Comics should, by virtue of their name, be funny. So after last week’s look at the best adventure series to emerge in the genre, we complete our top ten with some of the more humorous cartoons from the European comic tradition.
Asterix
A light-hearted introduction to ancient history for generations of children, the Asterix books chart the fortunes of a village of Gauls defending themselves against incessant attacks from the Romans. The genius of René Goscinny’s comics lies in their witty wordplay, much of which could easily have been lost in translation.
But the English editions are comic masterpieces, complete with pun-laden dialogues and a lineup of inspired character names including overweight village chief Vitalstatistix, provider of magic potions Getafix, and Asterix’s pet Dogmatix.
Suitable for ages 6+
Smurfs
Despite replacing a significant part of their vocabulary with the words “smurf” or “smurfing,” the cartoonist Peyo’s village of blue-skinned, white-trousered creatures are responsible for some fantastically comic dialogue. Under the leadership of Papa Smurf, they find themselves wrapped in an array of surreal antics, usually in an attempt to foil the evil wizard Gargamel, who aims to capture as many Smurfs as possible.
There is also a warming optimism to their cooperative-style community in which money has been replaced by the exchange of services, with each Smurf contributing whatever skill they’re best at.
Suitable for ages 6+
Mafalda
While most 6-year-olds are more concerned with play than politics, the precocious, soup-hating Mafalda is usually found contemplating issues of social justice and inequality. Unable to obtain answers from her parents, she turns to her eclectic group of friends, including the self-flagellating Felipe, the plotting capitalist Manolito and the feminist-hating Susanita. Author Quino’s protagonist and her references may be the product of the Cold War and Argentinean junta, but her dry wit, sarcasm and cutting observations are timeless.
Suitable for ages 8+
Lucky Luke
Created by a Belgian and set in the American Wild West, the tales of gun-toting cowboy Lucky Luke remain some of the most popular comic books in Europe, having been translated into over 30 languages. Some of the cultural stereotypes may seem a little dated, but Luke’s dedication to justice prevails and he takes on criminal outlaws and bandits, often acting as a final resort for the bumbling US government. Although the tales were somewhat serious under original writer Morris, Asterix writer Goscinny turned the books into an incisive parody on the Western genre.
Suitable for ages 8+
Marsupilami
The unclassifiable Marsupilami, who began life as the pet of adventurers Spirou and Fantasia (profiled in our first blog post), got his own comic spin-off in the 1960s. Using his multi-functioning tail as anything from a propeller to a spring, the yellow-spotted creature’s adventures see him bounding through the fictional Palombia Jungle while evading capture and helping other animals. There may have been a daftness to his world, but Marsupilami introduced a generation of children to the concerns of an endangered species. (Not that he ever seemed overly worried.)
Suitable for ages 6+
Want more comics? Read Part 1 of our roundup.
Photos courtesy of pErlitaAxAn (Flickr),35168673@N03 (Flickr), LWY (Flickr),wikimedia commons and zigazou76 (Flickr).
