Today, Oni Press and Magnetic Press announced The Beast, the first-ever English-language edition of the celebrated graphic novel by Zidrou (The Adoption) and Frank Pé (Zoo). Inspired by Marsupilami, the beloved creature created by André Franquin, the two-volume series begins when The Beast: Volume One arrives in bookstores and comic shops on May 12.
First introduced in Spirou in 1952, the Marsupilami went on to become a cornerstone of Franco-Belgian pop culture, spawning animated series, a feature film, and even a Sega Genesis game. The Beast reimagines that playful icon in a radically different context, placing the animal inside a grounded, emotionally charged story set in post-WWII Europe.
So what’s The Beast about?
Captured in the heart of Palombia by Chahuta Indians and sold to exotic animal traffickers, a marsupilami lands in the port of Antwerp in the 1950s. Managing to escape, he arrives in the suburbs of Brussels and is taken in by François, a young boy who is a fan of animals and whose daily life is far from easy. François is picked on by the local kids, particularly because his father had been a German soldier, an unforgivable crime in those postwar years; a fact he and his mother cannot escape. Both are ostracized for their connection to past events.
“This sometimes dark but always hopeful adventure portrays a beautiful friendship between a boy and his beast,” said Magnetic Press Director of Publishing Mike Kennedy. “Zidrou and Pé pay a superb tribute to the fabulous animal created by Franquin while also denouncing the mistreatment and trafficking of exotic animals. At its heart, it’s a story about the extraordinary bond that can exist between a child and an animal.”
The Beast offers American readers a rare opportunity to experience two masters working in harmony. It honors a beloved character while reshaping him into something raw, timely, and resonant.
The Beast: Volume One arrives May 12, with The Beast: Volume Two following in June.
Check out a preview below.
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