Jean-Yves Raimbaud

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Jean-Yves Raimbaud (January 21, 1958 – June 28, 1998) was a French animator and screenwriter. He is best known for creating the animated series, Oggy and the Cockroaches that was officially debuted posthumously on September 6, 1998 on France 3.

Early life[]

Raimbaud was born on January 21, 1958 in Évreux in France. At age 14, he abandoned his studies in favor of training as a painter in words. Thus, he made his debut in drawing, although initially, he mainly drew billboards.

Career[]

In 1975, he joined a small animation studio called DIC Entertainment created by Jean Chalopin. This was where he learned to make cartoons. In the studio, he met directors like Bruno Bianchi (Inspector Gadget), (The Mysterious Cities of Gold), etc. In the 1980s, he helped launch the series Ulysses 31. He decided to pursue his career in Paris. He contributed to Albert Barillé's series, Once Upon a Time... Space and Once Upon a Time... Life.

In 1986, Raimbaud created his own studio, Jingle, with Christian Masson (advertising and producer). 25 people under them outsourced series like Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea and Rahan. A year later, the company stood out with productions such as (A2), Walter Melon (Canal+) and (FR3). It was not until 1988 that Jingle itself made a series: Manu created by cartoonist Frank Margerin. Thus, 104 episodes were broadcast on La Cinq, starting in March, 1990. The challenge of Raimbaud was not to create tasteless cartoons for children only. In 1992, the bankruptcy and liquidation of La Cinq caused the closure of many production companies. In 1993, Jingle itself became bankrupt.

Gaumont Multimedia[]

By then Raimbaud was known in the community and Gaumont Film Company hired him to revive the films of Asterix and Lucky Luke that were last produced in the 1970s. Promoted artistic director of the new studio Gaumont Multimedia, he began working on Highlander: The Series for M6. Raimbaud came up with an idea he could not have realized at Jingle. The story of shipwrecked aliens on Earth who took refuge in a house for rent. With writer Philippe Traversat, he created the series Home to Rent in the style of 1950s cartoons. The title of the series became Space Goofs during its broadcast on France 3 in September, 1997. Against all odds, the series became the most popular among programs introduced the same year. What's more, it exported well beyond France. And all this alongside his wife, Béatrice Guillot Raimbaud, GP. He later made Oggy and the Cockroaches, which was released after his passing in 1998.

Illness and death[]

Raimbaud was diagnosed with lung cancer in the early 1990s, and died of it on June 28, 1998 in Paris, France. His series, Oggy and the Cockroaches, was released posthumously.

Success[]

Having died in 1998, Raimbaud did not live to take advantage of the success of his series, Oggy and the Cockroaches, which premiered on France 3 months after his death. The series stars the character of a cat named Oggy, who is persecuted by three roaches named Joey, Marky and Dee Dee. Oggy's cousin Jack helps him in many situations, all in a very cartoony style reminiscent of animated shorts from the 1940s and 50s.

However, Oggy and the Cockroaches became a successful hit after being broadcast worldwide for many years. It aired on channels including Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Teletoon. It enjoyed widespread popularity in India where Hindi dialogues were added to the show, while there are no dialogues in the original.

External links[]

• Jean-Yves Raimbaud at IMDb