous magazine, though he remained dressed in his trademark red uniform.
Spirou's design was changed through the years by the various writers and artists who created
his adventures but he has kept his spiky red-hair and clothes of the same colour even after ditching his hotel uniform.
Character
In contrast to
Tintin
Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to:
''The Adventures of Tintin''
* ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé
** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series
** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...
, Spirou is more frequently shown doing some reporting in several of his adventures. While he and reporter colleague
Fantasio occasionally pursue stories, in most cases they simply find themselves in the centre of adventures. An honest and brave young man of
indeterminate age, he tries to fight injustice around him and help people. He is usually more level-headed than Fantasio, who always accompanies him, along with the pet squirrel
Spip
SPIP (''Système de Publication pour l'Internet'') is a free software content management system designed for web site publishing, oriented towards online collaborative editing.
The software is designed for easy setup, use and maintenance, and is ...
, and during the period of
Franquin authorship, the
Marsupilami
''Marsupilami'' is a comic book character and fictional animal species created by André Franquin. Its first appearance was in the 31 January 1952 issue of the Franco-Belgian comics magazine '' Spirou''. Since then it appeared regularly in th ...
.
Spin-off
A six-year-old version of Spirou is the star of the spin-off series ''
Le Petit Spirou
''Le Petit Spirou'' ( nl, De Kleine Robbe, link=no; ''"Young Spirou"'') is a popular Belgian comic strip created by Tome and Janry in 1987. The series developed from '' La jeunesse de Spirou'' (1987), a ''Spirou & Fantasio'' album in which Tom ...
'', which is concerned with his tribulations at school and the anatomy of girls. This later series and its star are generally acknowledged to have little in common with the old one.
In 2018 a theme park in
Monteux, , inspired by this character, was opened.
In popular culture
Spirou is part of the
Comic Book Route and can be found at Place Sainctelette in Brussels.
Spirou at Place Sainctelette
References
Belgian comics characters
Spirou et Fantasio
Fictional characters from Wallonia
Fictional servants
Comics characters introduced in 1938
Magazine mascots
Male characters in comics
Mascots introduced in 1938
{{FrancoBelgian-comics-stub
de:Spirou und Fantasio#Spirou