Original subtitles

Hey! Watch it!

Stop it!

Stop!

You OK, Jean-Jacques?

It's not funny, René.

I nearly died getting here on time.

Have a drink, that'll help.

Yeah, you're right.

Michel!

Mr. Sempé!

Did you see the football match on telly last night?

Of course I did! What a match!

Only the Reds could hit the back of the net like that.

You're not wrong!

- What can I get you? - Well...

A glass of Red?

Mr. Goscinny's always good for a laugh.

OK, a glass of red. Thanks, Michel.

Is this for the paper?

Yeah.

- This one is fun. - Which one?

This one.

Yeah, I like him.

Actually I wanted to tell you:

I'm developing him for the Sunday edition.

You know writing isn't really my thing.

But you're a wizard with words.

Maybe the two of us could collaborate.

Yeah, if you'd like to. But how?

You write the stories, I'll draw them. Two pals working together.

Great, right?

Yeah, you're right.

Does he have a name?

Well, I was thinking...

No, I don't know.

Watch your backs! Here you are.

- What talent! - At your service.

Nicholas.

Nicholas.

Let me think. "Nicholas."

Yeah, it suits him.

OK, then!

The Amazing Adventures of Nicholas!

Yeah. Or maybe...

we could just call it Little Nicholas.

Right. Much better.

Here's to Little Nicholas!

LITTLE NICHOLAS Happy As Can Be

Right. So...

Here's what we've got so far. Little Nicholas.

- Not bad, right? - Yeah.

Don't you like it?

Yes, of course. It's brilliant.

But it's not enough.

He looks lonely on that blank page.

You know what's missing?

- A football! - Parents.

Right. Parents, of course. Hang on, I have an idea.

What he needs, if you ask me, is parents who are smart and respectable.

The dad should look like this.

And the mother? She's totally extravagant! Stunning!

Not exactly funny, is it?

Do you know any Classics professors who are married to harpists?

No, you're right. Not many.

I don't see it like that.

To me, Nicholas isn't bourgeois. He's an ordinary Parisian.

- Yeah! And he should live in... - Wait! I know.

Exactly!

A little house in the suburbs.

Same for the parents. They're more like...

I don't know, a tie salesman and an accountant.

A teacher and a mechanic?

Anyway,

the simpler the better.

Yeah. I get it.

How's that? They're not too normal?

Not at all! That's exactly right.

They're perfect.

I'll take this...

for inspiration.

Good work, old chum!

I'll get to work and call you later.

This is going to be fun!

I can't believe it.

How could it happen so suddenly?

René, it can't be true.

What do I do with Nicholas, now?

Should I tell him, or not?

"We'd been waiting a while..."

"We'd been waiting a while..."

"Finally! At long last."

Would you say that? "At long last"?

I don't know. What's it for?

I'm looking for a title. You know...

Yeah? We're really getting one?

Yeah, I thought that...

Wait. That's good!

Yeah! We're really getting one!

Just like my cousin's.

My cousin is bottom of his class,

but he's only bottom because he's bad at Maths,

History, Grammar, Geography...

He's better at drawing. He's only second-bottom.

Because the kid below him is left-handed!

That's good!

- At first, Dad was having none of it. - Wait. Not so fast.

Yeah! We're really getting one!

At first Dad was having none of it.

He said it'd distract me from my work. That I'd be bottom of the class.

He said our family would never talk and would stop reading books.

Then Mum said it wasn't such a bad idea, so Dad bought one.

The television set!

It's incredible!

Television for you?

Hello, sir. This way, please.

Blédurt!

Blédurt!

Can't a man work in peace?

Yes, my dearest neighbour?

Come and see my television set!

That's a very small screen.

A small screen? Are you crazy?

It's at least 20 inches.

You're just jealous.

Me, jealous? I have a piano, sir!

I have recordings of classical music!

And I have books, sir!

Yeah, sure! You're just jealous, end of story!

- Oh, yeah? - Yeah!

Is this going to take long?

I have other deliveries, you know.

- Hello, sir! - Ma'am.

So...

Where shall we put the television set?

Make up your mind, dear. It looks heavy.

It is!

Let's see.

On the corner table. Here!

Certainly not.

I use that table for serving tea to friends.

It could go in my room.

The bedroom?

Not easy, is it?

No, it's not.

Here!

Come on! Make up your mind.

Yes, quickly, or I'll drop it.

Here.

It's so brilliant!

We can watch football matches, westerns,

and all those big, ugly wrestlers.

Welcome to Reading For All.

My guests tonight are Jean-Jacques Sempé and René Goscinny.

- Good evening. - Good evening.

Now, tell me,

why are you both here with us tonight?

It's raining.

It's raining. We didn't know what to do.

Yes, but isn't there a little boy you want to tell us about?

Good point.

Shall we tell him about Nicholas?

Yes, it's a long story.

Little Nicholas first appeared in the paper, Sud-Ouest.

Then we turned it into a comic that was fairly successful.

Finally it became a series of graphic novels.

That's me!

- You know them? - They created me.

This TV is turning our son's brain to mush.

What's the point in having a TV if they only talk about books?

I mean, really!

301 cars will compete in the 24h du Mans...

Racing cars are brilliant!

...3,000 spectators and a 13 km circuit...

Hello?

Hello, Mother!

Nicholas! It's Nanna!

Hello, Nanna.

Lots of love, sweetie. See you on Sunday.

Great!

I really love my Nanna.

She gives me presents and laughs at everything I say.

She says I'm very clever and very funny.

And that I am just like Mum was at my age.

Dad was also happy to hear Nanna was coming.

He said, "Oh, yeah, bravo!

Just what I was hoping for!"

Here she is!

Coo-ee! It's me!

Hello, Nanna!

I don't know why Dad was so happy.

He and Nanna are always arguing.

Coo-ee!

Hello, Mother!

Nanna!

Oh, my poppet! Give me a kiss.

What's in this thing? An anvil?

What did you bring me?

Nicholas! Where are your manners?

Really, young man!

This poor boy doesn't have much fun.

He needs to be spoiled a little.

Sure! Nicholas is always spoiled after you've been here.

Stop being silly and open my suitcase.

Here, my darling!

Brilliant! A plane! Just what I wanted!

Thanks, Nanna.

Isn't he funny?

Nicholas, put it away. You have homework.

Let him have a little fun.

It's not every day he gets a toy, poor thing.

When he grows up and you've turned him into an ignoramus,

what then?

He'll make a perfect son-in-law.

- Tea time! - Can I have cake?

No, you'll spoil your appetite.

Let him have a slice or two.

It won't do any harm.

Nicholas, go and play in your room.

I hardly ever see my only grandson.

Why send him to his room as soon as I arrive?

It's true. Nanna's right.

- Really, Mother! - She's doing it on purpose.

Don't worry about me.

I'm just a poor old lady

with no one to love her, I know.

I'll go home and never darken your door again.

Don't say that, Mother!

No, Nanna! Then I won't get any presents.

Oh, God!

Come here.

You're brilliant, Nanna!

Oh, my poppet.

Look what I brought for you.

Go on, poppet.

Eat up for Nanna.

I'm really not hungry.

Don't force him. The doctors say...

The doctors?

What do doctors know?

I never had any trouble with my three children.

Maybe you didn't have a mother-in-law.

Go on, poppet.

Eat up and make sure you chew.

I was sick. Very sick.

Dad called the doctor in the middle of the night.

He said it was nothing

and they should put me on a diet.

But Dad didn't seem too happy

when Nanna said she would stay

a few days longer to keep an eye on me.

You're not feeding the poor boy properly!

Another story?

Anyway, Nanna is so brilliant! I love her.

Was your nanna like that?

She was great. I loved her too.

I wish I could have seen her more, but...

it was complicated.

It was? Why?

When I was two my parents moved to Argentina. Buenos Aires.

Really? Where's Argentina?

Look here.

It's far, far away. The other side of the world.

In South America.

My dad was a chemical engineer

and found a job out there.

My mother, my brother and I

went to join him in 1928.

My childhood memories

are all of Buenos Aires.

The tango, the pampa, the gauchos!

I arrived in Argentina at the age of two

and left when I was 18, after my father died.

That's where I started drawing and writing for the school paper.

I only saw the rest of my family every two or three years

when we took the ship back to Europe.

For me, France was this mysterious, exotic country

where we took our holidays.

Nanterre, the Deux-Sèvres, the Paris suburbs...

To me they were like Timbuktu!

You were lucky! I'd like to travel too.

I would go to China. Or Arcachon!

Me too.

What a life! Riding horses instead of going to school.

They have school in Argentina.

Yes, but it's horse-riding school for cowboys!

Yeah... no. Real school.

That's no fun!

You have to learn how to count your cows.

And school's great. You make friends.

Friends? You mean like you and me?

That's right.

Wait. Of course!

Jean-Jacques!

Sempé! Open up!

I'm coming!

We have to give him friends!

- Don't you want to? - Sure, but what's the hurry?

You could have phoned. No need to kick the door down.

Can you turn it down?

So?

We should give our little guy some friends.

I already know their names: Agnan, Clotaire,

Eudes, Alceste...

What, you think you're Molière? Alceste, really?

Exactly! It's memorable.

Alceste! Honestly.

What?

I can see you're not in the mood. I'll come back later.

No, you're here now.

So what does Alceste look like?

A bit like me. He's Nicholas's best friend.

That's me?

A chubby little boy who eats toast?

You know your way around a meal!

And the school, how will you draw it?

Nothing special.

It's a school with a playground and a tiled roof,

like the school I went to in Bordeaux.

We were all really happy when we got to school today.

They're taking the class photo.

It's a memory that we'll treasure for the rest of our...

Attack!

- What's that, sir? - Enough! Leave me alone!

- Hey, let go! - I was first!

That's enough!

I said enough! Take your places.

I should introduce my friends.

Rufus is a joker.

Clotaire is very clumsy.

Eudes is strong.

Geoffroy wears nice clothes because his daddy's rich.

Maixent has long legs and dirty knees.

Poor Joachim can't tell his right from his left.

Alceste never stops eating.

And Agnan. He's not really my friend.

He's too busy revising for class.

Stop that! Now line up.

There.

Nobody move.

What is this?

I want my photo taken like this, or not at all!

One,

two...

My toast!

Let's see!

Three!

How do you see the teacher?

She probably wears a dress. Hair in a bun.

All the children love her.

- OK. Like this? - Yeah.

But she's not exactly Marilyn Monroe.

Maybe more stern, with glasses.

Like that?

Not that much. She still needs to be likeable.

Stern but likeable?

Ah, yes!

I get it. Stern...

but likeable.

When she wants to laugh she pretends to look in her drawer.

The kids give her gifts at the end of the year.

And she doles out punishment, then changes her mind.

Silence!

You're all in detention!

OK, I forgive you.

You can go for a break, but quietly.

We all went outside for break

and in the corner of the yard,

Old Spuds was guarding a heap of sand.

Please sir, what's the sand for?

Renovating the laundry room.

Can we play on it? Can we?

Well, OK.

But behave yourselves.

And don't forget, that sand is my responsibility!

Let's make a castle.

I'm great at castles.

When I was on holiday they had a competition at the beach.

I could have won first prize if I'd wanted. Easy!

Who cares about castles?

Digging holes is more fun. We'll dig a big, big hole.

Like the one Daddy fell in last year.

No, we'll make a road tunnel and drive toy cars through it!

- We could make pies! - What for, you idiot?

Well done!

Alceste!

Hey, your castle is blocking my road!

Too bad!

Hey! Stop throwing sand from your hole onto my castle!

Yeah, dig a hole but leave the sand in it!

Castle? You call that a castle?

Don't make me laugh.

Here's what I think of it.

My toast!

Stop it! My glasses fell in the hole!

What's the meaning of this?

Stop this immediately!

Get off that sand. You should be ashamed.

Where did the sand go?

There was a terrible storm. All the sand got blown away.

Don't get smart with me, young man.

Look me right in the eye...

The monitor, Mr. Goodman,

always says: "Look me right in the eye!"

We all call him "Old Spuds,"

because potatoes have eyes.

That sand was my responsibility! You will be punished!

Single file!

- Hello, there. - Wow! Brilliant!

Did you want to be a pilot too?

I wanted to be a jazz musician.

Yeah? Did you play an instrument?

Not back then. But I would drum on shoe boxes and wooden trunks.

Now I play piano like my hero, Duke Ellington.

Well, I try.

And drawing? When did you start?

I left school at 14.

I did various odd jobs around Bordeaux.

I rode around by bike, selling toothpaste, wine...

Bikes are brilliant!

Well, I was terribly bored.

So I drew to pass the time.

I drew funny things to relax.

They made my friends laugh

so I decided to send them to the local paper.

To my immense surprise they decided to publish them.

That was a big moment for me! An opportunity.

So I decided to turn it into a career.

I could still find a boring job if I failed.

The only risk was going back to square one.

And I knew that artists went to Paris.

My only way to get there was with the army.

I lied about my age and joined.

Paris! The avenues! The parties!

The music! The people!

Coming from a poor family, Parisians seemed so happy to me.

I loved it.

But even so, it wasn't easy.

I was useless in the army.

I kept losing things. The storehouse keys... even my gun.

So I got thrown in the clink.

My drawing career was no better.

I took my work to agencies and always got the same response.

That's when I first met René at the World Press Agency.

He encouraged me.

I was 21 and he was 27. We hit it off right away.

He was my first Parisian friend.

My first friend, even.

That's brilliant!

Me and my friends know how to have fun.

But Spuds and the teacher don't like our games.

Are you crazy? That's a girl!

Yeah. René said it was sad having only boys at the school.

Time for a change.

Girls are stupid!

Just you wait. We'll change your mind.

I don't like girls.

They're stupid. They just play shop and with dolls.

And they always cry.

I know I cry too. But only if it's serious.

Be nice to Louisette. She's a charming little girl.

Show her what a good boy you are.

I'd rather go to the cinema and watch cowboys.

And don't be rough with her

or you're in big trouble.

Nicholas! Wait till I get my hands on you!

They're here.

When Mum wants to show me off,

she puts me in a white shirt and blue suit.

I look like an idiot.

Nicholas, meet Louisette.

Hello, Nicholas.

Nicholas, take Louisette to your room and show her your toys.

You look like a monkey.

Yeah? Well, you look like...

a girl!

Well, children?

Having fun?

Yes, ma'am.

She's just adorable!

What a sweet little girl.

You play with dolls?

Don't be silly! Why not play shop?

So will you show me your toys?

No!

Leave it! It's not for girls.

It's my plane. Nanna gave it to me.

"Nanna gave it to me!"

I'm your guest. I can play with any toy I want.

If you don't like it I'll call Mummy and we'll see who's right.

Mummy, Nicholas is being mean!

Look what you did! You've lost my plane.

It's not lost, dummy.

Look. It landed in the garden.

Let's go and get it.

But Mum says it's too cold to go outside.

"Mum says..."

Ma'am, may we please play in the garden?

My little honeybun! Isn't it a little cold?

I would have loved to see the pretty flowers you've planted.

Alright, but wrap up warm before you go out.

Thank you, ma'am.

I should learn to do that with my eyes.

Looks like it works pretty well!

Hey! Got any toys in the garden?

Nope.

Except the football in the garage. And it's not for girls.

I told you not to play rough!

You're incorrigible! You'll pay for this.

That night I didn't get any pudding.

But that's OK. Louisette is brilliant.

And she's a great shot!

We're going to get married.

Bravo!

You're improving.

Yeah, sure. That's kind of you.

But I hardly practice.

Music takes talent

and a lot of hard work.

As a kid, the radio was everything to me.

I knew the schedule by heart.

I imagined myself on stage, playing with Ray Ventura and His Collegians.

- Sounds like you! - Go ahead, laugh.

My best ideas come from daydreams. They always have.

Why wait for happiness to come?

Why wait to have a little fun?

The road's wide open The sky is blue

The piano's playing a merry tune

In every eye a gleam of hope

And there's a smile on every face

Joy lies in wait for everyone

Why wait for happiness to come?

Why wait for happiness to come?

Why wait to have a little fun?

All the flowers are in bloom

So many purples, reds, whites and blues

The butterflies flutter by in twos

The millipedes put on their shoes

I'm like a bird

Up in a tree

- I'm just... - I'm just...

I'm just as Happy As Can Be

I'm just as Happy As Can Be

Why wait to have a little fun?

The merry tune returns again

The radio is radiating our refrain

The rain has stopped The clouds are gone

The ducks are dancing to our song

So keep your chin up Don't look so glum

Why wait, why wait

Why wait for happiness to come?

You're pretty good with a pencil!

Don't forget, I was an illustrator first.

At school, I drew all over my exercise books.

I'd have preferred it

if our lessons went in the margins and I could draw on the whole page!

We need to teach Little Nicholas to draw.

Yeah. We should talk to his teacher.

DRAWING CLASS: THE APPLE

Silence!

Today you'll be doing a still life. You'll draw this apple.

You can talk

but don't get up.

Today we're drawing in class.

It's great! We don't have to learn anything or do any homework.

And we can talk.

It's a bit like break-time.

Miss!

I'm too far away to see the apple properly.

Come closer then, Agnan!

Yeah, me too!

Silence! Everyone sit down.

But Miss, how will I do it?

If you really can't see the apple draw something else.

But behave yourself.

I'm going to draw a map of France

and its rivers.

I'm going to draw the red plane I got from Nanna!

My mum made an apple pie on Sunday full of little holes!

I'm drawing a cowboy.

I'm gonna draw my dog!

I'm doing a football!

I'm drawing my daddy's whistle!

I'm going to draw the big fire engine that I got for my birthday.

Geoffroy has a rich dad who always buys him things.

He had this incredible set of colouring pencils!

I'm going to ask Dad to buy me one.

Clotaire, don't copy!

Draw the apple if you're stuck.

My drawing! Look what you did to my drawing!

You want a thump?

Silence! Enough!

Sit down!

Sit back down in your seats!

What's this racket?

Stand up!

Sit down!

Well done, my little friends!

I can hear you from the playground. What's going on?

It's a drawing class.

We'll see about that.

What were these young artists supposed to be drawing?

An apple.

In that case, my little chums...

Detention on Thursday!

I'm going to the cinema Thursday.

Did you always want to tell stories?

Yes. My father was very broad-minded.

He asked me what I wanted to do

and I said "something funny."

He said, "Everyone needs to laugh."

Your dad sounds brilliant!

I was making faces before I could speak.

I'm good at faces, too!

Later I discovered comics and realised it was what I wanted to do.

After Argentina, I went to try my luck in New York.

Blimey!

With all those big buildings?

Yes!

It's funny. Boats are a big part of my life.

I still remember arriving in New York with my mother.

I had decided to follow my dream and become...

an illustrator.

I had a meeting with Walt Disney,

even if Walt didn't know it.

I took my pictures to every editor in town.

But nobody wanted them.

It was a tough time for me.

For a year and a half everyone turned me down.

My mother spoke Russian,

Yiddish, Polish, Spanish and French,

and found work as a typist, which paid our bills.

Then came my lucky break!

I got a job at an agency where I happened to meet...

Harvey Kurtzman!

He was just starting out, but he created Mad Magazine

which would influence artists for generations.

He invited me to join his shared studio.

I met the most talented artists of their generation.

Will Elder, John Severin, Jack Davis and many more.

As a lover of humour,

that was an incredible chapter in my life.

While in New York I also met the Belgian artist, Morris,

who was already working on Lucky Luke.

It really was a marvellous time!

Cinema is so much fun!

Do you get your stories from films?

Not really. I go to the cinema to relax.

I usually get my ideas from observing the world around me.

You see? Comedy is everywhere. You just need to see it.

Hey, can you write me another story with a girl?

Louisette was great!

I'd like more girlfriends.

You see? Girls aren't so bad.

One, two, three, four, five.

That's too many plates.

That means more snacks!

No, I invited Marie-Edwige. She's our neighbours' daughter.

- A girl! - Yeah, why?

We don't play with girls. We don't talk to them either!

That's right!

I'll invite who I want. If you don't like it, I'll fight you.

Nicholas, why don't you introduce your friends?

This is Eudes, that's Geoffroy, and that's Alceste.

This is Marie-Edwige.

And this is my dolly! Her name is Chantal.

Her dress is made of velvet.

Nice to meet you, Chantal.

You eat so quickly!

I've never seen someone eat so quickly.

It's amazing!

I can eat just as fast as him. Faster, even!

Are you kidding?

Faster than Alceste? I doubt it.

Yeah? You'll see!

I win!

Not fair! Your cake was already eaten.

No, I had loads left!

Don't make me laugh. I had the biggest piece.

So I must be the winner.

You've finished the cake?

Not yet. I'm sharing my cake with Chantal.

Go and play in the garden. It's sunny.

They may be good at eating cake. But football? No way!

Marie-Edwige! Watch me dribble.

Don't make me laugh!

Nicholas is the best at somersaults.

I'm best at somersaults. I've done them for years.

You've got a nerve! You know I'm the best at somersaults.

I couldn't believe Alceste was feeding brioche to the doll.

He never shares, even with his friends.

Can you do this? Look, Marie-Edwige!

Look!

Incredible!

Walking on your hands is pointless.

Tree-climbing is much more useful.

Move, let me show you.

Look at me!

I'm glad Dad's not here.

He doesn't like it when we play in the tree.

Brilliant!

Marie-Edwige! It's time for your piano lesson!

Bye, boys.

Bye, Marie-Edwige!

Bye, Chantal.

It's getting late. I'm going home.

Same here.

What a great day! We had a lot of fun.

But I wonder if Marie-Edwige had fun.

We weren't very nice to her.

We hardly spoke to her and acted like she wasn't there.

Girls can't do much, anyway.

My tree!

Those are funny-looking dolls.

Blimey!

Is that you? And your nanna?

Whenever we came to France we took a photo

before we left on the boat.

I loved crossing the Atlantic.

The Atlantic! That's so amazing!

What is it?

I wish I could have grown up in Paris like you.

Surrounded by my family.

Why? It's fun being a cowboy.

No?

Well, I wasn't really a cowboy.

Anyway...

after a while we didn't come back to France at all.

Really?

It's hard to explain to a child, but in Germany,

Hitler and the Nazis had seized power.

There was a war.

They invaded all of Europe.

In France, the situation became very difficult for Jewish people.

Léon, my mum's brother, wrote to us

saying we should stay in Argentina.

That the Nazis had taken control of Paris.

"All the while, even after they occupied Paris,

we hoped that Hitler's hordes would be stopped.

What lies in store for us now?

What is going to happen?

We sit and wait, calmly,

and hope that one day this nightmare will end.

Count yourselves lucky

that you haven't lived through this

and that you live in a country where it's possible to sleep at night.

Dear Anna, I love you with all my heart.

Sending you all my love."

Three of my mother's brothers, including Léon, were deported.

They never came back.

My grandparents died of grief.

That's really sad.

We never truly recovered.

For us,

life was never the same after the war.

I've made you gloomy.

That's life.

You know what?

No, what?

Write me a new story. It will cheer you up.

You're right. And I know which one.

As kids in Buenos Aires we were pretty wild.

Mucking around!

I love it!

You'll see.

Let's experience it together, for real.

This afternoon at school I saw Alceste, who said...

"Let's bunk off school."

I said bunking off school was bad and the teacher would be angry.

Dad said I had to work hard if I was going to be a pilot.

That I would hurt Mum's feelings and lying was wrong.

Yeah, yeah, that's true. But we have arithmetic today.

We bunked off.

Wait, Nicholas!

- I can't keep up. - Faster!

We can't stay here.

If our parents see us, we'll get no pudding

and the school will send out the inspectors.

If they catch us we'll end up in a dungeon

with nothing but bread and water! Come on!

We're safe here.

Running after lunch like that!

Now I'm hungry.

This was a great idea, Alceste!

Just think, all our friends are still in school doing arithmetic.

It makes me laugh!

Me too!

What now?

We could go to the cinema.

Look! There's a film about the Musketeers.

It looks brilliant!

But... do you have any money?

No.

That's OK.

You must fight D'Artagnan!

Take that!

En garde!

Traitor!

- You're dead. - No I'm not!

Nobody's having fun at school.

True.

Anyway, it's too late to go. We'll be punished.

Great! Let's have more fun before we go home.

At school they're solving problems right now.

I feel sorry for them.

No, they're having break-time by now.

Playing cops and robbers.

Or marbles.

We're going to get caught!

The inspectors are bound to find us.

We'll end up in the galley!

My dear mother loved me so

Now I'm in the galley

I remember Mother warned me

But I didn't believe her

"Don't loiter in the gutter

Don't brawl like a common thug

Don't fool around, you silly bird"

She told me to be a good boy

I never killed, I never stole

I just pushed my luck

I never killed, I never stole

I wanted an easy life

- Why are you crying? - This is your fault.

If you hadn't followed me I would have gone to school.

It's your fault!

- Oh, yeah? - Absolutely!

Tomorrow, Alceste and I

will tell our friends how much fun we had.

They'll be so jealous!

Hey, that's me. Can't you draw anything else?

I'm trying.

But I enjoy imagining your games.

We have so much fun with Alceste.

Did you laugh a lot when you were little?

You know,

my childhood wasn't very...

Life with my parents was difficult.

- Gloomy, even. - You had no lights?

No, we had electricity.

But when I saw someone's mother hugging them,

I couldn't bear it

because all I ever got was a beating.

My dad, Mr. Sempé...

I loved him.

He was difficult but I loved him.

He was a salesman.

He sold tins of pâté, that kind of thing.

And if he made a sale to a grocer...

Three cans of tuna, two sardines and some anchovies...

He'd celebrate at the local bar.

His relationship with drink

was complicated.

Poor guy. He couldn't resist alcohol.

One sip and he couldn't stop.

Personally I couldn't wait to get to school.

I was so unhappy at home.

Were you always sad?

No.

I loved my grandfather very much.

He smoked roll-ups.

He was a carpenter.

I really looked up to him.

When we were together,

I felt free.

And safe.

He was the first person that I really loved.

He took me to my first football match.

I adored it.

So I became a fan.

Just like him.

You see, that's why I like you so much.

Thanks to you,

I'm finally having a childhood.

There was one thing I loved the most.

Each year my friends and I went to the seaside.

Yeah? Great!

I'll never forget it.

I could be myself, and forget what was happening at home.

Cast off, Captain!

You talk to him, too?

Yeah. I love that kid.

- He worked out pretty well. - Yeah!

Did I ever tell you about holiday camp?

Good idea!

We can leave Paris for once. It'll do us good.

Today I'm going to summer camp. I'm so happy.

The only problem is,

Mum and Dad seem a little sad.

They're not used to being alone over the holidays.

Sir! Platform 11, please.

You'll find it between number 10 and number 12!

That's where it was the last time I checked!

Well, really!

Let's not get worked up. Keep moving.

Wait!

Don't touch anything.

- OK, welcome, everyone. - Nicholas!

Nicholas...

There. Nicholas. Welcome!

I'm Gérard Lestouffe and I'm your team leader...

Team Lynx.

Yes, Chief!

Look after him.

When he gets back he'll be a different boy!

Dad, Mum!

Don't worry. I'll recognise you.

Take your seats!

The train's leaving.

Yes, Chief!

Goodbye, my darling!

Bye, Mummy!

Love you!

I wanted to cry, but I didn't.

Because after all, holidays...

are meant to be fun.

Guys! The sea!

- It's beautiful! - I don't believe it!

The sea is amazing!

CAMP BLUE

Everybody up!

You want to go on a fishing trip?

Yes, Chief!

I've told the cook we'll bring him some fish for lunch.

Thanks to us, the whole camp will eat fish soup.

- Go, Team Lynx! Hip-hip... - Hooray!

And our password is...

What's the password, Chief?

"Courage."

- Our password is... - Courage!

We are the brave men of the navy

When we wear our navy blue

Our hearts are strong and true

As we sail our way around the world

A jolly pack of salty dogs are we...

Before we do any fishing we must have silence!

Yes, Chief!

I don't want anyone falling in the water.

Take a worm.

Don't hurt yourselves on the hooks.

- Horrible! - Bleurgh!

Disgusting!

Chief?

Do worms bite?

Pull yourselves together.

- Look at this! - Let me show you.

Maybe we can catch one!

Let go! Stop it!

What did I do to deserve this bunch of idiots?

You can't even swim!

It's a good time to learn, Chief.

Come on, faster! Overtake him!

What are you doing? Do you have peas for brains?

If you do, the peas are mushy!

A fish, a fish!

- Chief! Quick! - What?

- I'm coming! - One, two, three...

We caught a fish!

Come and look, Chief!

We caught an enormous fish!

I can't stand it...

I'm the one who caught it.

Perfect! Just what I needed!

Team Lynx! Hip-hip...

Hooray!

Sir, how come the fish in the soup is so big?

Maybe you didn't know, but fish...

expand when you cook them!

Hello, I am Hector Duval. And you?

We're not!

I'm your new gymnastics teacher.

Would you like biceps like this?

Well...

It's not very attractive.

I'd love arms like that!

Well, if you behave yourselves

and work hard at your gym lessons,

you'll all have muscles like this when you get home!

Now let's warm up! One, two...

Are you finished?

Fine. Let's try a race.

Line up here. Start on my whistle.

First to reach the parasol is the winner.

And...

Guys, look at this pretty shell!

Go!

What...

- Beautiful! - Hey, guys!

I found an even bigger one. I'm giving it to my dad.

Do you intend to follow my orders at some point?

Fine, we'll start again. Prepare yourselves.

No! It's not fair!

I won. I was first to reach the parasol!

I'm telling my dad.

Right.

First one in the water wins. One, two...

Come on!

You wimps!

That was the best part of gym class.

The next day we had a new gymnastics teacher.

They said Mr. Duval had gone on holiday.

We are the brave men of the navy

When we wear our navy blue Our hearts are strong and true

As we sail our way around the world...

Mummy! Daddy!

It's so good to see you, son.

See? You did recognise me!

Then he said,

"I am Hector Duval. And you?"

And I said, "We're not."

"We're not!"

Now what do I do?

I don't know.

You must be tired. Rest in your room.

No, I'm not tired.

Then go and play.

Who with?

It's time you went back to school.

What I like most about summer

is that autumn comes soon after.

And Autumn is so much fun

because I see my friends again.

ROASTED CHESTNUTS

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm afraid there will be no more Asterix books.

René Goscinny died today of a heart attack.

He was 51, and died in hospital at the very moment

that a doctor was carrying out an electrocardiogram.

Among the many titles written by Goscinny,

the Little Nicholas series, illustrated by Sempé,

was especially popular, both in France and abroad.

Goscinny's cartoons were for everybody...

My friend died suddenly one November morning in 1977.

His absence left a huge void.

It was awful.

Suddenly nobody felt like laughing.

When you're sad,

I'm sad too.

I know, Nicholas.

I'll miss him so much.

You know,

René and I were friends, but...

But what?

When you grow up it gets harder to see your friends.

We lost touch for several years.

Luckily we got back in touch.

Ten days before he died we had dinner.

We talked non-stop just like when we were young.

We talked about his family

and the love that he felt for his wife, Gilberte,

and how happy his daughter Anne made him.

He was a great success.

He had become famous. A public figure.

But with me, he didn't need to be Goscinny.

He could just be René. I think he appreciated that.

We even talked about you, Nicholas.

About writing you some more adventures.

We had a wonderful evening.

As we left I insisted on paying the bill.

Maybe it sounds silly

but I'm glad that I did.

It was my way of saying he was still my friend.

A small gesture, but I think he was touched by it.

What about me? Will I die one day?

No. You, my friend, will live forever.

René and I invented you.

Now we'll live on through you.

That's great!

So we'll always be together?

Yes.

Wait for me, guys!

Ouch! You made me drop my toast!

René Goscinny created an astonishing number of stories and characters,

including Lucky Luke, Iznogoud and Asterix.

He died aged 51, but still makes readers laugh to this day.

Jean-Jacques Sempé is a legend among comic artists.

He has illustrated over 100 covers for the New Yorker

and published nearly 50 books around the world.

He still lives in his beloved Paris.

Together, they wrote and illustrated 222 stories

featuring Little Nicholas.

That's me!