Colonel Sir Harold Wilberforce Clifton (or Percy Pickwick in German editions) is your quintessential British detective. Retired from MI5, he now lives with his (I counted six) cats and housekeeper Ms. Partridge when he is not fulfilling his duties as Scoutmaster Singing Heron in the wilderness.
These Franco-Belgian comics are now published by Cinebook in English and they are a treat to read once you’ve had your fill of The Adventures of Tintin and Asterix & Obelix. The panels below are taken from the first volume/special edition Colonel Clifton Investigates by Macherot that was published in Le Journal de Tintin way back when (1959). Look at how beautifully the panels are drawn and how the narrative develops.
We are told that the two bald gentlemen are jewellers who were entrusted with the Koh-i-door jewel by a couple of unnecessarily frowny-faced fellows. The jewel was not insured against theft and as things go in comic books, it gets stolen. Clifton is asked to help and he obliges. Looking around the shop, he finds and collects a dirt sample from the thief’s shoe print. The clever detective then puts the sample under the microscope and performs inorganic microanalysis. As an ex-lab chemist, I have nothing but mad respect at this point while reading the comic. Col. Clifton exudes an enviable confidence and Macherot exercises his artistic license liberally.
The most endearing aspect of these two panels to me is the brilliant marriage of artwork and writing. Through Macherot’s art, all the emotions sing. There is hope and expectation (will you be able to help us?) and Clifton’s nonchalance. It is followed by a fortuitous discovery that evokes surprise and everyone is excited. Through Clifton, anticipation ultimately graduates to relief.
The faces of two gentlemen who have landed themselves in trouble light up as Clifton conveys his progress, and they share his excitement despite being somewhat overwhelmed by his rapid deductions. I especially love the little man in the brown suit grinning in the last frame next to his befuddled partner.
In conclusion, this sometimes grumpy, moustachioed diva is lovable because he is sincere and kind, and I haven’t read any Clifton books yet where he is portrayed as cynical about anything. And cats love him, so he is alright, isn’t he?
