1962, Belgian Comics: “De avonturen van Nero en Co”, “Het Lodderhoofd”

In 1962 a new "De avonturen van Nero en Co" ("The adventures of Nero and Co") album, "Het Lodderhoofd" ("The Rag Head") is published by “Het Volk”. The comic was pre-published in the newspaper "Het Volk" between 1 December 1961 and 22 March 1962. The story was drawn and written by the Belgian cartoonist Marc Sleen (Marcel Neels, 1922-2016). The main characters are Nero, Petoetje, Petatje, Madam Pheip, Madam Nero, Meneer Pheip, Adhemar, Irma alias Gele Juul, Aloïs alias ‘t konijn and J.J.J. Winkelmann.

"De avonturen van Nero en Co" ("The adventures of Nero and Co"):
"Het Lodderhoofd" ("The Rag Head")

The series "De avonturen van Nero en Co" ran between 1947 and 2002. Marc Sleen drew and wrote all stories until 1992, that year he hired Dirk Stallaert as a drawing assistant. Sleen holds the world record of issues of a comic book series title drawn by the same author. In 2002 Stallaert was hired by “Studio Vandersteen” and Marc Sleen decided to end the series.

Adhemar and Nero

Aloïs aka ‘t konijn (the rabbit) and Irma aka Gele Juul (yellow Juul)

Madam Nero and Nero

The comic was first published in the newspaper "De Nieuwe Gids" in 1947 as "De avonturen van detective Van Zwam" ("The adventures of detective Van Zwam"). After eight stories Nero (real name "Schoonpaard", in reprints "Heiremans") became the central character. In 1950 Marc Sleen left "De Nieuwe Gids" and joined the newspaper "Het Volk". At first the comics (3 issues) appeared as "De avonturen van Nero en zijn hoed" ("The Adventures of Nero and his Hat"), from 1951 they were titled as "De avonturen van Nero en Co" ("The adventures of Nero and Co").

Madam Pheip

Meneer Pheip and Nero

Synopsis

Nero wins five million with the colonial lottery. Soon afterwards the gangsters Irma and Alöis want to steal his profit...

Nero

Petoetje and Petatje

J.J.J. Winkelmann.

Trivia

• The title refers to the fact that Nero loses his head a few times in this story.
• Reference to the Belgian sitcom "Schipper naast Mathilde" (1955-1962) with caricatures of Josée Puissant (Madam Krielemans) and Jetje Cabanier (Mathilde).
• Reference to the 39th Prime Minister of Belgium with a caricature of Théo Lefèvre (1961-1965).
• Reference to the 5^th King of the Belgians with a caricature of King Baudouin of Belgium (1951-1993).
• Reference to the Belgian Queen Fabiola.

Nero loses his head

Reference to "Schipper naast Mathilde" with caricatures of
Josée Puissant (Madam Krielemans) and Jetje Cabanier (Mathilde).

Reference to the 39th Prime Minister of Belgium
with a caricature of Théo Lefèvre

Reference to the 5^th King of the Belgians
with a caricature of King Baudouin of Belgium

Reference to the Belgian Queen Fabiola

Cars

• Unidentified Taxi

Unidentified Taxi