Pipeline and Sundry: More Smurfs, More Gaston, and an Eisner for a Frenchman?
We start this week with another story I missed a couple of months back:
More Smurfs on TV
Deadline reports that The Smurfs are returning for a second season of the series on Nickelodeon. There will be 26 more episodes.
(You can read my reviews of the first season on the Pipeline Smurfs TV subsite today. Or see the link in the column to the right.)
I’m not sure what that means, though. Does that mean 26 more 12 minute shorts, which would then be packaged into a traditional 13 week animated season? Or are they doing 52 more shorts to be packaged as 26 more episodes?
More Smurfs in the Movies
The other big news is that there’s another animated movie in the works for the end of 2024. This one, though, I have to admit, worries me a bit. Why? It’s written by Pam Brady, whose credits include “South Park” and “Team America.” It’s not that one writer can’t write across genres and styles, but I don’t want a self-aware snarky Smurfs movie.
The other part that worries me more is this description of the movie:
“We’re excited to tell a story that stays true to its origins, but with a Smurf-tastic musical twist that excites new audiences and builds on the Smurfs franchise and universe of wonderful characters and stories.”
Don’t get me wrong. I love a good musical. My generation of Disney animated movies (the renaissance era from “The Little Mermaid” through “Lion King”) are amongst the best for their musical accomplishments.
But then I think back to Jeff Smith talking about how Nickelodeon wanted to do a Bone movie and include a Britney Spears song in it.
Or we’re about to get “The Trolls” with a Justin Timberlake soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong — it was commercially successful, and the music from the movie still makes it onto radio stations long after anyone remembers “The Trolls” movie. But —
No, I don’t need that in a Smurfs movie. It’s cute when they break out into a quick Bruno Mars-like riff once, but I don’t want that to be the heart of the movie.
And, yes, it’s what the masses want. This is a battle I cannot win. I read comics. 1000x more people will watch a movie.
Ah, well. I’ll keep an open mind.
An Eisner Award for a French Writer?
Six of this year’s Eisner Awards Hall of Fame entrants have been named now, with 17 more nominees named. 4 of those 17 will be voted in by the Eisner voters (comic industry professionals).
Among that list of nominations is “Valerian and Laureline” artist Jean-Claude Mezieres, who just passed away in January.
He has stiff competition in there, but it’s an honor just to be nominated, right? It’ll be tough to get past the likes of David Mazzucchelli, Gaspar Saladino, Mark Waid, Howard Chaykin, Grant Morrison, Cat Yronwode, and all the rest. I bet a lot of the voters won’t even recognize his name, sadly.
So, yeah, it’s a nice honor.
The rest of the Eisner Award nominations will no doubt be published any week now. I’m not expecting anything, but I do submit this site every year. You never know…
More Gaston Drama
A Belgian court is due to hear Isabelle Franquin’s case on behalf of her father’s moral rights against Dupuis’ owner this month.
In the meantime, an open letter has been published aimed at Media Participations, the owner of Dupuis, Dargaud, and several other publishing concerns. It’s already garnered 600 signatures and continues to add more.
The interesting thing I read in that article is the quote from the Dupuis editorial director at Angouleme, which you can watch on YouTube. It’s kind of awkward to watch now, knowing that the lawsuit dropped so soon after. A reporter asks him, point-blank, about Isabelle’s interest in her father’s property and how she’s continued Andre Franquin’s vow to never let anyone else continue the Gaston series. The reporter asks specifically exactly what rights he thinks he has to be making this book.
His answer is not exactly the kind of thing to give you a lot of confidence — he talks about how he knows she objects but that he has an iron-clad contract, how he’s waiting to go to court, but he’s sure he’s in the right because he has a contract and people say in private what they often won’t say in public.
Actually, he’s got a point on that last part, but I’m not terribly sure that would be my defense when the press first asks me about this.
In the meantime, we can all continue to brush up on the concept of moral rights and how Belgian law acknowledges it. It is a different system in Belgium than it is in America. According to the Wikipedia article linked in the previous sentence, moral rights in Belgium as “inalienable,” whereas in the U.S. they can be sold off.
I started down that road to do some research, but It gets deep pretty quickly. The best stuff is not in English, so I’m just going to have to wait for the news reports out of Belgium to see how this goes. I’m not getting my Belgian law degree anytime soon. I’m more likely to get my Belgian citizenship. (Still waiting…)
This is the comics court case of the century, as far as I’m concerned. We’ll see how far it goes…
During pandemic times, a bastardized musical version of Smurfs named Trolls made a truckload of money at the box office, so it makes sense that the owners of the genuine article would want a slice of the pie. If the Minions can be successful, there’s no reason why a new generation of kids wouldn’t appreciate an upgrade of the Smurfs.
On the Gaston story, if Dupuis lawyers say they have a contract, I’d be inclined to believe it, we’ll soon see what the actual terms are and if there’s any wiggle room for interpretation. you’re right that European courts tend to favour creators as a principle, but if the Dupuis people have been savvy businessmen in drafting it, you never know. A public outcry in one direction or the other might also sway the decision.
Next January, ten years of residency in Bruxelles officially give me access to Belgian citizenship without further conditions, if I claim you as a dependent I’m happy to adopt you and we’ll have those nifty passports wrapped up in no time 😉 Hehe that’s a dastardly Zorglub-level scheme, I’d twirl my moustache if it was long enough right now.
Ack, sorry I missed this comment earlier! I know all about the Trolls — that Justin Timberlake song from the movie still pops up on local FM radio stations from time to time. There’s no escaping. The 80s were filled with Smurfs wannabes, though. The Snorks were the biggest offenders, but you can probably trace back everyone from Shirt Tails to The Get Along Gang to The Smurfs, too, if you think too hard about it. I remember those days well. Success begets copycats. Every time.
And, yes, I’m sure Dupuis has a good contract, whether Franquin’s daughter wants to believe it or not. I’m convinced this will come to a settlement and new books eventually. Then everyone can focus their attacks on the new artist and his database of props. Oh, boy! What fun!
Thanks on the passport, Dad! Should I start calling you “Dad” now for practice? We might need to make this sound natural in front of a Belgian official, after all.