Bob Morane Week continues with a spotlight on Pilote magazine. The journal was founded in 1959, six years after Morane's creation by Henri Vernes, and eventually focussed on comics and articles trending toward humor, action, adventure, sports, and foreign cultures. Chief among the magazine's comic features were Asterix and the western, Lieutenant Blueberry. From what I gather, Bob Morane comics began to appear in Pilote around 1962 with Gerald Forton providing the art until the comic's shift over to Tin Tin magazine in 1969 with art by William Vance. As you can see in the the cover illustrations below, Pilote ran the gamut of Morane tropes, from spies and dinosaurs to jungle adventures (complete with awkward native depictions). I was especially excited to discover the cover of Pilote #481 (1968). Joining our series of Spy Vibe design dopplegangers, I'm amazed the editors allowed what is clearly a well-known image of Sean Connery's James Bond in Dr. No to run as a Bob Morane cover. Especially as the Connery image was so visible in a number of Dr. No posters and other promotional materials. Maybe the choice was tongue-in-cheek, because the headline read, "The hero you were expecting." A sign of rebellious streak? Well, Bob Morane did seem to prefer turtlenecks over neckties, so no copyright foul on the fashion front! Spy Vibe's Bob Morane series: Intro, Comics, Toys, Pilote Magazine, Records, Screen. Some Spy Vibe design doppelgangers: Double 007 Design, Double 007 Design II, Design Dopplegangers. Enjoy!
Selected Spy Vibe posts: New Saint Publications, The Saint Complete box set, Gerry Anderson Box Sets, Bond LEGO, Deadlier Than the Male, Spectre Report, Music For Spies, Thai Bond Design, Brian Clemens RIP, Bond vs Modernism, Imitation Game, New Avengers Books, Road to Hong Kong, Inside Gerry Anderson, Ringo Does Goldfinger, Sixties Beat Wear, SPECTRE Announced, Popular Skullture, New Gerry Anderson Sets, New SECRET AGENT set, Art of Modesty, Avengers Blu-ray update, Tokyo Beat 1964, Polaroid Spy, Modesty Monday, Feraud Mod Fashion, Flint Scores!, Bond Danish, Home Movies, New Richard Sala Book, New 007 Comics, Designing Bond Books, Green Hornet Manga, Margaret Nolan Art, No 6 Festival, Barbarella Returns, 007 Audio Books Return, Designer: Gene Winfield, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Rare Avengers Scripts, Man From Uncle UK Comics, Mattel X-15, Thunderbirds Comics, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Avengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky Boots, George Lois Design & Mad Men, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Danger Diabolik Soundtrack, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The 10th Victim German Edition, The Saint books return, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.
