Books and animated series: the Barbapapa celebrates 55 years of success

Born in a Parisian brasserie. Meanwhile, the Barbapapa, these multicolored characters, ecological and changing shape at will, have been going through generations and borders for 55 years, strong of the new breath brought by the children of their discreet creators.

“There was already everything in the original books. Moreover, ” assures AFP Alice Taylor, daughter of the Franco-American couple Annette Tison (disappeared in 2010) and Talus books animated series: barbapapa celebrates Taylor (in 2015).

With 8 million pounds sold in France since 1970. For example, the adventures of Barbapapa, Barbamama and their seven Barbabébés, translated in more than 30 languages -for nearly 80 titles -flows to a million copies each year in the world, according to The books of the Golden Dragontheir publisher since 2003. Similarly,

Adapted to the screen in 1974 on French television. Therefore, accompanied by a cult generic, they have been available since 2019 in a new series, “Barbapapa with the family”, very popular in France and that the Nickelodeon Jr channel broadcasts in a hundred countries.

Barbapapa on Tiktok – Books animated series: barbapapa celebrates

Heroes in the shape of a pear. Nevertheless, keel even aroused more than 15 million online publications in 2025, helped by a Tiktok trend, the “barbatrend”, consisting in adding “barba” in front of words.

In the new series. In addition, more “hup hup hup barbatruc” before a transformation, nor the voice of singer Ricet Barrier, but always the values of mutual aid of this precursor family in terms of ecology, with stories dealing with the relationship with screens as well as the dangers of green algae.

Already. in the album “L’Arche”, published in 1974, the Barbapapa saved animals sick with pollution or hunted down by humans, fleeing from another planet.

“We have the impression that they are talking about today. it’s crazy,” says Alice Taylor, who writes and realizes with her brother Thomas the new episodes produced by the normal French studio.

The creation of Barbapapa

Difficult to trace the course of creators, stingy in interviews. “They estimated. and I am not far from sharing their opinion, that it is their work that speaks for them,” says Alice Taylor.

Originally a math teacher. Taylor Taylor “traveled a lot” and “made lots of things” before the Barbapapa adventure, born from her meeting with Annette Tison, training architect with a “more linear” course.

The couple are at the Zeyer. a brewery in the south of Paris, with other students when the first sketches of this “species of animal is changing shape” are born. “It happened around the years 1968 because my father found it funny to go to the zozo to look. at the students on the barricades.”

“He couldn’t follow because his Frenchman was not good and he drew nonsense on the towel,” added the fifties.

The name of the character comes to them from a walk when the children claimed papa beards. introduces this word to Telus Taylor. There followed a first album, translated into “English, Dutch, Japanese, and after the world tour”.

The animated series experienced two seasons in 1974 and 1977, before a new version in 1999 in Japan. Since the early 2000s, the French television group TF1 has managed the brand for derivative products.

The new generation of Barbapapa

Alice. Thomas Taylor, who both studied architecture, signed their first Barbapapa books in 2015, before tackling the new cartoon, which certain scripts written by their mother served as a basis.

Thomas Taylor. who lives abroad, takes care of the scenarios, and Alice more on the “graphic side” – proportions of the characters, sets, “extremely funny to do”.

A legacy that this graduate of the animation section of the ENSAD (decorative arts). invited to “do storage” in the family business at the turn of the 21st century, did not necessarily books animated series: barbapapa celebrates consider. “The company was created by my mother for the management of derivative rights. and after a while it said to me:” I leave you the keys, hi “,” she says, laughing.

AFP

Did you find an error? Please report it to us.

1 comment