Rob-Vel

Robert Velter, who went by the pen names Rob-Vel and Bozz, is best known as the creator of the famous bellboy 'Spirou' for the magazine of the same name. He also created Spirou's faithful pet squirrel, Spip, who is still part of the ongoing series. Rob-Vel is somewhat of a forgotten artist today. He only drew the series for four years (1938-1942) and, despite a long and productive career, was never able to duplicate his former success. Even worse, the many artists who continued the comic since have all overshadowed him. Still, Rob-Vel's achievements should not be taken lightly. With 'Spirou' he created the longest-running Belgian comics series ever, which is still in syndication today. Also in publication to this day is Spirou, the oldest Belgian comics magazine ever, for whom he created their mascot. Last but not least, the man who was so important for Belgian comics history was actually a Frenchman! In that regard Rob-Vel laid the foundations for the Franco-Belgian comics phenomenon. Under his pen name Bozz, Velter was the creator of the pantomime strip 'Monsieur Subito', which ran in several regional papers from the 1940s through the 1960s.

Text (c) Lambiek