Eternal reverence at Francis Groux who had the idea to launch, in this city hitherto a little sleepy, and the month when it rains, hail, snow and quail, January, when there is nothing anywhere, a comic book festival, the second in France after Toulouse. No chance it will work. And it worked: about 5,000 people. All those who wrote on the comic were invited to it. Fanzines too. We were offered travel, room and bottle of cognac. It was in 1974.
- The fanzine “Le Petit Mickey qui afn’’ait pas des large” (this issue dates from 1975, the cover is by Zorin) and its manifesto.
In the room where independent publishers and fanzines were, I was with my Petit-Miquet who is not afraid of big. And suddenly a father finds his kid leafing through a fanzine, The Pirate Press where, on the inside page, in a small box appeared a character with a visible dick (drawn by Hube or Kmiecik) about half a millimeter in size. Having, because of the size, recognized his, he rushes whining with the prefect of the corner who, illico [famille, illico, y a un gag, trouvez-le], prohibits the review. Who closes his stand. All the other zines close theirs, under “Censorship” panels, as well as a few solidarity editors (kudos to them, the others did not budge).
Warned, Francis Groux declares that he is an organizer, not a censor, and that the fanzine is not prohibited, in any case by him. We met at 11 fanzines [1] and create on the spot a collective finely named the Amicale la laïque des Petits-merdeux, because Claude Moliterni, then co-organizer, had this remark against us ” What are these little shits? ” We are dealing with Groux (who wins our eternal respect by the way, which still lasts among those who have lived through the affair), to be able, just before the awards ceremony, to award counter prizes. He accepts.
The day before, there was a presentation ceremony at the theater for the guests, who took turns to stage signing a guest book. Perched on the first floor just above the guest book, we noticed that Robert Gigi had mounted very scruffy behind. So we award our counter prices. Sylvain Insergueix (now retired large bookseller) and Jean-Pierre Mercier (now young retired FIBD scientific advisor), both from Falatoff, hold a cardboard panel where it says “Applaud!” On one side and “Stop! On the other, which they brandish when necessary. The crowd obeys. I’m announcing the awards: among others, the Harvey Kurtzman Award at Harvey Kurtzman (a packet of chewing gum Hollywood started), the Significant-Signified price at Fresnault-Deruelle. Awarding the Society for the Protection of Poor People prize to Gotlib, this one knocks me back by rolling me a shovel or almost. Claire Bretécher then comes to receive the prize for the most similar designer (a pencil without mine which lacks the handle), but I am only entitled to a kiss. And finally the highlight, Gigi, the price of the Most beautiful cartoonist buttocks seen from above. The room exults and some ladies want to check. Some men too.
The real prizes are awarded afterwards, but I don’t remember, they were less fun. Some organizers would like to start over every year. There will be no more censorship for a long time. The prefect, appointed Bellec, is entitled to all possible hypotheses with his patronymic, taken as an abbreviation: Belle c… (complete yourselves). The press echoes the event, including an entire page in Release.
A collective review is immediately created, The eleven-y are enthroned (since we were eleven, at the start anyway). There will be four issues, written by Michel Pachkoff and myself from the bullshit collectively debited in ill-famed bistros. The logo is a studded nipple designed by Zorin.
- “The Eleven are enthroned there”. On the cover signed Gotlib, Yves Frémion sits in majesty in the center.
In January 1983, the ALDPM, dissolved in 1975, was recreated very quickly for the 10th anniversary and published the collection of all of its old numbers, with on the cover the drawing that Gotlib had made after the affair in Charlie-monthly, where we recognize some protagonists. Several of them have become actors in contemporary comics or other areas of creation.
The collection cannot be found, is sold on the clandestine market the equivalent of an original of Herge and whoever wants to have it signed by the eleven can hang on!
Frémion
66 quai Boumeurre
- The PMQNPPDG 10th anniversary album, with a sublime cover of Gotlib.
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[1] Crampe, Falatoff, Haga, Megafoutral, Nota bene, Pachkoff-Fa sharp international distribution Ltd, Le Petit-Miquet which is not afraid of big ones, La Presse pirate, Skblllz, Sphinx, Zounds.
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