Robert en Bertrand

Robert en Bertrand
Robert en Bertrand
	Cover to album 14, De Spookhond
Author(s)	Willy Vandersteen, Marck Meul, Jacques Bakker
Illustrator(s)	Willy Vandersteen, Ron Van Riet
Current status/schedule	Discontinued
Launch date	1972
End date	1993
Publisher(s)	Standaard Uitgeverij
Genre(s)	Adventure, Historical comics
Original language	Dutch

Robert en Bertrand ("Robert and Bertrand") is a Flemish comic strip series set during the 19th century, in the Low Countries and France. The comic series was created by cartoonist Willy Vandersteen, known for the Suske en Wiske (Spike and Suzy) series.^[1]

Vandersteen drew inspiration from the main characters in a 19th-century play written by Benjamin Antier and Fréderick Lémaître and from the novels of the same name by Koen Ravestein.

Setting

The main characters are two vagrants, but later evolve into useful crooks. They are often chased by a cop/detective ("Number 17") who tries to charge them with vagrancy. Other characters include Joeki and Evelyne. During their wanderings, the sympathetic vagrants always help anyone who needs them, even the occasional Number 17 when needed for safety.^[2]

The series, which did not shy away from fantasy and a humorous note, remained realistic and socially critical. During the late 1980s, early 1990s, with illustrator Ronald van Riet and scriptwriter Marck Meul, Robert and Bertrand were back in their country of origin: France, with drawings in an Art Nouveau style. New characters made their appearance.^[3]

Anachronisms

Although Robert and Bertrand's stories are mainly set in the 19th century, no specific period is mentioned. Thus, the album Secret Document may involve the duo in the Franco-German War of 1870–1871, and the later album The Hell of Solferino in the Battle of Solferino in 1859. The album The Icarii refers to the first aeroplanes, making this story set in the early 20th century.^[4]

Although the historical events in the stories are fairly correctly depicted - as mentioned, the Battle of Solferino - elements do pop up that do not belong in the chosen era. For instance, cars appear in the aforementioned albums when they did not yet exist.

Other anachronisms aim for a humorous effect - a cameo by a young Eddy Merckx or the reference to the book Bartje, which "has yet to be written".^[5]

Publication history

Willy Vandersteen produced sixty-five albums from 1972. Vandersteen also wrote the screenplay and pencil drawings for the 66th story. From 1985 Vandersteen concentrated more on "De Geuzen", and illustrator Ron Van Riet took over the series, with scripts by Marck Meul (with the exception of album 72 and 74 by author Jacques Bakker). The drawing style became less caricatural and semi-realistic.

The series was pre-published in De Standaard from 30 November 1972 to 6 July 1992, publishing an average of four albums a year. The small but enthusiastic fan base could not stop the series being discontinued in 1993. Zilvertand was the last album. 47 titles were translated in French.

From 2021, the stories were bundled in a series of omnibus editions, released in Belgium and the Netherlands^[6]

Albums

Source:^[7]

1. Mysterie op Rozendael, 1973
2. Het opgejaagde weeskind, 1973
3. De nabjar van Poenjab, 1974
4. De levende brug, 1974
5. De rode herberg, 1974
6. Het zwarte land, 1974
7. De toverlantaarn, 1974
8. De weerwolf, 1975
9. Het zilveren raadsel, 1975
10. De kwade hand, 1975
11. De groene draak, 1975
12. Zwarte Mie de orgeldraaister, 1975
13. Geheim document, 1976
14. De spookhond, 1975
15. De stakingbreker, 1976
16. Het geheim van Flodderzee, 1976
17. Avontuur in Moldavië, 1976
18. De rode kaproen, 1977
19. De duistere machten, 1977
20. Jacht op de sperwer, 1977
21. De ramp van Corvilain, 1977
22. Spoken in het Zwin, 1977
23. Het spookhuis, 1978
24. De gouden kinkhoorn, 1978
25. Vreemde bezoekers, 1978
26. De zwarte kat, 1978
27. De laatste bokkerijder, 1979
28. Het duel, 1979
29. De wolvenhoeve, 1979
30. De verdwenen fotografe, 1979
31. De schat van de tempeliers, 1980
32. De elfenjager, 1980
33. De geheime sekte, 1980
34. Het wrekende vuur, 1980
35. De hel van Solferino, 1980
36. Het raadsel Zarata, 1980
37. De geheimen van de Mont Blanc, 1980
38. De Titanen, 1980
39. Fantoom op spoor zeven, 1981
40. De vliegende Hollander, 1981
41. De dochters van de zon, 1981
42. De demon van Paracelse, 1981
43. Het stervende huis, 1981
44. De witte wolf, 1982
45. Drama in de Orient-Express, 1982
46. De helderziende, 1982
47. De ijzeren helm, 1982
48. Als de raven sterven, 1982
49. De gouden hand, 1983
50. De wraak van Zabor, 1983
51. Verschijningen, 1983
52. De eenhoorn, 1983
53. Het grote raadsel 1, 1983
54. Het grote raadsel II, 1983
55. Vlucht naar Rochamps, 1984
56. Het spiegelbeeld, 1984
57. De vloek van Hyavar, 1984
58. De magische handen, 1984
59. Gevaarlijke mummies, 1984
60. De Doodsbode, 1984
61. Offers voor Drosera 1, 1985
62. Offers voor Drosera 2, 1985
63. De Vondeling, 1985
64. Paniek in Saltshire, 1985
65. De Hotelrat, 1985
66. De Vleermuis, 1985
67. Jacht op nr 17, 1985
68. De Apache, 1985
69. Madame Sarah, 1986
70. De hel van Montparnasse, 1986
71. Het Spiegelgenootschap, 1986
72. De Friese Elfstedentocht, 1986
73. De komeet en het beest, 1987
74. Een toren voor Parijs, 1987
75. Vogelvrij, 1987
76. Leonardo, 1987
77. Tranen voor een clown, 1987
78. De Icarii, 1988
79. Mannen van ijzer, 1988
80. De drie neuzen, 1988
81. De Witte ruiters, 1988
82. De scharlaken dood, 1989
83. De klauw van de mol, 1989
84. De plaggenstekers, 1989
85. Palingoproer, 1989
86. Het laaiend vuur, 1990
87. Leer om leer , 1990
88. Het Congocontract, 1990
89. De terugkeer van Leonardo, 1991
90. De val van de Feniks, 1991
91. De monsterman, 1991
92. Prins Joeki, 1991
93. De gouden poort, 1992
94. Het holle huis, 1992
95. Het wolvejong, 1992
96. De tinnen soldaatjes, 1992
97. Ster nummer 17, 1993
98. Zilvertand, 1993

References

^ "1 Robert en Bertrand integraal 1". standaarduitgeverij.be (in Dutch). 17 December 2023.
^ "Robert en Bertrand - Albums en tekenaars". archief.stripspeciaalzaak.be (in Dutch).
^ "Vandersteen en zijn Robert en Bertrand: het trauma van nostalgie en jeugdsentiment". 9ekunst.nl (in Dutch). 4 October 2022.
^ "Toppers Robert en Bertrand". stripspeciaalzaak.be/ (in Dutch). 16 November 2023.
^ "Robert et Bertrand". bedetheque.com (in French). 16 November 2023.
^ "De Avonturen van Robert en Bertrand integraal 2". stripspeciaalzaak.be/ (in Dutch). 4 September 2021.
^ "StripInfo - Robert en Bertrand Albums". stripinfo.be (in Dutch). 18 December 2023.

[1] "1 Robert en Bertrand integraal 1". standaarduitgeverij.be (in Dutch). 17 December 2023.

[2] "Robert en Bertrand - Albums en tekenaars". archief.stripspeciaalzaak.be (in Dutch).

[3] "Vandersteen en zijn Robert en Bertrand: het trauma van nostalgie en jeugdsentiment". 9ekunst.nl (in Dutch). 4 October 2022.

[4] "Toppers Robert en Bertrand". stripspeciaalzaak.be/ (in Dutch). 16 November 2023.

[5] "Robert et Bertrand". bedetheque.com (in French). 16 November 2023.

[6] "De Avonturen van Robert en Bertrand integraal 2". stripspeciaalzaak.be/ (in Dutch). 4 September 2021.

[7] "StripInfo - Robert en Bertrand Albums". stripinfo.be (in Dutch). 18 December 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

Setting

Anachronisms

Publication history

Albums

See also

References