 Cover of the firstPilote issue #0 | |
| Categories | French comics magazine |
|---|---|
| First issue | October 29, 1959; 65 years ago (1959-10-29) |
| Final issue | October 1, 1989; 35 years ago (1989-10-01) |
| Company | Dargaud (1960–1989) |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| ISSN | 0999-9728 |
Pilote (French:[pilɔt]), for a while subtitledthe magazine of Asterix and Obelix (French:Le Journal D’Astérix et D’Obélix ) was aFrench comics magazine published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the majorFrench or Belgian comics talents of its day the magazine introduced major series such asAstérix,Barbe-Rouge,Blueberry,Achille Talon, andValérian et Laureline. Major comics writers likeRené Goscinny,Jean-Michel Charlier,Greg,Pierre Christin andJacques Lob were featured in the magazine, as were artists such asJijé,Morris,Albert Uderzo,Jean (Mœbius) Giraud,Enki Bilal,Jean-Claude Mézières,Jacques Tardi,Philippe Druillet,Marcel Gotlib,Alexis, andAnnie Goetzinger.
Pilote also published several international talents such asHugo Pratt,Frank Bellamy andRobert Crumb.
Following the release of a teaser, issue number 0, on June 1,Pilote officially launched on October 29, 1959.[1]
The magazine was founded by experienced comic book writers Goscinny and Charlier, and artists Albert Uderzo and Jean Hébrard. Previously this team had worked together on several other projects, creatingLe Supplément Illustré, a cartoon supplement for stuff like newspapers, and providing cartoons forRadio-Télé, a magazine published byRadio-Luxembourg.Pilote was promoted by Radio-Luxembourg and featured editorials written by well-known personalities of the era. The first issue ofPilote was met with overwhelming demand, selling out all 300,000 copies in a single day.
Unlike Belgian competitive magazines, such asTintin andSpirou, the magazine was positioned to target an adolescent audience from the time of its launch.
Charlier and Goscinny handled most of the initial writing. Although Charlier came up with two popular series,Tanguy et Laverdure with Albert Uderzo andBarbe-Rouge (Redbeard) withVictor Hubinon, it was Goscinny and Uderzo’sAstérix le Gaulois which was the biggest hit and the magazine’s initial mainstay.
Financial problems arose in 1960, but were resolved when the magazine was bought out byDargaud publishers. Dargaud expanded the magazine with several new series, including Charlier and Giraud’sBlueberry and Greg'sAchille Tallon in 1963. In 1967 the popular science-fiction seriesValérian et Laureline debuted and in 1968 the popular Western comedyLucky Luke (by Morris) was transferred toPilote fromSpirou magazine. Other notable appearances included series from the British comics magazineEagle such asFraser l'Africain (Fraser of Africa) andWinston Churchill by Frank Bellamy.
Attempts were made in the 1970s to update the magazine with material of more interest to adults, but many artists like Druillet and Giraud feltPilote was no longer the appropriate vehicle for their aspirations and left to found new magazines such asMétal Hurlant (the French original that inspiredHeavy Metal). Partly as a result, Dargaud reducedPilote’s publication schedule from weekly to monthly in 1974, and René Goscinny was replaced as editor-in-chief. At this time, a new generation of artists also started publishing inPilote, namelyCaza,Lauzier, andF'Murr. Their comics reflected the new, more adult direction.
Sales initially improved but a steady erosion took place through the 1980s as interest in the medium declined.Pilote was merged with the comics magazineCharlie Mensuel in 1986 and continued asPilote et Charlie until 1988, when the name was changed back toPilote. However, declining sales prompted Dargaud to suspend publication after what became the final issue on 1 October 1989.[2]
After 1989, there has been no regular publications of the magazine, although the name has been used for occasional oversized specials.[3]
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| Publication schedule | Issue date(s) | Issue circulation | Magazine sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 29 October 1959 | 300,000 | 300,000 |
| 5 November 1959 to7 January 1960 | 235,000 | 2,350,000 | |
| 14 January 1960 toDecember 1960 | 125,000 | 6,375,000 | |
| 1961 to1973 | 125,000 | 84,500,000 | |
| Monthly | 1974 to1988 | 125,000 | 22,500,000 |
| January 1989 toOctober 1989 | 125,000 | 1,250,000 | |
| Total sales | 117,275,000 |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
