Lurchi

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Five of the six Lurchi figurines plastic - replicas (1990s, hedgehogs missing)

The fire salamander Lurchi is a cartoon character that is used by the German shoe manufacturer Salamander in Kornwestheim for advertising purposes. The booklets are designed for children of primary school age , kept in cursive and consistently written up to booklet 129 in simple rhymes . From this point onwards, Salamander used a simpler text in order to achieve a wider effect with Lurchi. An exception is the Lurchi booklet 131, which in turn was written in pair rhymes (by a "female Lurchi fan").

Lurchi has a large fan base of older readers who have accompanied the series since its youth. Although the salamander was mainly designed as an incentive to sell shoes for children, Lurchi has developed into a cult character for a large community that sees Lurchi as a collector's item and cult object.

The anthologies under the title Lurchis Adventure are a secondary use of the booklets. Lurchi was mainly influenced by the copywriter Erwin Kühlewein (from 1952 to 1964) and the draftsman Heinz Schubel (from 1952 to 1972).

history

Promotional children's carousel from Salamander with figures from the Lurchi series, around 1970 ( Museum of Everyday Culture , Waldenbuch )

The figure Lurchi was created in 1937. At that time, Salamander was not selling any children's shoes. The booklets were intended to keep the restless children of customers busy in the department store so that they could have a relaxed consultation. Before the Second World War, five issues were produced, of which only a very small edition of INCOS has been reprinted to date. The first draftsman is said to have been kept secret by the company to protect him. Due to the signature "PI" on a school desk in volume 5, Laszlo Pinter and Peter Janssen are speculatively traded as possible draftsmen, as both used this abbreviation at the appropriate time. Alternatively, Patrick Nauen is named as the first draftsman. The verses of the Lurchi volumes 1–5 were composed by the then general director of Salamander AG Kornwestheim, Alex Haffner.

After the Second World War, the first five Lurchi books were redesigned by another unknown artist. The Austrian comic artist Gerhard Förster suspects that they were copied . There is no evidence whatsoever about the identity of this artist, but he could be identical with the author of the prewar books. Except for a few differences, he copied the booklets 1: 1. In 1952, Heinz Schubel, another draftsman, started work at Salamander and started the series from number 6. Salamander's head of advertising, Erwin Kühlewein, was now responsible for the brainstorming and the texts for volumes six to 29, which Heinz Schubel drew in the scene. He revised texts 1–5 slightly. Heinz Schubel redrawn the Lurchi volumes 1–5 so that all advertising brochures had a uniform character. There are thus three different interpretations of issues 1–5. The Lurchi world of Schubel and Kühlewein can convince the reader with a good combination of adventure stories and everyday occurrences. The characters often end up in foreign countries and a colorful fairy tale world. Every now and then there are overlapping issues such as trips to India and Australia or the space trilogy. With the departure of Erich Kühlewein, Heinz Schubel takes on the role of text and designs the series up to issue 52 alone. While his rhymes may not reach the level of cool wine, they are still on a high level.

Salamander window advertising with Lurchi. Salamander branch in Ulm

When Heinz Schubel left in 1972, Salamander was confronted with the question of finding a successor for the draftsman. Salamander therefore announced a drawing competition, which Brigitte Smith won, who already had quite a reputation as an artist. Brigitte Smith's style of booklets 53–55 was very different from that of Heinz Schubel. Similarities in the drawing style to the Beatles film Yellow Submarine are certainly not intended, but are recognizable for the viewer. The world of the 68s flows into her texts , and she makes it her task to make Lurchi more peaceful and humanistic. From today's perspective, Brigitte Smith's work is an interesting experiment, but one that in 1973 probably overwhelmed the children of the time. After only three issues, the Smith era was over again. The next issue, No. 56, is a purely emergency solution. Depending on the sources, an architect or a teacher is assumed to be the draftsman. The drawing style is kept very simple, and the draftsman is mainly remembered with a preference for buttocks. The Chilean Enrique Puelma made his debut with issue 57, whose drawing style was heavily based on Heinz Schubel, but without reaching its quality. He was supervised by Albert Drexler, who worked as a freelancer at Salamander and took over the texts for Puelma. The relationship was not without tension, and after 4 issues Salamander was looking for the next draftsman. Albert Drexler found this in the person of the young graphic artist Georg Nickel , who, however, did not yet trust himself to this task and passed the first 3 issues (issues 61–63) on to his father Friedrich Nickel for design. No. 64 was Georg Nickel's first issue. At first he continued to draw the series alone, from issue 68 he designed the series in alternation with Peter Krisp . While Georg Nickel also based his drawing style on Heinz Schubel, Peter Krisp took a different path and designed Lurchi as a cartoon .

The interplay between the two cartoonists went up to number 96. Georg Nickel left Salamander in issue 96 and Peter Krisp continued the series up to volume 114. The copywriter Olaf Sveistrup translated the common ideas into rhymes, which, however, could hardly compete with the rhymes of Erwin Kühlewein. With issue 115 Dietwald Doblies took over the series, who unmistakably relied on Heinz Schubel's role model. Together with Günther Bentele he let Lurchi experience adventures in the fairy tale forest. In 2000, the individual characters and the booklets were radically changed at the suggestion of an advertising company. A total of 16 stories emerged, the last of which ( Lurchi and the Golem ) remained unpublished. Lurchi in its previous form no longer appeared to the Salamander company for reasons of market research and the figures were completely redesigned. What all the characters had in common was that they would walk around dressed in future. In the future, Salamander will use the pixiformat instead of the green notebooks.

Representation of Lurchis at the Salamander branch in Lübeck

Seven Pixi books appeared in quick succession, the format of which was changed after four issues on pressure from Carlsen Verlag. Peter Mennigen and Bernhard Lassahn were responsible for the texts in the Pixi books . Salamander had high hopes for this redesign. A series of radio plays was started and a film was also planned. However, the new concept did not reach consumers as hoped. Since 2001, the booklets have been published again in their original appearance in the form of the green volumes. At first, Salamander had a hard time with the numbering. The first green issue after the Pixiphase suddenly appeared number 8, while the following issue with number 130 followed the old numbering. From a pedagogical point of view, the meaningful design of the text in the form of pair rhymes was dropped in favor of a simpler text from number 130. In the meantime the series has grown to 144 numbers.

Since 1960 a total of seven anthologies have been published directly by Salamander and have been reissued for many years. The Esslinger Verlag JF Schreiber GmbH has had the rights to the reprints since 2008 .

Almost all of the booklets with the exception of numbers 72, 96 and 108 were included in Salamander's anthologies. Esslinger also published issues 96 and 108 in his edition. Issue 72 will not be published because the presentation of electricity generation is not prepared in a child-friendly manner. At present six edited volumes have been reissued by Esslinger Verlag. The publisher plans to bring out an eighth anthology with Lurchigeschichten 130 to 144 after the reprint of the seventh anthology.

In two stories in the anthologies there were serious changes compared to the original versions. In volume 11 three pictures were exchanged and in volume 18 the final page was deleted. This happened in issue 11 due to a changed perspective on the peoples of the third world and in issue 18 Salamander did not want to present two wine festivals in a row in one anthology.

The comics were designed by the following artists:

  • 1937 to 1939: Unknown draftsman
  • 1940 to 1950: No issues appeared
  • 1950 to 1952: Unknown draftsman who redrew the five pre-war notebooks
  • 1950 to 1972: Heinz Schubel designed 52 booklets
  • 1973: Brigitte Smith designed three notebooks.
  • 1974: Unknown draftsman (issue 56)
  • 1974 to 1975: Enrique Puelma drew four notebooks
  • 1976: Friedrich Nickel designed three booklets
  • 1977 to 1988: Georg Nickel drew 17 notebooks
  • 1979 to 1994: Peter Krisp (pseudonym "piiit") produced 34 issues and an unpublished parody
  • since 1995: Dietwald Doblies has designed 54 issues to date (as of July 2020), (additionally) seven Pixis and five unpublished stories

Coloring books

In the course of time, a total of six Lurchi coloring books appeared. The presentation and format of the first four of the series are the same. A colored cover picture on the front and four different full-page motifs on the inside. On one side there is the template in color, on the other side a black line drawing to color in. The first two books are probably from 1966, Rene Granacher sets the third to 1970 and for the fourth book he determined the year 1976. Heinz Schubel is assumed to have been responsible for the first three coloring books, the fourth is likely to be by Enrigue Puelma. The motifs of the coloring books are not taken from the Lurch books, but were specially made for the coloring books.

There is a coloring book by Peter Krisp in A4 format that is kept entirely in black and white. However, Salamander used a motif by Heinz Schubel for the front - Lurchi with the globe. On the back there is a drawing by Peter Krisp - Lurchi with balloons.

In 2010 a coloring book was published in the format of the current Lurchi edition, designed by Dietwald Doblies. Inside the booklet there are drawings from the draftsman's unpublished booklets as well as advertising drawings that Doblies made on behalf of Salamander.

Lurchi's friends

Five friends help Lurchi on his adventures. Originally they were designed as follows:

  • Hopps the frog , apparently Lurchi's closest friend, who shares his thirst for adventure
  • the dwarf Piping , the tinkerer and practical man of the group
  • the mouse beep , a rather fearful and clumsy fellow
  • the hedgehog Igelmann (formerly just "hedgehog"), a quiet, cozy family "man". He is the only one whose species is sometimes important to the plot because of its spines.
  • the yellow-bellied toad Unkerich , which acts as a bailiff , guard or policeman and who appreciates a relaxed lifestyle with good food and plenty of rest.

After a radical change in the figures in 2000, they appeared completely different in the meantime. Hedgehog man was portrayed as the inventor, and dwarf Piping, originally the oldest member of the group, was suddenly transformed into a baby. Only after pressure from regular readers did Salamander at least withdraw the new definition of dwarf Piping.

The always successful outcome of the adventure is thanks to the diverse and sometimes unconventional use of the salamander shoes. The final rhyme of almost every adventure is: "It will continue to ring in the forest for a long time: Salamander live high!"

Lurchi advertises both sympathy carrier for the shoe brand as well as for the endangered species of the salamander . Outside of the comic, it was also marketed as a stuffed animal , flexible figure, and key chain. Peter Krisp also produced some BTX episodes during his time as the responsible artist .

Radio plays

Around 1962 a series of Lurchi sound foils was produced and given away free of charge. Made of flexible white plastic and printed in different colors, these were literal settings of Lurchi stories, underlaid with music from an electronic organ. The recordings were produced by Süddeutscher Rundfunk, and those involved included well-known speakers from this station. According to Rene Granacher, up to twelve slides have been published, of which only five are known so far.

Further Lurchi stories were released around 1970 in the form of permanent singles. Three different records are known.

Lurchi's Adventure (1990-92)

In the course of the radio play wave, which was successful at the time, a total of six episodes of the Lurchis Adventure series were published from 1990 to 1992 :

  1. The Wizard Abrasimsa (1990)
  2. In the magic forest (1991)
  3. Akwiwi the little octopus (1991)
  4. Danger to Lurchiland (1991)
  5. The Wild Orgos (1992)
  6. The Secret of the Tangled Valley (1992)

The covers of the individual episodes were designed by the cartoonist at the time, Peter Krisp. However, the stories had nothing to do with the comics, but were rewritten by Gerd Klepzig . Lurchi was spoken by Boris Tessmann , Hopps by Sascha Draeger , Mäusepiep by Jens Wawrczeck , Piping by Günter Lüdke , Unkerich by Henry König and Igel by Klaus Nietz . The episodes were accompanied by changing narrators, these were Dagmar Berghoff (episode 1), Nicole Heesters (episodes 2 and 3) and Christine Kaufmann (episode 4) and Astrid Kollex (episodes 5 and 6).

Lurchi and his friends (2000/01)

In 2000/2001 eight more radio plays appeared under the name Lurchi und seine Freunde , for whose production the company SARI Musik signed :

  1. ... in the autumn forest (2000)
  2. ... build a house (2000)
  3. ... and her new village (2000)
  4. ... discover the music (2000)
  5. ... in the zoo (2001)
  6. ... on the farm (2001)
  7. ... in the circus, part 1 (2001)
  8. ... in the circus, part 2 (2001)

In addition to the respective speakers of the story, Katja Ebstein was won over as narrator. In addition to the story, the buyers were presented with the Lurchi song , which was sung by Armin Schäffer and his friends. Here Lurchi is presented as the best friend because "he is friendly to people". Dietwald Doblies designed the cover. However, the stories did not match the Pixis. René Granacher analyzed the radio plays as follows: “In terms of content, the stories were independent of the Lurchi-Pixis, but resembled them insofar as here, too, an 'exciting' plot in the classic sense was dispensed with in favor of the educational approach - cooperation and team effort instead of heroic deeds . For long-time fans, the result has to disappoint. Judging by the long dialogues of the six characters, they were intellectually brought closer to the level of their target group, so they seem far less 'grown-up' than in the classic booklets. The rather thin story also serves as a vehicle for 'instructive' explanations and many friendship bands: Everyone in the team loves each other - and if not, Lurchi will fix it. His role is often to contribute politically correct consolation with a lot of social skills and a 'Everything will be fine' voice - although he sometimes sounds like a lay preacher. ” They are designed according to the new six Lurchi figures.

Lurchi's Adventure (2019)

In 2019 new episodes were released under the name Lurchi's Adventure :

  1. At the Kieselzwergen (2019)
  2. The Ghost Willow (2019)
  3. The self-driving car (2019)

Unpublished stories

Disguised as Lurchi figures (protest for fair shoe production, Altenkirchen (Westerwald) 1965)

There are a total of six stories from Lurchi that have remained unpublished to this day:

Peter Krisp illustrated a Lurchi for adults to say goodbye to a Salamander employee.

There are a total of five unpublished stories by Dietwald Doblies. One that the author Günther Bentele regards as the best of the Lurchi stories created together with Doblies ( Lurchi and the Golem ), and four stories in pixie format, one of which - Mäusepiep and Friday the 13th - was published in a small edition in the comic magazine Collector Heart .

Furthermore, there was an unpublished story of the second Lurchi artist in the salamander archive. Since the archive has since been disbanded, it is uncertain whether this story still exists.

Brigitte Smith remembers when and where? because she drew another one in addition to her three published stories.

Amphibious research

A Lurchi that has mutated into a sow ( Hopfensauparade Tettnang 2006)

First articles on Lurchi appeared in the comic magazine Comicstern in the mid-1980s . Dieter Böhm put together what was known about the series at the time. His results were later taken up by Rene Granacher, who temporarily made a well-researched website available. A six episode series about Lurchi is currently appearing in the comic magazine Die Speechblase, which summarizes the current state of research.

The Association for History and Home Care Kornwestheim eV maintains a department in its museum that provides comprehensive information on the history of the Salamander company and Lurchi. This exhibition was put together by local history researcher Hermann Wagner.

See also

literature

  • Dieter Böhm : Lurchi. The career of a fire salamander . In: comic star. The magazine for comic collectors , No. 12 (1983) Norbert Dargatz Verlag, Mülheim / Ruhr
  • Dieter Böhm, Heiner Jahncke , Hartmut Becker : Lurchi. A commercial becomes transparent . In: comic star. The magazine for comics collectors , No. 14 (1984), Norbert Dargatz Verlag, Mülheim / Ruhr
  • Werner Fleischer : Lurchi's Adventure ; Series in the speech bubble: 215 page 43; 218 page 23, 64-67; 219 pages 64-65; 220 pages 52-59; 221 page 25, 64-67; 222 page 16, 68-70; 224 pages 17-18, 74-78; 225; 44; 227 pages 78-82, 84-85.90
  • Jürgen Hopf u. a. (Red.): Lurchi. On the trail of the fire salamander . Galerie der Stadt Kornwestheim, Kornwestheim 1994 (catalog of the exhibition of the same name, June 25 to September 18, 1994).
  • Nils Lehnert, Sven Puschmann: Lurchi . In: Fachlexikon Werke auf KinderundJugendmedien.de - Scientific Internet portal for children's and youth media .
  • Stefan Semel: Lurchi's Adventure . In: Reddition. Journal for Graphic Literature , No. 35 (1998), Verlag Volker Hamann
  • Rene Granacher, Heinz Schubel: In: Eckart Sackmann (Hrsg.): German comic research. 2005 . Verlag Comicplus +, Hildesheim 2004, ISBN 3-89474-144-9 .
  • Johannes Rüster: An amphibian goes around the world . In: Magira. Yearbook for Fantasy , Vol. 9 (2009), Fantasy Club, Marburg 2009, ISSN  0934-1455 .
  • Hans Simon: Did he get through, the amphibian? In: collector's heart. The magazine for comics and nostalgia fans , No. 4 (2009)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Andreas C. Knigge: Everything about comics A journey of discovery from the cave pictures to the manga. Europa Verlag, 2004, p. 27.
  2. ↑ a b Martin Zips: The amphibian comes through. In: sueddeutsche.de . May 19, 2010, accessed June 11, 2018 .
  3. ↑ a b Rene Granacher: The Lurchi books: prewar booklets 1 to 5. In: oocities.org. Retrieved June 11, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Detlef Heinsohn: Lurchi's adventure. In: detlef-heinsohn.de. Retrieved June 10, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Space meeting: Lurchis Adventure, Volume 2. Esslinger Verlag
  6. ↑ Rene Granacher: The Lurchi page. Retrieved June 7, 2019 .
  7. ↑ https://www.oocities.org/lurchi_online/neues.html