Me Claude Katz, lawyer for Isabelle Franquin, daughter of the late Belgian cartoonist, confirmed information from the daily Le Soir to AFP on Tuesday.

The daughter and sole beneficiary of André Franquin (1924-1997) believes that "moral rights are inalienable" and that her father "always expressed during his lifetime, continuously and repeatedly, his desire that Gaston not survive him not under the pencil of another designer", according to a press release sent by Me Katz.

She opposes the release announced for October 2022 of a 22nd album, "Le Retour de Lagaffe" (Dupuis editions), in which Gaston must live again in the guise of the Canadian designer Delaf, whose real name is Marc Delafontaine.

This revival, described as "illegal" by Isabelle Franquin, was revealed ten days ago at the Angoulême festival (France) by Stéphane Beaujean, editorial director of Dupuis.

"It's a risk-taking. Even if it means relaunching the series, we said to ourselves that there was no point in doing it small arm. Because it is one of the most emblematic characters of Franco-Belgian comics" , had then explained to AFP Mr. Beaujean.

In the past, Me Katz told AFP on Tuesday, Isabelle Franquin had already faced the Marsu Productions group, publisher of comic books inspired by Franquin's universe, with in particular a character named "Gastoon" presented as Gaston's nephew. .

But the dispute was concluded by an amicable settlement, without going through the courts, according to the lawyer.

In concrete terms, in this new dispute with the French group Média Participations (parent company of Dupuis), which bought the economic rights to Franquin's characters from Marsu, an arbitration procedure was initiated to avoid the publication of the "Return of The mistake".

But faced with "Dupuis' enthusiasm" to publicize this future album - with a pre-publication of Delaf's drawings in the Journal de Spirou scheduled "from April 6" -, Ms. Franquin also seized the judge for summary proceedings. of French-speaking first instance (TPIF) of Brussels.

The Belgian cartoonist Franquin on January 28, 1989 at the Angoulême comic book festival JEAN-PIERRE MULLER AFP / Archives

It requests the “urgent and provisional suspension of any pre-publication, promotion and distribution of these illustrations and comic strips pending the decision of the arbitrator”, according to the same press release.

A hearing is scheduled for "mid-May", according to Me Katz.

Asked by AFP to confirm this schedule, the TPIF did not respond immediately.

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