Bobo (Belgian comic)

Bobo first appeared in a mini–récit (mini-story) in Spirou magazine on May 11, 1961[1] In the early years, it was written by Rosy, who also took artistic responsibility during a brief period in the 1970s.[2] Eventually, the character evolved into its own series, mostly consisting of short stories, and a few full length (i.e. 44 pages) stories. Fifteen albums appeared until the 1990s, when the series ended its run.

Bobo was sentenced to twenty years in jail for stealing a bicycle (it was the bicycle of the sentencing judge). Bobo is always trying to escape in various ways, usually by digging, and thus make his way to the beaches of Acapulco. Other major characters are the prison's manager who is fond of pies and cookies; the prison bully who has it in for Bobo and his various schemes; the Professional, a grumpy old prisoner who insists that everything be done "by the book," his copy of which dates back to before the prison reform movement (at his insistence, the Professional lives in an old dungeon, wears a ball-and-chain, does heavy labor and only eats stale bread and dirty water); and Stonie the warden, who always carries a stone (left over after building the prison), and which he is constantly trying to get rid off, but his colleagues insist that he carries. There is also Julot-les-pinceaux (Julian Brush), Bobo's outside accomplice who is always coming up with various schemes to get his beloved boss out of the nick.

A six-stage computer game was made (released in 1988), with the player steering Bobo through six tasks: feeding soup to his hungry inmates in the mess hall whiles killing flies; peeling an ever-increasing mount of potatoes; cleaning the floor of the prison office hallway; helping his numerous mates escape via a trampoline; running over a set of three high-mounted power lines; and finally, stopping your cellmates from snoring when you are trying to sleep.

The purpose of the game is not to reach a certain goal, but to collect as many points as possible in the short space of time given in most of the tasks. Failing in these task is inevitable—like in the first, the inmates get hungry very quickly as time passes, and eventually someone puts the soup pot on Bobo's head; and in the third an increasing number of guardsmen, dogs and inmates keep running through the hallway, staining the floor with their dirty shoes.

• Paul Deliège interview on Auracan.com (in French)