'Cinq-Mars' (Fillette, 1954).
René Giffey was one of the most prolific and most talented French artists of the first half of the 20th century, creating an incredible amount of work over a 50-years career. Giffey received his artistic education at the National School of Decorative Arts and the School of Fine Arts in his native city Paris.
'Les Histoires en Images', 27 October 1921.
From 1904 on, Giffey made his first professional work for Delagrave, varying from schoolbook illustrations to drawings for Saint-Nicolas magazine. Four years later, he contributed to several collections of the publisher Arthème Fayard. He additionally made shadowplays for the cabarets of Montmartre.
'Dupont Detective'.
Giffey was drafted during World War I, and contributed to the frontline magazine Face aux Boches. After the War, he restored some old church paintings and began a long collaboration with the publishing house Offenstadt. His work appeared in many of the publisher's magazines, most notably in Fillette, L'Épatant, Le Petit Illustré, Cri-Cri, L'As, Hardi! and Junior.
'Nigaude et Malicette'.
His most notable comics work at the time were new stories of 'L'Espiègle Lili' with Jo Valle in book collections (1921-23) and Fillette magazine (1933-36), as well as 'Ninette et Cloclo' (scripted by André Vallet, 'M. Dupont, Détective' and 'Nigaude et Malicette'. Giffey additionally made occasional erotic illustrations, among others for John Spaning's novel 'Educatrice' and the Librarie Générale and the Almanach de l'Humour.
'Educatrice'. Erotic art by René Giffey.
Other comics by Giffey during the 1930s and 1940s include 'Les Frôle-la-Mort' (in Boum!), 'Jean Lion le Spahi' (in L'As), and 'Les Assiégés de Médine' (in Junior). He created many new comics for Fillette in the 1950s, including 'Le Capitaine Fracasse', 'Les Compagnons de Jéhu', 'Cinq-Mars', 'Colomba', 'La Vénus d'Ille' and 'Carmen'.
Cartoon by René Giffey. Translation: "Well, gosh, your designer, instead of making a bust, I think he made a bas-relief."
Giffey additionally worked for other publishing houses, like Félix Juven (Fantasio, Le Rire), Gerbe (Humour, Sans-Gêne), Jean Pascal (Journal Amusant), Paul Duval, Belin, Casterman, Diderot, Librairie Générale, Manufrance, Prima and Gautier-Languereau. His signature also appeared in France-Soir, Le Journal de Taty and Robin l'Écureuil.
Comic art by René Giffey.
From 1941 on, Giffey was present at Del Duca (Ed. Mondiales), where he produced his main comics output. He contributed to (pocket) publications like L'Aventure, L'Audacieux, L'Astucieux, Les Belles Aventures, Tarzan, L'Intrépide, Hurrah!, Buffalo Bill, Mousquetaire, Yo-Yo, Les Aventures Illustrées and Les Belles Aventures.
'Les Trois Mousquetaires' ('The Three Musketeers', Les Belles Aventures, 28 June 1943).
Giffey worked on series like 'Le Chevalier de Roncevaux', 'Buffalo Bill', 'L'Aigle des Mers', 'Quatre-vingt-treize', 'Le Corsaire de la Mort', 'Dédé Loupiot contre les Boches', 'Jean Bart', and a large amount of comic strip adaptations of famous novels, including 'Les Misérables'. René Giffey died of a cardiac arrest in 1965.
- "Quelle brute ce type-là, qu-est-ce qu'il te voulait?" (Translation: "Who was that brute, what did he want?").
- "Eh bien, c'est mon protecteur..." (Translation: "Well, he's my protector.").