Back to photostream

“Barbarella” by Jean-Claude Forest. New York: Grove Press, 1968. First American paperback edition. Movie tie-in,

This is the English language reprint of the 1964 French comic strip, translated by Richard Seaver.

 

The story of “Barbarella” originated as a comic strip created by French artist and writer Jean-Claude Forest. It was first serialized in the French “V Magazine” in 1962. The comic quickly gained popularity with the French public and in several other European countries. It was later published as a standalone book in 1964. The first American book edition followed in 1966.

 

Forest's “Barbarella” was groundbreaking—it was one of the first adult-oriented science fiction comics, blending futuristic adventure with themes of sexual liberation. The character became an icon of the 1960s counterculture, and her popularity led to the 1968 film adaptation starring Jane Fonda, directed by Roger Vadim. The “Barbarella” comic strip was also published in “Playboy” magazine around the time of the film adaptation.

 

[Sources: Wikipedia, VintagePopFictions.blogspot.com, and CoolFrenchComics.com]

 

“Barbarella, with her long hair and sonorous name, her baby face and disdain for needless clothes, finds herself on the planet Lythion, where she has made a forced landing while traveling alone through outer space in her rocket. She is a creature of the future who is confronted with the monsters and robots of the strange planet, and she is put to one test after another. She vanquishes evil in whatever form she finds it, and rewards, in her particular fashion, all the handsome men that she meets during her adventures. And, whether battling sadists or turning her ray gun on gelatinous monsters, she cannot seem to avoid losing all or part of her skin-tight suit.” [Synopsis on the back cover of the book]

 

3,951 views
22 faves
3 comments
Uploaded on May 14, 2025
Taken on May 14, 2025