“Martine at the beach”, Martine coveted by Michael Jackson...at 70, “Martine” continues to write her story

Sébastien Bordenave // ​​Photo credits: GEORGES GOBET / AFP 9:45 a.m., March 28, 2024

For Martine, it all started in a farmyard. A model little girl and a simple first name,

was published in 1954, and opened the ball to the adventures of the famous little girl. It is also the beginning of its conquest of French-speaking homes. 60 albums later, Marcel Marlier, the designer, has sold 120 million copies in French and more than 45 million in foreign languages.

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A meticulous and enthusiastic craftsman, he doesn't count his hours when he brings his heroine to life. When Marcel Marlier drew

, he observed real dancers and made sketches of real Maurice Béjart ballets for a month.

Martine, coveted by the king of pop

Marcel Marlier's heroine also catches the eye of a world star. His son François remembers this anecdote. “Dad is in the middle of his album. It was 11 p.m.,” he begins. The phone rings and at the end of the film: the king of pop! “Dad, he wants to see you, it’s Michael Jackson,” his son exclaims. Reaction of the designer: “Who is Michael Jackson?”

Michael is crazy about Martine and even asks Marcel to sell him original drawings. “Well no,” the latter will reply. Then Bambi called Martine's designer back to come to the United States for a project with Steven Spielberg. He will again be satisfied with a “Well no”.

In 2024, on the occasion of her 70th birthday, the little heroine sees things big. The Martine myth, her story and the behind the scenes of her creation are told in an illustrated book called 

, for her grown-up fans. She is also exhibited in the Gallimard Gallery in Paris and Casterman Editions have also published an album where the little girl visits the capital:

.