The Birth of the Modern BD (1900–1940)

French comics, or bandes dessinées, developed rapidly after 1900, building on the foundations laid in the 19th century. We are presenting the history of French comics in six periods:

1. The Origins (1830–1900)
2. The Birth of the Modern BD (1900–1940)
3. The Franco-Belgian Golden Age (1940–1970)
4. Maturity and Innovation (1970–1990)
5. The Graphic Novel Era (1990–2010)
6. The Contemporary Period (2010–Today)

In this article, we explore the second period, when comics transitioned from humorous illustrations to serialized, narrative-driven works with recurring characters and early speech balloons. This era marks the birth of the modern bande dessinée.

The Rise of Serialized Illustrated Stories

The early 20th century saw a rapid expansion of children’s magazines and youth-oriented publications. French artists began producing long-running series with recurring characters, structured panel layouts, and simple story arcs. Magazines such as La Semaine de Suzette and L’Épatant became platforms for these new stories.

Bécassine, created by Jacqueline Rivière and Émile-Joseph Pinchon in 1905, is considered the first female comic heroine. The series appeared in La Semaine de Suzette and quickly became a cultural phenomenon, combining humor, gentle satire, and everyday adventures.

Louis Forton’s Les Pieds Nickelés (1908), published in L’Épatant, introduced a trio of recurring antiheroes engaged in comedic schemes. The series demonstrated the potential of recurring characters to engage readers over time.

Alain Saint-Ogan and Zig et Puce

Alain Saint-Ogan, beginning in the 1920s with Zig et Puce (1925), further advanced the form. He was among the first French artists to systematically use speech balloons and dynamic panel layouts, moving away from the caption-under-panel style inherited from Töpffer and Christophe.

Zig et Puce featured imaginative adventures, humor, and a modern, kinetic visual style that appealed to children and young adults. Saint-Ogan’s work influenced an entire generation of comic creators and set the stage for the postwar expansion of French and Belgian comics.

The Influence of American Comics

The early 20th century also saw the arrival of American comics in France. Strips such as Mickey Mouse (introduced in 1930 via newspapers) brought cinematic pacing, recurring hero archetypes, and visual dynamism. French artists absorbed these lessons while adapting them to local tastes and sensibilities, combining adventure, humor, and morality tales.

Youth magazines like Le Journal de Mickey, launched in 1934 by Paul Winkler, played a critical role in spreading these American-inspired narratives. At the same time, French creators developed original content to maintain a distinct national identity, balancing foreign influence with local innovation.

Structuring the Modern BD

During this period, French comics developed many conventions that would define the bande dessinée:

• Recurring characters that allowed readers to follow stories over months and years.
• Sequential panels with clear visual narrative flow.
• Speech balloons integrated into the artwork.
• Serialized adventures published in magazines before being collected in albums.

These innovations transformed comics from occasional illustrations into a recognized narrative medium with artistic and cultural significance.

Legacy of the Modern BD Era

By 1940, French comics had fully embraced the modern form. The period established the stylistic, structural, and editorial conventions that would dominate the Franco-Belgian tradition for decades. Recurring characters, speech balloons, serialized storytelling, and the integration of humor and adventure created a medium ready for the explosion of creativity that would define the postwar Golden Age.

Series like Bécassine, Les Pieds Nickelés, and Zig et Puce demonstrated that French comics could capture popular imagination while refining the language of sequential art—a foundation upon which icons like Tintin, Spirou, and eventually Asterix would be built.

Continue reading: History of French Comics: Part 3