Les Voyages du Comte - 'Bordeaux' (1993). Dutch-language version.
Claude Gilsoul is an obscure Belgian comic artist who was active in the 1990s. His only two contributions to the medium appear to be the first album of short-lived educational comic series about wine, 'Les Voyages du Comte' (1993-1998), scripted by Louis Parent, and a historical comic about the 60th anniversary of the cycling tournament La Flèche Wallone ("The Walloon Arrow"), scripted by Francis Remy. In both cases, Gilsoul was assisted for the artwork by Jacques Sondron.
Life
Nothing is known about the background of artist Claude Gilsoul. He was most likely the Claude Gilsoul from Wanze, near Huy, who was born in that town on 28 February 1947 and died there on 23 December 2019. For the two comic books drawn by Gilsoul, he was assisted by Jacques Sondron, a press cartoonist and caricaturist also from Wanze. Considering that fact that Gilsoul also made a comic book by commission of the municipality of Huy, it seems likely that this is the same person.
Les Voyages du Comte - 'Bordeaux' (1993). Dutch-language version.
Les Voyages du Comte
In 1993, Claude Gilsoul was the first artist to participate in the oenology comic books released by Éditions Wine Classics. Written by imprint owner Louis Parent, each volume of 'Les Voyages du Comte' centered on a different type of wine. The protagonist is a duke with a large wine collection, who participates in a rally through the French wine-growing region in equally classy limousines. Assisted by Jacques Sondron, Gilsoul drew the first book in the series, 'Bordeaux' (1993). The second and third volumes in the series were still scripted by Parent, but drawn by other artists. 'Knokke Avignon - Beaujolais Côtes du Rhône' (1995) was drawn by Frédéric Thiry, and 'Paris-Champagne' (1998) by Jean Pécheur. The series was also translated into Dutch as 'De Reizen van de Graaf'. In later years, Louis Parent took over the management of the Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac wine estate.
La Flèche Wallone
In 1996, Claude Gilsoul and Jacques Sondron also illustrated a comic book chronicling the most memorable events during the 60-year existence of the annual cycling event La Flèche Wallonne ("De Waalse Pijl" in Dutch, "The Walloon Arrow" in English), titled 'La Flèche Wallonne - 60 Ans d'Exploits' (1996). Scripted by Francis Remy, the book was commissioned by the municipality of Huy, the town that, since 1983, is the traditional finish destination of every Flèche Wallonne tournament.
'Les Voyages du Comte - Bordeaux' and 'La Flèche Wallonne'.