The Interwar Revolution

The period between the two World Wars marked a transformative era for bande dessinée. What had been a scattered collection of illustrated stories and comic strips began to coalesce into a recognizable industry with its own stars, styles, and devoted readership. This era, often referred to as the Golden Age of BD, saw the creation of characters and series that would become cornerstones of French and Belgian popular culture.

The 1920s and 1930s brought significant changes to the media landscape. Radio competed for audiences' attention, cinema was establishing itself as the dominant form of popular entertainment, and newspapers fought circulation wars that drove innovation in all departments, including their comic strips. In this competitive environment, BD had to evolve or risk obsolescence. The medium's response was a burst of creativity that established templates still influential today.