Comic book series
Chlorophylle was a Belgian comics series and Raymond Macherot's best known work, alongside Sibylline.[1] It is a fantasy comic about anthropomorphic forest animals, including the title character Chlorophylle, who is a dormouse.
Description
Chlorophylle is set in a European forest, more specifically in the animal kingdom of Coquefredouille. It's a world in itself and a mini anthropomorphic version of human society. All albums center around Chlorophylle, a dormouse who often has to solve problems and opponents who are much bigger than himself.
The stories were originally set in a realistic natural environment, but after 1963 Macherot changed it to a more humanized animal world.[1] Despite their cartoon animal appearance the stories were notable for their satirical edge.[1]
History
Macherot created the series in 1954 and continued drawing it until 1966.[2] After that date other artists such as Hubuc,[1] Dupa,[1] Greg, Bob de Groot, Walli.[1] and Bom took the series over until it was terminated in 1987. In 2014 "Chlorophylle" was relaunched by Zidrou and Godi.
"Chlorophylle" was published by Lombard and appeared in prepublication in the Belgian comics magazine Tintin until the 18th album, when Macherot left to join Spirou. The complete stories were republished by Lombard in 2012.[3]
Animated series
The Belgian animation studio Belvision animated a few stories by Chlorophylle for television in 1954.[4] Four stories were adapted, three in black-and-white ("Chlorophylle contre les rats noirs", "Chlorophylle et les conspirateurs" and "Les Croquillards sortent en noir et blanc") and one in color ("Le Bosquet hanté").
In 1992 the comics were adapted for TV again as "The Adventures of Grady Greenspace", a French-Canadian puppet series consisting of 52 episodes, each 13 minutes long.[5]
In popular culture
In the Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels the permanent exhibition brings homage to the pioneers of Belgian comics, among them Raymond Macherot. In the room dedicated to his work everything is designed to look like Chlorophylle and Sibylline's underground home in the forest.[6]
Chlorophylle is among the many Belgian comics characters to jokingly have a Brussels street named after them. Since 2007 the Rue du Midi/Zuidstraat (not far from the Brussels-South railway station) has a commemorative plaque with the name Rue Chlorophylle placed under the actual street sign.[7]
