Original plates of Billy & Buddy comic on show for first time for 65th anniversary
About 100 original plates of the Belgian comic series Boule et Bill, known in English as Billy & Buddy, will go on show for the first time at a gallery in Brussels. The exhibition marks the 65th anniversary of the series, created by Brussels-born artist Jean Roba.
Billy & Buddy relates the adventures of the young boy Billy and his dog Buddy, a cocker spaniel, and of Billy's family. Most of the stories happen in or around their house, in a realistic setting. Roba drew inspiration from his own family, in particular from his son and dog.
Roba, who was trained in the 1950s by his colleague André Franquin, first published the adventures of Billy &Buddy in 1959 in the Spirou magazine. The Schaerbeek-born artist went on to publish 22 albums with the publisher Dupuis, followed by seven more with Dargaud, until 2003. After 2003, other artists took over.
Since Roba's death in 2006 at the age of 75, the 1,149 original plates by the comic artist have been protected by the Roba Foundation, in accordance with his wishes. To mark the 65th anniversary of the first Billy & Buddy stories, some of these works will be shown to the public.
Around 100 original plates will be exhibited from 29 November until 25 January at the Huberty & Breyne gallery in Ixelles. Fans of the ninth art will be able to discover Roba's endpapers, album covers and sketches.
Mural of Boule et Bill in Brussels © PHOTO BELPRESS
Related news
