Georges Wolinski

Georges Wolinski is a French draftsman for the press born the June 28th 1934 with Tunis.

It was Dessinateur in the review Hara-Kiri, then in Action, Paris-Press, Hara-Kiri Hebdo, Charlie Hebdo, Humanity, and finally Paris-Match. It is Editor association of Charlie Mensuel.

Beginnings

Wolinski oscillates at the beginning between very various styles, in the long term to fix itself on a graphics evoking at the beginning that of Copi. Quickly, this one acquires the specific leg of the author, who stresses the expressivity of his characters where on the contrary Copi wanted them neutral. The events of May 1968 make known its work by the transitory review Action, where it draws regularly. It is then glory. Of Wolinski the advertizing executives like the so typical characters (and with the public!) and are solicited for campaigns of Publicité of national scale:

Real “Broca”, close to the Canal Saint Martin's day
IBM (Wolinski draws one of its characters who balances his papers with the computer while saying to him: “Hold, manages! ”)
Mars (bars chocolate)

These publicities will be reproached Wolinski by the purists. It however chooses them with the dropper, accepting only those who give him pretext to make things which inspire it (the countryside of the “Broca”, alas ever taken again in album, will be laughing).

Career

Hara-kiri

August 1st

The Mad one

During the events of May 1968, Wolinski founds with Siné the newspaper Mad the, in which its drawings take a political coloring. The newspaper will disappear quickly, but the tone of the future Hara-Kiri Hebdo (then Charlie Hebdo) starts to appear.

France Soir

After the bracket of Action, Wolinski is requested to hold a page of dispute in the daily newspaper France Soir of Pierre Lazareff, where it takes the practice of “not only there disputing the company, like everyone, but also the director of the newspaper”, as it summarizes it. Collaboration will take quickly fine.

Charlie Hebdo

It is in Hara-Kiri hebdo become thereafter Charlie Hebdo , that Wolinski takes its full measurement by drawing in a practically weekly way two characters taken again of Action : large sure of him and dominating, and thin of timid pace, which hold of the remarks of coffee the commercial , but always presented in a humorous way. Starting imperturbably with a “Mister”, that one guesses marked with emphase, the bands will present these typical purple passages of the style wolinskien:

Sir, I am for freedom of the press provided that the press does not benefit from it to say anything!
Sir, moments ago when I wonder whether that were worth the sorrow to gain the war against a man who would have removed us from Communism.
socialism, it is like the marijuana: it is perhaps inoffensive, but that can lead to harder drugs like Communism.

The weekly band names at the beginning “the evolution of the situation”. It will inspire then several theatrical reviews of Claude Confortès, all named “the king of the idiots”.

This king of the idiots is also a lucky find of Wolinski. Before him, the expression was certainly used, but nobody had never had the idea to give to the character a face and less still a costume. The draftsman will give him that of an invariably capped of a crown and covered bênét of a coat of hermine. This character appears for the first time when the Shah of Iran organizes immense festivals for the “2500 years of uninterrupted monarchy” to Persépolis (only the monarchy of Ethiopia incarnated at the time by Hailé Sélassié does better). All the Heads of State or are invited almost there. All hesitate to assist because of the not very democratic character of this country (Pompidou will true and send its Prime Minister Chaban-Delmas). A drawing will relieve of only one blow the tension and will start general hilarity. It is titrated:

the Shah with the king of the idiots: “You made well come”

Humanity

The director of the newspaper Humanity, Roland Leroy, who appreciates the humor of Wolinski, proposes to him to become official draftsman of the newspaper, by guaranteeing to him that it will be able with complete freedom “there caracoler” . With the great despair of François Cavanna, Wolinski accepts while giving as excuses that “that amuses it to be honest”. But it does not give any more to its drawings the character militant and sometimes aggressive only they had in Action , and chooses on the contrary a style good child where it makes fun almost of itself and where bore sometimes allusions to the style of the draftsman of the “World” at the time, which names then Konk. Although stripped on this squeaking side which was its trademark, its drawings of the time do not lose anything of their drolery; and then collaboration with Charlie Hebdo and Hara-Kiri continues for this kind of drawings.

Paris-match

Wolinski will reach a last stage of its career while becoming also draftsman of press with “Paris-Match”: its mode of dispute ended up belonging to the French landscape, and Wolinski, henceforth, of the establishement , like a Sempé.

Legion of honor

In January 2005, Wolinski received the Légion of honor. Less than one month later, the Professor Choron passes from life to demise, without these events being in theory dependant.

Festival of Angouleme

At the time of the edition 2005 of the International festival of the cartoon of Angouleme, Wolinski received the Grand Prix of the Town of Angouleme.

Hannukah Harry

Associated with Pierre Barkats, an American lawyer, Georges Wolinski launched out in a new adventure. A small universal character who traverses the times challenges the reader on the state of planet. It is him which brought fire to the savages in their caves and it feels a little guilty some share of the Climate warming.

Style

The style of Wolinski has some constants: frequent double directions , often with connotation rascal . A so convincing presentation of the positions of the right-hand side which its readers can sometimes wonder whether it is a question of caricaturing positions or if Wolinski is not really of right-hand side (some of its drawings, under condition that one takes them with the first degree, would have found their place in “Le Figaro very well”). And this desired ambiguity of it will be it also a characteristic of the work of Wolinski makes: at the bottom, he does not hate the line; He includes/understands it. She amuses it. She does not have any more in her eyes, or more always, this enclosed character that it found to him time of Action . She belongs to her landscape like it forms part of his besides, because the drawings of Wolinski, perceived like more Gallic , ribald , disrespectful and critical that properly political is appreciated now by a whole France which finds a little itself in its characters.

On the initiative of Jerome Duhamel, Wolinski will collaborate in a common book with the draftsman of the Barber Jacques Faizant. “It is my good facho”, known as Wolinski. “It is my good gaucho”, known as Faizant. And both add jointly that they do not think a word of it, but that if there would be a purification, they prefer to be made relations in the other camp with any chance!!

Wolinski does not want to be in the life as libertine as his characters. He is the author of one moving “Open letter with my wife”, declaration of love to Maryse Wolinski where he is filled with wonder that over ten years of common life they spent only three nights separate. In its answer a few years later, Room with share , this one will specify that they slept in same housing, but not systematically in the same bed.

Invited with Apostrophes where Bernard Pivot requires of him, “But finally, when you dredge an iron ore? ”, he answers with largest serious: “I am married, Mr Pivot. Thus I dredger not of the iron ores . I make love with my wife ”. Information, or intox? Declaration in any case typical of the ambiguity always wanted by unclassable Wolinski.

Quotations

“the problem of German it is how not to retrogress. The problem of French it is how to go from the front one. ”
“It is necessary to improve the female condition: for example to increase the kitchens, to lower the sinks or to better isolate the handles from the pans. ”
“the question is to know if we prefer being oppressed by Communism or exploited by capitalism. ” is
“has what that used for to be connected to the whole ground if there is nothing to say oneself? ”
“notoriety it is when your presence is noticed, the celebrity it is when your absence is noted. ”
“the first man who died had to be drôlement surprised. ”
“I prefer unhappy being from time to time because I do not manage to obtain what I want, that happy all the time because I do not have desire of nothing! ”

External bonds

Biography
Bibliography of Wolinski
women of Wolinski at the Beautiful ones of bédés the
the site of Hannukah Harry with Orange and Subway

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