The upcoming graphic novel about the cabin boy who inspired Rob-Vel to create Spirou (which is still, unaccountably, being published as a Spirou one-shot) will start serialization in the Journal de Spirou #4145, 20. September, with the album release set for 3. November.

The comic, written by Yves Sente and drawn by Laurent Verron, is now going by the title Il s’appelait Ptirou (“His Name Was Ptirou”), and Dupuis has released a provisional cover and short preview.

In the sample, Uncle Paul (narrator of many biographical and other “true stories” in the magazine) starts to tell a story from 1929, about Henri de Sainteloi, the director of a transatlantic cruise line who brings his sick daughter with him on a trip from Le Havre to New York. Ptirou himself does not appear in this excerpt, but the blurb talks about a story that deals with poverty and social and economic issues that are again becoming increasingly relevant.

Back in June, Verron created a mural for the comic: