Jean Sidobre

[philcom55]

...Here's another early Princess strip that looks more in keeping with the wash technique Sidobre used for 'Alona'. As you can see, this particular page is signed 'JS' in the final panel.



(from Princess dated February 15 1964)

- Phil R.

[jluc-parker]

Hello
-I forgot to say thank you to Matrix, sorry-.
Thank you for everything.
This episode with Jenny Wren is not designed by Jean Sidobre, I'm sure.
I have 2 Jenny Wrenn artworks pages designed by J. Sidobre: "Princess" 25 August 1962 and 1 September 1962.
The Silent Mountain is perfect old style by J.Sidobre 60s.
If I can (if I have permission) I'll post soon my artworks pages by J.Sidobre.
Talking with you is exciting and you give me lots of information.
Thanks.

Do you know where is this page?

[philcom55]

That yellow page is from the second 'Alona' story in the Princess Gift Book For Girls 1969 (A type of hardback book usually known as an 'Annual' in the UK. This would have been published in late 1968 as a Christmas present for readers of the weekly journal Princess Tina).

Here is the first page of that story, along with the cover of the 'Gift Book' it appears in:





The same book also features another 'Alona' story - this time tinted red - which looks as though it's probably by Sidobre as well, though I can't find a signature anywhere. Here's a page from it so you can judge for yourself:



Speaking of 'Annuals', the 1968 Tina Annual features a story of 'My Chum Yum-Yum' which, given the fact that these books are usually prepared long before they go on sale, could well have been Sidobre's first attempt at drawing the character. Here's a page from that:



- Phil Rushton

[matrix]

That 'Alona' in red looks like his work Phil.

"Heir to Roxcliffe" ran in "Princess Tina" from week ending 27th february 1971, until week ending 15th May 1971, below are the scans for the first issue.

[Shaqui]

Jluc, I've been trying to identify artists in annuals by the same publisher as 'Solo' (City/Century 21 Publications) and wondered if you could tell if Jean Sidobre was the artist on these examples? The colouring was done in-house and not by the artist, which can throw identification sometimes!

[jluc-parker]

Thank you all.
I own "Princess Tina Annual" and "Tina Annual", but not "Princess Annuals", not for the moment but soon .
I have in my home, "Tina Annual" 1968 and it is that draws J.Sidobre, no problem.
I think for the 1968 "Annual Tina", this is the first appearance of J.Sidobre drawing for My Chum Yum Yum character style, yes Phil.
Matrix thank you for the references numbers for Heir to Roxcliffe.
I can find them.
Thanks to you I find last night the numbers of "Solo" magazine: N° 338, 339, 342 for Sinbad the sailor.
No Shaqui, this Science fiction story was not designed by J Sidobre, but thanks to help me.
We recognize the Jean Sidobre style to Girls faces, it is a good way not to be mistaken.
There are small -upturned nose- and especially the smoothness of her strokes pencils (fine lines).
I'm not sure that I write well.

I have a important question:
I think the stories in the "Annuals" are not unpublished stories?

[jluc-parker]

Jean Sidobre artworks for example.

[Shaqui]

No Shaqui, this Science fiction story was not designed by J Sidobre, but thanks to help me.
We recognize the Jean Sidobre style to Girls faces, it is a good way not to be mistaken.
There are small -upturned nose- and especially the smoothness of her strokes pencils (fine lines).
I'm not sure that I write well.

You write English good enough to be understood, so thank you. With the examples you show here, I'm learning to recognise the style of Jean Sidobre.

I think the stories in the "Annuals" are not unpublished stories?

You mean they were published before? It is possible. I have a number of original artworks by other artists, and it is possible to tell reprinted material as information from each reprint will be marked on it somewhere, even in foreign publications sometimes. Other signs on printed pages are: adjusted or new artwork to replace the space left by mastheads, or frames extended (no matter how perfectly this is done, 'edging' almost always appears), or different print dimensions along the art. Of course, this is not always the case, as for line work, high quality reproductions are made, and these are cut up and pasted together instead.

[matrix]

Nice artwork Jluc. I think, if I am not mistaken you have the answer on your artwork as to which comic "Chico the brave" is from, as it has "June" written on the bottom of the artwork? Could somebody confirm that, as I am sure I have not seen 'Chico the brave' in "Princess Tina" before? If that is correct it is from "June" comic 28th september 1968.

Edited date.

[jluc-parker]

Here are my Annuals I own:
"Tina" 1968.
"Princess Tina" 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974.
"Tammy" 1975.

There is often Jean Sidobre who drew inside....Alona, My Chum Yum Yum....
But there is in "The Princess Tina Annual" 1972, a story that I have not identified:
Penny on her own
And you, you know?

And there's "Tammy Annual" in 1975, a story that I have not identified.
Miss Adventure in Spain.
Do you know if there are other stories designed by Jean Sidobre in the newspaper "Tammy" and others "Annual Tammy"?
Do you know if this story of "Miss Adventure in Spain" has been published in a other number of Tammy or others newspaper...?

[jluc-parker]

Hello Shaqui thanks
There is a French proverb which says:
C'est en forgeant que l'on devient forgeron.
-It means that while teaching slowly and by more examples which we learn and what we move forward.-
Matrix, thanks, nice artworks yes but....
Unfortunately there are wrote-June- and September-but on each page and 28th 1968.
But I do not know the title of the journal.
We are going to know if somebody knows.

[philcom55]

I think that's '1968' Matrix (though the comic was probably still called June & School Friend then).

Annuals and Holiday Specials tended to feature a mixture of reprints and new stories during that period. I think the 'Alona' strips are almost certainly new (they definitely hadn't appeared in the weekly comic). By contrast, the 1969 Princess Gift Book does contain a reprint of the previously-mentioned serial 'The Silent Mountain' which has been drastically compressed into five pages. Compare the scan below with the original episode shown above:



The appalling thing is that, at that time, Jean's original art boards would probably have had to be cut up in order to produce the edited version - pure vandalism!!!

- Phil Rushton

[philcom55]

'June' was the name of the comic Jluc, not the month!

I also wondered if that 'Penny' strip was Jean's work. As this was a 'sort of' continuation of the Gerry Anderson character 'Lady Penelope' your identification may be especially interesting to Shaqui.

- Phil Rushton

[jluc-parker]

Wow, impressive indeed. Vandalism of course
I saw this example the first day I arrived.
You know that Phil?

[jluc-parker]

Oops.....sorry I was wrong with "June" !
Thanks, this information and mistakes I correct them with you.
"Penny" is really designed by J Sidobre.
Unfortunately the dialogue of Shaqui is too complicated for me, I did not understand everything.
I am not very good with the English language.
Especially if it becomes too ... "accurate". too .... .....
Really sorry.

I love other designers and not just Jean Sidobre.
I love Phil Clark and Purita Campos two designers of covers of "Tina" and "Princess Tina".
Just a quickly homage: