Robert Velter

Rob - Vel, actually Robert Velter ( born February 9, 1909 in Paris, † April 27, 1991 in Saint- Malo ) was a French cartoonist and the creator of Spirou.

Like his most famous character Velter began his career as a bellhop - at the age of 16 years at London's Ritz- Carlton. Then he moved to the lake, where he hired himself out to ocean liners as head waiter and Games companion. With a cruise, he met the American artist Martin Branner know, as his assistant at the Winnie Winkle he from 1934 to 1936 in the United States learned the " comic craft ".

Back in France, Velter could realize in 1936 for " Le petit Parisien " his first series Subito under the pseudonym Bozz. 1937 was followed by the eponymous hero of " Le journal de Toto " - a cabin boy. In 1938 he created the title for series Spirou, a new youth magazine of the Belgian publishing house Éditions Dupuis, for he first time the pseudonym Rob - Vel used. The title hero he sat first in a few gags as Page to eventually send him to the adventure. Also Spirou squirrels Pips is a creation of Rob - Vel.

When the artist was convened in September 1939 in the Second World War, he sent his lyrics and pencil drawings from the front. His friend, the Belgian artist Luc Lafnet took over briefly the inks, but died at the end of the same month. Then Spirou for about four months of Velters wife Blanche Dumoulien (pseudonym Davine ) was realized, stepped in to for well over a year Jijé. As it became increasingly difficult to get the drawings from France to Belgium, Velter finally joined the series in 1943 all the way to Jijé and sold the rights to it to Dupuis.

Then created and recorded Velter several other comics, including Le Père Pictou, Les Tribulations du Chien Petto and the already created for the magazine Spirou et Bibor Tribar. In 1949, he revived his silent Strip Subito again, to which he devoted himself until 1969 and thus represents his longest series after Spirou. In 1971 he recorded under the pseudonym Darthel the classic Strip Professeur Nimbus by André Daix ( di André Delachenal ).

Following the success of Spirou Velter could never connect again. Supported by Raoul Cauvin scriptwriter, he continued his creation in 1970 in the nostalgic Six pus " 1938 - Spirou 1" one last time in the limelight.