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Character page for the Gaston Lagaffe comic books.


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    Gaston Lagaffe (Gomer Goof) 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gaston_0.jpg

An office junior at Spirou magazine.


  • Breakout Character: Gaston Lagaffe started out as a recurring minor character for space-filling gags in Spirou before acquiring his own proper series.
  • Brilliant, but Lazy: He's too demotivated and distracted for any serious work. But on one occasion, when warned that Mr. Boulier was going to check on his work, he proves to be so efficient at his work that Boulier ends up wanting to test him for doping.
  • Bungling Inventor: Sometimes his idea is actually pretty solid, but he lacks the engineering skills to implement it properly, or the foresight to see a predictable failure coming. Examples include his library lifter which couldn't handle the weight of the dictionaries he was trying to get, and his pneumatic tube system which couldn't handle maximum pressure.
  • Catchphrase: Gaston's catch phrase is "M'enfin ?"; it's a contracted form of Mais enfin ? (loosely, "What the heck?" or "Huh?" — the English version translates it as "Wha-huh?"). He says it whenever things don't go as planned, which is quite often due to his lack of foresight.
  • Characterization Marches On: Although Gaston had some of his most iconic character traits from the beginning, his general personality was different in early comics compared to later ones.
    • In early comics, Gaston is more of an immature lazy Manchild and the few times he creates something, it's the result of insane procrastination. In later comics, his inventing hobby gets more focus, and his inventions are genuine attempts at making people's lives better. He also acts more mature, even if he's still a notorious sleepyhead who can act childishly.
    • Fitting with his lazy procrastinator personality, he's more stoic in some of the first comics. This trait was dropped as the comic went on.
    • He's originally rather self-centered and doesn't have much common sense when it comes to building things, such as building a water sprinkler in his office to make it prettier. In later comics, he's friendly to almost everyone, and his invention ideas aren't as stupid on paper.
    • In an early strip, he builds a rocket and receives visits of different military branches who want to buy it. Another early strip has him admire a rhino hunter. In later strips, Gaston is openly anti-war and anti-hunting, and would never intentionally build something that can be used as a weapon. Altough his inventions are still often unintentionally destructive.
    • In some of the first strips, he randomly swaps between addressing Fantasio with one of the French pronouns "vous"note  or "tu"note . He quickly settled to addressing almost all of his colleagues, including Fantasio, with "tu".
  • Ditzy Genius: It can't be denied that Gaston is a very gifted, multitalented innovator and inventor. He invents and builds complex devices in his spare times that sometimes invert the laws of physics, he's supremely creative and can find an unorthodox solution to just about any problem he decides to tackle... The problem is that he completely lacks common sense, never takes precautions and never considers the consequences of his actions. Ideas that work great in theory inevitably fail in the real world because Gaston has overlooked obvious details or didn't consider the problem from more than one angle.
  • Dub Name Change: Since he's got a Punny Name, it often gets changed in translation. In the English Cinebook albums he has been named "Gomer Goof".
  • Fell Asleep Standing Up: He occasionally falls asleep while standing up.
  • Friend to All Living Things: Gaston loves animals, and for the most part animals love him back. He has several pets, many of which keep him company at the office, and on the whole seems to get on better with animals than with people.
  • Heavy Sleeper: When Gaston sleeps, he sleeps.
  • Iconic Outfit: His green turtleneck sweater.
  • Laborious Laziness: Gaston invests a lot of time and effort to stay out of work, and goof around. One strip had him get so exhausted at trying to avoid Prunelle's demand to do a job that he ends up accepting the job anyway, as it'd be less tiring.
  • Lethal Chef: Zig-zagged. Gaston is a passionate hobby chef, but his cooking ranges all the way from "really good" to "literal poison". Sometimes it's just his weird tastes that makes his food inedible; like he can't understand why other people don't like sardines in strawberry jam... and sometimes he's grabbed the wrong ingredients by mistake, like the time he mistook plaster for flour, resulting in some very bad crepes.
    • Almost literal example when he gets forbidden from making flambee crepes in the office and uses a presidential parade as a distraction to do it anyway. The Grand Marnier bottle ignites as he pours it into his pan, fires off like a missile and explodes just meters away from the presidential limousine. He has a lot of explaining to do to the secret service agents who immediately arrest him.
    Gaston: Well it all started when I added the Grand Marnier...
    agent: Who is that "Grand Marnier"? Is it your leader?
  • Manchild: With a bit of a Vague Age angle. Gaston is old enough to at least drive, hold down a steady job, and be tried in court as an adult, but in behavior and attitude he is very much a big kid, with a rather simplistic worldview and a total lack of responsibility.
  • Punny Name: "La gaffe" ("The goof"). The English translation makes his name "Gomer Goof".
  • The Slacker: Gaston is considered the Ur-Example of this in Franco-Belgian Comics. He is an icon of slacking at work, and this is his defining trait apart from his whimsical childish spirit and eccentric inventor.
  • Walking Disaster Area: The whole comic centers on Gaston being this. He causes destruction, chaos and pollution anywhere he goes, even if he doesn't mean it.

    Fantasio 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fantasio_6.png

The Deuteragonist of the Spirou & Fantasio comic, but also a writer, reporter and editor for the magazine itself.

For tropes applying to him in Spirou & Fantasio, see here.


  • Deadpan Snarker: Fantasio has two standard responses to Gaston's goofs: violent rage or biting sarcasm. The sarcasm is by far the most prominent, though; usually even his violent rages are peppered with snarky comments and insults.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: Fantasio's temper is legendary, and Gaston will inadvertently set it off on a regular basis.
  • Not So Above It All: While mostly the Straight Man to Gaston's antics, as well as constantly trying to get Gaston to take more of an interest in work and "serious" culture, Fantasio does have a few moments when he'll admit something is Actually Pretty Funny or even join in on the antics. These moments almost come across as a sort of Character Check when we remember that in the early days of Spirou and Fantasio, Fantasio himself was the wacky guy to Spirou's Straight Man. At least one Gaston album commented upon this; after Fantasio had ranted at length about Gaston, an accompanying text somewhat sardonically pointed out that maybe he'd do well to remember the follies he himself got up to in his youth, before judging Gaston too harshly.
  • Put on a Bus: After Franquin stopped doing Spirou & Fantasio, Fantasio left Gaston's comic, with the in-universe explanation that he was taking a leave of absence (Franquin's final Spirou story even opens with Fantasio on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of Gaston's well-meaning but destructive antics, and Spirou taking him off for some R&R in Champignac).
  • Seen It All: In one strip, he's seen spending one day at work surrounded by Gaston's endlessly insane antics. When he returns home and Spirou asks him about his work day, his reply is "You know, the usual", in a perfectly deadpan look.
  • The Bus Came Back: He reappears in Delaf's 2023 continuation, covering for Prunelle after Gaston's antics finally cause him to snap and take some medical time off.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: While Gaston drives Fantasio nuts on a regular basis, and Fantasio seldom has a positive word to say about Gaston, they hang out surprisingly often outside office hours, go on vacations and attend various events together, and generally get along just fine when Gaston isn't slacking off work or making his surroundings unsafe with his inventions and antics.

    Spirou 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spirou.jpg

Fantasio's best friend, the Protagonist of the Spirou & Fantasio comic and the mascot of the magazine.

For tropes applying to him in Spirou & Fantasio, see here.


  • Deadpan Snarker: Not to Fantasio's extent, but he indulges in a little subtle snark from time to time.
  • Demoted to Extra: He's the main character of Spirou & Fantasio, but a supporting character here. Got Demoted further as the comic went on; he was a fairly prominent supporting character in the comic's early years, but his appearances got rarer and rarer while Fantasio stayed in the focus.
  • Flat Character: Probably the main reason for why he got Demoted to Extra. Spirou was never the most strongly characterized character, but in his own comedy-adventure comic his Generic Guy status wasn't a problem; it just made him a more effective reader stand-in and a contrast to the colorful villains and supporting cast. In a pure comedy like Gaston there wasn't a lot for him to do, especially not since the temperamental Fantasio made for a far better and more entertaining Straight Man to Gaston.
  • Nice Guy: He's generally amiable, and much more patient with Gaston than Fantasio is, but he does have a couple of Beware the Nice Ones moments.
  • Put on a Bus: Along with Fantasio after Franquin left Spirou & Fantasio, though by that time he had barely appeared in Gaston for years anyway.
  • The Bus Came Back: Like Fantasio, he's seen again in Delaf's 2023 continuation, albeit for a shorter role. In one strip, he appears in the end, when Fantasio go back to their home, and Spirou asks how his day was (exhausting, due to Gaston). In another, while Fantasio was ready to leave after Prunelle came back, Spirou noted the latter still looked depressed. Spirou then guilt Fantasio into staying at the editor board, for emotional support. But he refuse to stay himself to support Fantasio as well, despite Spip's accuser glare.

    Léon Prunelle 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/prunelle.png

The editor at Spirou magazine, who largely took over Fantasio's duties after the latter went on an extended leave of absence.


  • Ascended Extra: He was originally a background character without much personality before he took the place of Fantasio as "The guy who tries to make Gaston works".
  • Berserk Button: He REALLY hates it when Gaston slacks off during his job.
  • Catchphrase: "Rogntudju!" (an anger-mangled "Nom de Dieu!" - "In the name of God!"). The English translation changes it to the less blasphemous "Fragmaggots!".
  • Characterization Marches On: When he's a background character, he's a calm and friendly guy who is as amused by Gaston's antics as Lebrac. When he takes Fantasio's role, he gets a Hair-Trigger Temper and becomes even more violent than Fantasio was.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Like Fantasio, he's an angry one. Seems like it's just part of being Straight Man to Gaston.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: He's very easily angered. As the comic went on, he surpassed even Fantasio when it came to violent rages.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Fantasio. After Fantasio left the comic, Prunelle stepped into the role as Gaston's immediate superior, and the one who gets into the most conflicts with Gaston. Many of the Prunelle strips, you could swap him out for Fantasio, and nobody would notice.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: In his earliest appearances, Prunelle is a calm, jovial and friendly guy who mostly stands around in the background and makes the occasional comment. Then, Fantasio left the comic and Prunelle had to step up and take on his duties (and subsequently his role in the comic). While at first he tried to make a conscious effort to be more reasonable than Fantasio, it didn't take long at all before that resolve failed in the face of Gaston's mishaps, and he ended up even more temperamental and violent than Fantasio had ever been, and there's a notable lack of the Vitriolic Best Buds dynamic that Gaston had with Fantasio.

    Yves Lebrac 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lebrac.png

A cartoonist at Spirou magazine.


  • Author Avatar: Reportedly, he was partially based on Franquin, and was the character Franquin most strongly identified with.
  • Berserk Button: While he’s the most laidback and tolerant member at Spirou magazine, his breaking point is anyone tampering with his artwork and tools.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Usually he's friendly and upbeat, he gets along with everyone, and is by far the most likely to see the humorous side of Gaston's antics (even joining in on occasion). Push him too far though, and he can flip out even worse than Prunelle.
  • The Cameo: He's made a couple of brief cameos in Spirou & Fantasio, most substantially in the 2016 album Wrath of the Marsupilami, where he unwittingly provides a clue as to what exactly had happened to the Marsupilami.
  • Deadpan Snarker: No matter the situation, he's got a wisecrack for it. He's less deadpan and more cheerful about about it than Fantasio or Prunelle; he has been known to laugh hysterically at his own jokes from time to time.
  • Those Two Guys: He'd often form this dynamic with Prunelle before Fantasio left the series. Afterwards, Prunelle was put into the role as Gaston's main foil, and hung out less with Lebrac... though they still get along well for the most part.

    Jeanne 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/melle_jeanne.png

A secretary at Spirou and Gaston's Love Interest.


  • Art Evolution: She started out as unattractive, but gradually became more pretty and homely as the comic progressed.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: With a side-order of The Pollyanna, at least where her relationship with Gaston is concerned. No matter how much he goofs up, how obvious it is that his latest idea is a terrible one, or how bad a situation she ends up in thanks to him, she never loses her boundless admiration for him and never stops praising his brilliance.
  • Womanchild: With the same Vague Age deal as Gaston. She's old enough to have a steady job, but still lives with her mother and has the attitude of a silly teenage girl.

    Jules 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jules_8.png

Gaston's friend who works at Smith-across-the-street.


  • Ascended Extra: In the comic's early years, he was The Ghost; he was often mentioned, and occasionally Gaston would be seen speaking to him on the phone (when he was supposed to be working, of course), but he was never actually seen. As the comic developed, though, and the supporting cast expanded, Jules started making on-screen appearances until he was among the more prominent characters in the comic.
  • Butt-Monkey: Being Gaston's best friend is not always the safest thing.
  • Best Friend: He and Gaston are best friends and they tend to do a lot of antics at works together.
  • The Dog Bites Back: He's Gaston's friend, but even he has limits to his tolerance for Bungling Inventor antics. One strip has him struggle to carry a heavy travel bag while Gaston shows off his latest invention: a motorized suitcase... where so much space is taken up by the batteries that it can only contain a toothbrush. The last panel is Jules briskly driving the suitcase while Gaston is dragging the bag, sporting a black eye.
  • The Slacker: He's implied to be as lazy as Gaston.

    Bertrand Labévue (Bertie Blunder) 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bertrand.png

Gaston's second friend.


  • Characterization Marches On: His first appearence was meant to establish him as a clumsy person, but this trait never appeared again after that and he pretty much became "Gaston's second friend" and had a rather flat personality. In later comics, he's given yet another personality trait, which is being depressed, reflecting the author's mental state.
  • Dub Name Change: Since his name, like Gaston's, is a Punny Name (and was in fact the punchline of the very first comic in which he appeared), it tends to get changed in various translations. In the English translations he's "Bertie Blunder".
  • The Eeyore: At some point in the comics, he becomes very depressed and cynical. The first time we see it, he's crouching inside a trash bin.
  • Flat Character: Before becoming depressed, he didn't really have any particular characterization besides being Gaston's second friend.
  • Related in the Adaptation: Several translations make him Gaston's cousin, even though they aren't related in any way in the original French version.

    Mr. Aimé de Mesmaeker 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/de_mesmaker.png

A rich businessman that Spirou magazine constantly courts for lucrative contracts.


  • Actually Pretty Funny: In one comic, he leaves the room laughing out loud after Gaston destroyed a model of the offices' future building project with his miniature Gaffophone.
  • Butt-Monkey: He is doomed to get into a scrape whenever he appears in the comic.
  • Deadpan Snarker: When he leaves after his signing fails, he usually quips about the situation he's in.
  • Jerkass: While his temper and negative attitude are generally justified (he tends to get put through the wringer whenever he dares to step into the Spirou offices), he also always assumes the worst of everyone, never listens to explanations, and can get directly sadistic in his retaliations. The only times you see him smile tend to be when someone else is suffering. His movie incarnation is worse, lacking the humanizing moments that he after all did occasionally have in the comics.
    • Exemplified in one strip where what set him off into destroying the contracts before even a chance of signing them was seeing Gaston prance around the park to leafs blowing in the wind instead of being at work. Apparently he never heard of people having a day off or being on holidays.
  • Ironic Name: His name can be read in English as "messmaker", though it isn't his role in the comic, that would belong to Gaston, whose mess he usually gets himself into.
  • Not So Above It All: He appears to be a serious no-nonsense business man, but some strips reveal that he has a hidden, sillier side.
    • He once trolled Fantasio with a latex version of himself, similar to Gaston's latex replica. This results in Fantasio spending a whole day trying to get the fake De Mesmaeker's attention while the real one is dining somewhere else, laughing as he imagines Fantasio's reaction.
    • At two occasions, he prioritizes a contract with Gaston over the one he's been trying to sign for years. One time for a soup, and another time for an astronaut capsule-shaped clock he found hilarious.
    • There's a time where he sees Gaston's cat playing with a piece of paper Gaston is sliding under a door. While he finds it ridiculous that someone would pay their employees to do something like this instead of working, he actually gets excited about wether the cat is gonna catch the paper or not. He also finds it funny when the cat shredds the paper, until he sees that it's the contracts.
    • He enjoys puppet shows and eating fries, which is not something people would imagine a rich business man to do.
  • Running Gag: Whenever he comes to the office with a lucrative contract, no matter what the staff do to contain Gaston, that contract will be destroyed.

    Joseph Longtarin (Longsnoot) 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/longtarin.PNG

A police officer who has a vendetta with Gaston over his defiance of the law.


  • It's Personal: He goes out of his way to attack Gaston.
  • Meddlesome Patrolman: The former trope namer, most of his conflicts with Gaston involve the latter's carefree approach to parking laws.
  • Punny Name: Longtarin means "long nose". The English version makes it "Longsnoot".

    Faerie-Fingered Freddy 

A burglar who sometimes targets the Spirou offices during his nightly actions. This never ends well for him due to Gaston's antics.


  • Friendly Enemy: The office staff tend to treat his appearances as friendly visits due to his burglaries never ending well, usually sending him off with some freebies instead of handing him to the police.
  • Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: His brushes with Gaston's antics usually leave him in such a dismal state that the office workers see him less as a villain and more as yet another victim of Gaston's antics. The worst he ever got from them was a harsh glare from Prunelle.
  • Put on a Bus: His partner Paul the Acrobat was only seen in one comic and never appeared again for decades after that. In the 22th album, The Bus Came Back and Paul has quite on the contrary an important role in the last pages, given that he stole original picture plates Franquin did for Spirou magazine, and it's up to Gaston to get them back.
  • Running Gag: His attempts to burglarize the Spirou offices are as doomed as the Mesmaeker's contract signing.

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