'Jojo, Traverse L'Atlantique'.
Gaston Niezabytowski was a very productive French comic artist, whose most notable work is the 'Petit-Riquet Reporter' series. He signed most of his work with Niezab, or its anagram Bazein. He became an illustrator after working as a decorator in the Parisian Opera. From 1912 to the late 1930s, his illustrations were published in Le Bon Point Amusant and in several magazines of the Offenstadt brothers (L'Intrépide, Le Petit Illustré).
'La Guerre Racontée', Image 1947.
Niezab fought in Verdun during World War I. He created his first comics in the mid-1930s for publishers like Editions Modernes ('Guillaume Tell') and Rouff ('Ali Baba et les 40 Voleurs', 'Le Fantastique Voyage', etc.). He also drew small books with 'Jojo' for Le Petit Journal. During World War II, he was present in Gavroche ('Kid Brown', 'Criquet, Gamin de Paris'), Pic et Nic ('Pavillion Noirs') and Fanfan la Tulipe ('Dramatiques Aventures d'Onésime Bocquillon').
'La Guerre Racontée', Image, 1947.
After World War II, Niezab continued his activities in Coeurs Vaillants, with 'Jack Sans Peur'. He specialized in making short comics, contributing to the publications of S.A.E.T.L. At the same time, he took on adapting novels. His first work was 'Les Misérables' (1946), published in France-Soir. This comic is considered the first continuing daily comic in France. Other adaptations of novels followed for Opera Mundi, including 'Les Deux Orphelines', 'La Pocharde', 'La Cousine Bette' and 'Manon Lescaut'. In 1948, he took over 'Petit Riquet Reporter' from its creator Dut, and continued it until his death in 1955.
'Petit-Riquet Reporter'.