A Retrospective
Press Pack
A WORLD FIRST
25|03 > 27|08 2017
CURATORS
JOSÉ GRANDMONT - HUGUES DAYEZ
A collaboration
FONDATION FOLON and IMPS
Of all the comic strip writers I’ve
ever met, Peyo was by far the best
storyteller.
Yvan Delporte,
Editor in chief of Spirou
Contact
Dominique Michels
Tel. 0495 51 23 10
[email protected]
FONDATION FOLON
Drève de la Ramée, 6A | 1310 La Hulpe
THE ART OF PEYO
Pierre Culliford, alias Peyo is one of the most
reputed Belgian comic strip writers in the world.
Born in 1928, this son of stockbroker of British origin
was to become by the 1950s a mainstay of the
SPIROU comics magazine, which featured his
unforgettable series "Johan and Pirlouit", combining
his boundless passion for the Middle Ages with a
poetic humour tinged with fantasy. In 1958, on their
way through the “Cursed Country”, these two heroes
came across some fabulous little blue creatures. The
Smurfs. These friendly little blue elves, with their
white hats and trousers, instantly charmed thousands
of readers and the album "The Flute with Six Holes”
became the stuff of legend. They were soon to
outshine Peyo's other creations, such as Benoît
Brisefer (a character that allowed him to let off steam
by gently mocking American comic strips still
infatuated with Superman) or the cat Poussy ...…
But above all, Peyo had a gift for narration, for
dialogue, for setting a scene ... and so why not bring
all these characters to life? No sooner said than done
with a cartoon and, in particular, the big screen
adaptation of "The Flute with Six Holes” (“The
Smurfs and the Magic Flute") where the Smurfs
appear for the first time. This was quite a venture, and
one that Peyo pursued with passion. It was a new
profession that he learned to love with the help of
Yvan Delporte and Michel Legrand.
Soon, the growing success of the Smurfs prompted
Peyo to set up his own studio and surround himself
with a strong team. The years 1983 and 1984 saw these
little characters gain international fame: millions of
derived products as well as a host of cartoons
featuring the incredible Smurfs invaded the planet.
Faced with this success, Peyo and his family put a
strategy into action. His daughter Veronique was put
in
charge
of
merchandising
management
(International Merchandising Promotion & Services IMPS SA) and his son, Thierry, supervised the
production of Studio Peyo. A studio that still
perpetuates the work of Peyo, almost 25 years after
his death in 1992.
3
PEYO - THE EXHIBITION
Quiz question:
Which are the most famous of all Franco-Belgian comic strip
characters throughout the world? The Smurfs! Originally known as the Schtroumpfs and called
the Puffi in Italy, the Kumafu in Japan and other names in different places, the Smurfs are
internationally renowned thanks to the animated television series from the Hanna-Barbera
studios in the eighties, and, more recently, with the feature films produced by Sony.
Inevitably, this fame has rather overshadowed
the Smurfs’ creator, Pierre Culliford, known as
Peyo. Born in Brussels in 1928, in the fifties
this son of a British exchange broker became a
mainstay of the Journal de SPIROU and
created his unforgettable medieval series
“Johan and Peewit” in which the Smurfs were
born in 1958.
The success of the little blue sprites was immediate and the Smurfs soon eclipsed Johan and
Peyo’s other creations, “Benny Breakiron”, the little boy with Herculean strength, and «
Pussycat". Overwhelmed with work, Peyo took on assistants and established a studio which
continues to perpetuate his work today, almost 25 years after his death in 1992.
Yvan Delporte, chief editor from the golden age of SPIROU,said
of Peyo: “Of all the comic strip authors I’ve met, Peyo was
without question the best storyteller”. Pierre Culliford had two
models: Hergé and Walt Disney. From the former he learned the
purity of design and narrative effectiveness. From the second,
the art of bringing his paper creations out of the context of
albums to conquer films and merchandising.
4
PEYO AT THE
FONDATION
FOLON
« Before
being the creator of a
commercial empire, Peyo was first
and foremost a great comic strip
writer. Peyo also had two role models:
Hergé and Walt Disney. He admired
the first for his narrative genius, the
second, for his international success.
Astonishingly, his career managed to
combine both these influences.
In collaboration with Véronique Culliford and the
IMPS group, the Folon Foundation will present, from
25 March to 27 August 2017 the Peyo exhibition as a
world first.
Through many rare documents (original plates,
sketches, photos, movies, period documents), the
exhibition will offer a chronological journey to
understand Peyo’s incredible success story and, above
all, his exceptional mastery of comic strip art.
The Fondation Folon has called on two curators to
create this journey: José Grandmont, who worked for
many years in the Peyo Studio, and Hugues Dayez,
author of the biography “Peyo l’enchanteur”.
»
Hugues Dayez, Journalist and
curation of the exhibition
ASSOCIATE
EVENTS
The Peyo exhibition will benefit from the worldwide
release of the film “The Lost Village” (the Smurfs'
third big screen outing) on 29 March 2017.
In order to give an even wider impact to this
exhibition, other events will be organised at the Folon
Foundation:
26/03 – Official opening for children
from 2 to 4 pm: intergenerational creative
workshop (from age 6) - FREE with the
exceptional presence of Studio Peyo illustrators
23/04 | 27/08 – exceptional guided tour by
Véronique Culliford en Hugues Dayez
26/03 | 14/05 | 27/05 – Guided tour of the exhibition
5
EVENTS
PRENEZ L'AIR – Every Ascension Day
Activities hinged around the theme of the air and the kite
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Every year around 20 November
Family day (free museum entry)
School Day Activities hinged around the subject of the rights of the child
MUSÉE SENS DESSUS DESSOUS – Every year around 20 October
A different way of discovering the museum (Folon at your fingertips, visit with the help of unusual
objects) and activities hosted by a dozen or so illustrators and press cartoonists who will be let loose on
paper armed only with their pencils and pens.
OUR
Stéphanie ANGELROTH I Director
TEAM
Pascale BOURDINON I Executive Assistant
Corinne BULLAERT I Artshop
Marie-Anne CELIS I Accounting
Sonia COMPAS I Reception and secretariatt
Géraldine DRESSE I HR en facilities
Pierre-Paul FIEVE I Digitale communication
Nathalie FIEVE I Scientific Research
Moune LACHAPELLE I Educational service
Alain LAUWERS I Logistics / Maintenance
Allison MICHEL I Collection management
Dominique MICHELS I Communication & Marketing
Doris SARMIENTO I Reception and secretariatt
Véronique VANDENDORPE I Artshop
Laura VASQUEZ I Booking
Marie-Esther VERHEYEN I Educational service
INFORMATION & BOOKING
Farm of the Castle of La Hulpe (Solvay Park)
20 km in the South of Brussels
Drève de la Ramée, 6A | 1310 Terhulpen (La Hulpe)
Tel. 02/653 34 56 | Fax 02/653 00 77
[email protected]
www.fondationfolon.be
6
OUR PARTNERS
7