Pif gadget

Pif Gadget was a French comic magazine for children that ran from 1969 to 1993 and 2004 to 2009. Its readership peaked in the early 1970s.

History

Created as an outlet of the French Communist Party, it was initially entitled Le Jeune Patriote. Published illegally from January 1942 under Nazi Occupation of France, then legally in 1944–1945, it was succeeded by Vaillant, Le Jeune Patriote in 1945. In 1946 its title was shortened to Vaillant, with the tag, "le journal le plus captivant" (The Most Captivating Magazine). For the April issue of 1965, the title was changed to Vaillant, le journal de Pif, to highlight the strip Pif le chien, a dog character created by José Cabrero Arnal. Until 1969, Vaillant had, like all its competitors, printed "to be continued"-stories, but the magazine in this incarnation ended with issue number 1238 on February 23, 1969.

Pif Gadget started again with issue number 1, released on February 24, 1969, but retained the old number relative to Vaillant. The magazine was called Pif et son gadget surprise for a few months in the beginning. The name gadget referred to the 'free gift' with each issue, including the very popular Pifises (brine shrimp in stasis, which readers could raise as minuscule pets - known in English as sea monkeys).