Le poulpe --
Gabriel Lecouvreur
Created by Jean-Bernard Pouy, Patrick Raynal, and Serge Quadruppani
Written by Patrick Raynal, Jean-Gérard Imbar, Marc Villard and others

GABRIEL LECOUVREUR, also known as LE POULPE is, according to co-creator Patrick Raynal "something of an avenger, an outlaw, a Robin Hood and an anarchist...He always looks behind the scenes, to see if what we're told reflects the truth."

He's also the hero of an amazing publishing phenomenom that brings the North American concept of Men's Adventures (Mack Bolan, The Executioner et al) to France. The idea of the series was hatched over a few rounds in a bar by Jean-Bernard Pouy, Patrick Raynal, and Serge Quadruppani. Longing for a return to a "pulpier" style of crime fiction, as opposed to much of the rather literary stuff currently making the rounds in France, and yet not satisfied with the right wing, "almost fascist" bent of much of the pulpier crime fiction that was available, they came up with a left-wing detective as a kind of antidote. Despite its implied reference to the pulps; a poulpe is actually an octopus. They then set about having some of France's best crime writers actually write the books. So far, it's been quite the success.

Each writer must follow the Poulpe "Bible," a four-page outline of the character's life and friends, but is urged to keep his own style, and his own interests. And while the first books were by well-known crime writers (such as Daeninckx, Pouy, G.J. Arnaud, Raynal, Quadruppani), now unpublished writers, journalists, show business personalities, mystery novels critics, essayists (Mesplede), and first time published writers are lining up to take a crack at "le Poulpe."

"It's an exercise in style," said Raynal, who's also written about private eye Phillippe Clerc, and has been editorial director of La Serie Noire since 1991. Close to two hundred le Poulpes were published, as well as several graphic novel adaptations and even a feature film. And the fat lady ain't singing yet.

The books have drawn praise for their covers, as well -- a cut above most in the Men's Adventure genre. All the covers have been done by illustrator Miles Hyman, and they're quite a classy switch from the usual cleavage and guns themes that usually decorate these things.

Alas, such a ballsy idea apparently couldn't last. According to our pal E.Borgers of Hard-Boiled Mysteries, in a January 2005 post to Rara-Avis, the original publisher, Baleine, was bought out by another publisher, Le Seuil, who don't seem very interested by this type of approach and couldn't "handle the heritage. We are now close to two years since the take over and they have published only three more titles. Everybody agrees that it's finished, as "adventurial publishing" of real popular lit. -as launched by JB Pouy with Baleine -- cannot easily be assimilated by a mainstream publishing house."

NOVELS

GRAPHIC NOVEL ADAPTATIONS

SHORT STORIES

FILM

RELATED LINKS

Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith. Merci à Marcel Bernadac and Etienne Borgers for their help and guidance on this one!

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