Line #75 Franchise/Marsupilami


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4	[[quoteright:285:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/franquin_marsupilami_1.png]]
5	[[caption-width-right:285:''"HOUBA!"'']]
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7	The Marsupilami is a fictional animal species starring in two Belgian comic book series that got adapted twice into an animated series. Marsupilamis are monkeylike, black-spotted yellow creatures with insanely long {{Prehensile Tail}}s, from the BananaRepublic of Palombia.
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9	Marsupilamis were created by Creator/AndreFranquin for the ''ComicBook/SpirouAndFantasio'' album ''Spirou et les héritiers'' (''Spirou and the Heirs'') in 1956. Capturing one of these elusive and fictional critters was the goal of one the trials the title heirs were tasked to do to receive their inheritance. The captured marsupilami (nicknamed "[[SpeciesSurname the Marsupilami]]") became a TeamPet for the duration of Franquin's run, serving as PluckyComicRelief, BigGuy and DeusExMachina, thanks to his [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands ever-expanding]] list of anatomical peculiarities. When Franquin left the series, he kept the rights to the species, and the appearances of the Marsupilami dwindled in his birth series, before finally stopping in 1970. He remains one of the [[EnsembleDarkhorse most popular characters]] of the series.
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11	In 1987, Franquin created his own ''ComicBook/{{Marsupilami}}'' comic book series, soon taken over by artist Batem (backed by numerous teams of writers, including, in the first few books, Michel Greg, the creator of ''ComicBook/AchilleTalon''), that is still running to this day. While readers frequently get confused, the Marsupilami seen in this series and Spirou's one aren't the same character, in spite of their being absolutely identical in appearance; a RetCon eventually showed they were twin brothers. There were two AnimatedAdaptation[=s=] of the series, the first sticking very close to the tone and feel of the comics, and the second one bringing in a new set of human characters (who were later [[CanonImmigrant integrated into the comics]]) and adopting a slightly more angular, anime-like artstyle.
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13	In 1992, an InNameOnly ''WesternAnimation/{{Marsupilami}}''[[note]]While the designs of the Marsupilami and his jaguar archenemy were very similar to the comics, both were now {{Talking Animal}}s having Wile E. Coyote-style adventures, hunter Bring M. Backalive was replaced with a ReplacementScrappy, and the setting was moved to the ''African'' jungle for unknown reasons.[[/note]] was produced by Creator/{{Disney}}, initially as a part of ''WesternAnimation/RawToonage'' on Creator/{{CBS}}, then becoming its own series (still on CBS) shortly afterwards.
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15	In 2012, a Franco-Belgian live-action movie, ''Film/HoubaOnTheTrailOfTheMarsupilami'' (''Sur la piste du Marsupilami'') starring Creator/AlainChabat, Creator/JamelDebbouze and Creator/LambertWilson was released. Loosely based on the Franquin comics, it tells the story of a French reporter and his guide, who stumble upon the legendary creature in Palombia.
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17	In 2020, a two-part comic series by Frank Pé and Zidrou was published by Dupuis in France titled ''Le Marsupilami de Frank Pé et Zidrou'', taking place at Belgium in 1955 and reimagined Marsupilami's start of life in Europe in DarkerAndEdgier way. The English translation, titled ''Marsupilami: The Beast'', was published in 2021 by Europe Comics.
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19	In 2021, publisher {{Creator/Microids}} and developer Ocellus Studio announced a [[TwoAndAHalfD 2.5D Platformer]] titled ''VideoGame/MarsupilamiHoobadventure'', in which three Marsupilamis work together to take down a ghost they accidentally released from a sarcophagus they were toying with. It released on November 16, 2021 for the Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne, Platform/NintendoSwitch, and PC via Platform/{{Steam}} with English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish language options, and North America also got a "''Tropical Edition''" in retail [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition which includes both two sticker sheets and a door hanger along with the game]].
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21	And yes, that's two characters, two comics, one film, three cartoons, a video game and a publishing house all named Marsupilami.
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23	----
24	!!The Marsupilami provides examples of:
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26	* BananaRepublic: The marsupilamis live in the jungles of Palombia, a Latin-American country with a chronically unstable government.
27	* BinomiumRidiculus: The Marsupilami's scientific name is "''Marsupilamus fantasii''".
28	* BreakoutCharacter: As explained above, the Marsupilami started out as the TeamPet of Spirou and Fantasio.
29	* CartoonCreature: The title characters. To emphasize, they have the build and general behavior of apes, yellow fur with spots like a big cat, a name derivative of the word “marsupial”, and they lay eggs like monotremes, on top of having very long and dexterous tails.
30	* CartoonyTail: Of course.
31	* CharacterCatchphrase: "Houba!" (the full phrase is "houba houba hop!"), present in both comic and animated series. Female marsupilamies go "Houbi!" and juveniles "Bi!" [[ComingOfAgeStory It's a big deal]] when they graduate to the adult versions. It's nearly the only syllables they can ever utter, although it depends on the material. Franquin's work on ''Spirou'' has the Marsupilami growling, roaring and making all sorts of noises beside "Houba!" He could even [[PollyWantsAMicrophone mimic human speech like a parrot]], a trait rarely used in other adaptations. In the Disney series, his other phrase besides "HOUBA!" is "I'm Marsupilami, and this is my gorilla pal, Maurice!"
32	* DistaffCounterpart: The Marsupilamie.
33	* GreenAesop: Destroying the Amazonian rainforest is bad, mmkay?
34	* TheKiddieRide: From the makers of the offensive WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck ride, in the same [[http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3462/3376244737_0a34cc48dc.jpg offensive pose]]. Pass the BrainBleach, please!
35	* NaturalWeapon: The Marsupilami's tail is as good as one.
36	* {{Portmanteau}}: "Marsupilami" is one of the words "marsupial", ''Pilou-Pilou'' (the French name for ''Eugene the Jeep'', a character Franquin loved as a kid) and "ami", French for "friend".
37	* SwissArmySuperpower: Is there anything the Marsupilamis' tails are ''not'' good for? They can use it as a lasso, as a fist, as a big spring they can jump on. Combined with their NewPowersAsThePlotDemands in ''Spirou'', they're a supremely versatile species.

Context Franchise / Marsupilami