“We Lost Titeuf”: New Interactive Album Challenges Readers with a Massive Seek-and-Find Adventure
A new installment featuring the beloved character titeuf isn’t a customary comic book, but an immersive game book already prompting a reprint after a successful initial run. Published in November by Glénat, “We Lost Titeuf” invites readers into a detailed seek-and-find experience across nine expansive double pages.
The project marks a departure for the Titeuf franchise, traditionally spearheaded by creator Zep. Instead, the album’s intricate artwork was brought too life by Genevan artist Buche, known for his “Franky snow” series. according to buche, the idea originated with Zep, who envisioned the interactive format but recognized it wasn’t a project he could personally execute.”He quickly asked me to take charge of it,” Buche explained, recalling their shared history working on complex game illustrations for the Titeuf newspaper, “Tchô.”
One of the primary challenges was faithfully recreating Zep’s distinctive artistic style. “Our styles are still quite similar, so it wasn’t too elaborate,” Buche noted, adding that early work, like the swimming pool spread, initially leaned closer to his own aesthetic before converging with Zep’s vision.
The scope of the project quickly expanded beyond the roughly thirty recurring Titeuf characters. Buche was tasked with populating the scenes with hundreds more figures and creating engaging scenarios.”So I had to invent, find situations,” he said. Working with Zep, they identified nine key locations and a core list of items to find, but Buche ultimately added numerous additional gags and details reminiscent of the classic Titeuf albums.
The creation process was painstaking, relying heavily on digital tools. “This allowed me to move characters, in particular. And zoom,” Buche explained. He described the deceptive nature of working digitally, noting how a seemingly considerable portion of a double-page spread could, upon closer inspection, represent only a fraction of the overall work. Each page,rendered without color,required between one and two and a half weeks to complete.
Beyond the core Titeuf cast, the game book features cameos from a diverse range of characters, including Zep himself, heroes from Nob’s “Dad” series, iconic figures from Star Wars, and even Pikachu. Buche subtly included his own creation, Franky Snow, as an Easter egg for observant readers. The album promises a challenging and rewarding experience for fans of all ages.
Why did it end? The article doesn’t describe an “end” to the Titeuf franchise, but rather the completion of a new interactive album. The initial print run sold out quickly, indicating strong demand and prompting a reprint.
Who was involved? The project involved two key creators: Zep, the original creator of Titeuf, who conceived the idea for the interactive album, and Buche, a Genevan artist known for his “Franky Snow” series, who executed the artwork. Glénat served as the publisher.
What was the project? “We Lost Titeuf” is a 40-page game book that departs from the traditional comic format. It’s a seek-and-find adventure set within detailed illustrations featuring the *T
