| De Geuzen | |
|---|---|
 Cover to album 5, Soetkin, de waanzinnige | |
| Author(s) | Willy Vandersteen |
| Current status/schedule | Discontinued |
| Launch date | 1985 |
| End date | 1990 |
| Publisher(s) | Standaard Uitgeverij |
| Genre(s) | Historical comics, adventure, humor |
| Original language | Dutch |
De Geuzen ("The Geuzen") was a Belgian comics series, drawn by Willy Vandersteen from 1985 until his death in 1990. It was his final project before he died.
De Geuzen is set in Flanders in the 16th century and follows the adventures of Hannes, a young brave man, and his friends Nele and Tamme, who fight the Spanish oppressors on the side of the Geuzen. Similar in theme to the thirty years older Tijl Uilenspiegel, the comic combined many of Vandersteen's passions, including the art of Pieter Brueghel the Elder [1] and the novel The Legend of Thyl Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak by Charles de Coster. The characters are very similar to the protagonists of De Coster's novel. At the end of every album a graphic drawing of Breughel was reproduced, most of his Seven Sins and Seven Virtues series.
Vandersteen originally made a synopsis for the series in 1972, but apart from ten preliminary sketches the concept didn't go anywhere. Instead he drew the series "Robert en Bertrand". In 1985 he passed this series on to his assistants and finally made work of "De Geuzen". [1] Originally the tone was more comedic, including anachronistic jokes and references, such as the villains Johan Rattenbol, "aka J.R." and Alexis Kollebie. From the third album on the stories and artwork became more realistic and serious. Overall the series was also notably more adult in its subject matter, compared to Vandersteen's older family friendly series. The comics were not prepublished and were mostly created by Vandersteen alone, [2] though he did receive some minor assistance of Eric de Rop, Eugeen Goossens and Rita Bernaers. The lack of deadlines ensured the quality but also decreased the publication rhythm. Only ten albums were published and Vandersteen made it clear in his testament that nobody else was allowed to continue the series after his death. [3] [1]
Till Eulenspiegel is the protagonist of a European narrative tradition. A German chapbook published around 1510 is the oldest known extant publication about the folk hero, but a background in earlier Middle Low German folklore is likely. The character may have been based on a historical person.
Geuzen was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen. In the Eighty Years' War, the Capture of Brielle by the Watergeuzen in 1572 provided the first foothold on land for the rebels, who would conquer the northern Netherlands and establish an independent Dutch Republic. They can be considered either as privateers or pirates, depending on the circumstances or motivations.
Spike and Suzy, Willy and Wanda or Luke and Lucy is a Belgian comics series created by the comics author Willy Vandersteen.
Charles-Theodore-Henri De Coster was a Belgian novelist whose efforts laid the basis for a native Belgian literature.
Willy Vandersteen was a Belgian creator of comic books. In a career spanning 50 years, he created a large studio and published more than 1,000 comic albums in over 25 series, selling more than 200 million copies worldwide.
De Rode Ridder is a Belgian Flemish comic book series set in medieval Europe. It stars the title character Johan, the Red Knight, easily recognizable by his red tunic. It appeared six days a week in the newspaper De Standaard and a few other ones.
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Leonid Vasilyevich Solovyov was a Russian writer and playwright.
The Legend of Thyl Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak is an 1867 French-language novel by Belgian author Charles De Coster. Based on the Low German literary figure Till Eulenspiegel, Coster's novel recounts the allegorical adventures as those of a Flemish prankster, Thyl Ulenspiegel, directly before and during the Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule in the Netherlands.
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Merho, is a Belgian comic-book writer and artist, best known for creating the comic strip De Kiekeboes.
Notable events of 1945 in comics.
Les Aventures de Till L'Espiègle is a French-East German film, based on The Legend of Thyl Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak. It was released in 1956.
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Robert en 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 series.