Marijac, pseudonym of Jacques Dumas, made his debut as an illustrator in 1926, when he published his first work in Les Jeunes, l'Auto and Est-Éclair. In 1931, he created his first series, the humorous cowboy comic 'Jim Boum', published in Coeurs Vaillants. This was followed by 'Césarin Pitchounet', by 'Capitaine Pat'Folle' in 1935 and 'Jules Bariboule' in 1936, and 'Irradium X-40' in 1941. Starting in 1934, Marijac created such titles as 'Rouletabosse Reporter', 'Costo Chien Policier', 'Onésime Pellicule', 'Jim et Joé', 'Le Chasseur de Monstres' and 'François Veyrac' for Pierrot magazine. A number of these were reprinted in Marijac's own magazine Coq Hardi, which ran from 1944 until 1963.
Irradium X-40 (Quebec edition, Le Samedi, 1949)
In addition, Marijac was present in Guignol with 'Le Champion du Ranch' (1935), in Le Bon Point with 'Jim Clopin Clopan' (1937-38), in Francis with ''Jim, le Roi des Cowboys' (1938), in Le Journal de Bébé with 'Patos' (1939) and in Siroco with 'Robinsons de l'Abîme' (1943-43). Between 1936 and 1938 he also produced a series of comic books for Editions Gordinne, including 'Les Grandes Chasses du Capitaine Barbedure', 'Les Aventures du Capitaine Bricket', 'Sidonie en Vancances', 'Marinette Cheftaine', 'Rozet Cochon de Lait', 'Line et Zoum' and the series 'Joé Bing'.
Irradium X-40 (Quebec edition, Le Samedi, 1949)
During the second World War, he served in the army where he managed to produce two front-journals: 'La Vie est Belle' (1939-40) and 'Le Chéval Mécanique' (1940). He was taken prisoner by the Germans, and worked for the Resistance after his escape to France. In this period, he made one of his most popular comics, 'Les Trois Mousquetaires du Maquis', for Le Corbeau Déchainé.
Au Pays des Monstres (Le Samedi, 1949)
After the war, Marijac continued 'Jules Barigoule' in the Belgian magazine Wrill, for which he also made 'Jim et Jo' and 'Lyne et Zoum'. Besides this impressive production of comics, Marijac was also an editor. By 1944, he had already launched Le Coq Hardi; in 1947, he came up with Senior, which featured many American comic series.
Marijac was also the writer of several comics, among which were two episodes of 'Guerre à la Terre', published in 1946 and 1947; the first episode was drawn by Auguste Liquois, the second by Pierre Duteurtre. Marijac also scripted for Étienne Le Rallic ('Poncho Libertas'), Raymond Cazanave ('Capitaine Fantôme'), Raymond Poïvet and later Christian Mathelot ('Colonel X'), and Kline ('Roland, Prince des Bois').
Throughout the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Marijac furthermore served as either editor or contributor to publications like Les Grandes Séries Internationales, Cricri Journal, Mireille (with L'Orphéline du Cirque', art by Pierre Le Guen and Mathelot), Ouest-Magazine, Nano et Nanette (with 'Nano et Nanette', art by Noël Gloesner), Héros du Far West, Frimousse (with the title comic, art by Claude Marin), Cocorico and Allez-France. In 1974 he revived several of his series for the publisher Jeunesses et Vancances, who published Marijac's work in Anouk and the pocket book Mireille.
For his tremendous contribution to the comic scene, as an artist, writer and editor, Marijac received the prestigious Prize of Angoulême in 1979. His work has been reprinted several times, and he had been productive up until 1994, the year of his death, when his last illustrations appeared in 'L'Almanach Vermot'.
