"Spirou Under Wraps"

Banned from publication by the Germans in 1943, Le Journal de Spirou however continued to be produced and distributed clandestinely in the streets of Brussels. Boiled down to a folded page featuring Spirou, Fantasio and SPIP, the "newspaper" was signed by "Al," a disciple of Gus Bofa and jige.

In each of the 41 issues of this clandestine Journal de Spirou, Spirou, Fantasio and Spip share the daily life of Brussels: Rationing, bombing, German repression ... All these serious issues that were the lives of adults and children during the occupation are present in these drawings, often caustic, always rebellious, which are real gems for readers today.

Unseen for decades, these leaflets were found by a descendant of the artist, and collected in this book, a moving witness of life under the occupation, but also invigorating proof of the incredible strength of humor.

Another beautiful exercise in nostalgia by Al Severin. It is all utterly believable, but it is actually a false mythology, for the entire work was only created by Severin in the 2010s! This is a showcase of his incredible and rarely seen color work.

The majority of Severin's work for the last two decades has only been published in limited editions--often of a hundred copies or less, one thousand at most. Even this his biggest print run ever is limited to one printing which was quickly sold out at the publisher!

Text in French. Out-of-print.

Al Severin is a Belgian artist whose work is a wonderful throwback to an earlier era. His work has a surplus of charm and wit and his relaxed ink brushwork evokes Frank Godwin, Gordon Grant, and other 1930s illustrators. All of his work now is published in limited editions, almost always signed & numbered.