Globi - Swiss Comic Books for Children

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Globi, the blue parrot with the big heart, is possibly Switzerland's most famous cartoon character.

Robert Lips was the creator of the Swiss comic strip 'Globi', one of the country's longest running comic strips. Initially a sports cartoonist from Zürich, Lips was hired by the Globus department stores to create a character for the celebration of their 25th anniversary in 1932. After appearing on various advertising campaigns, the character got its own magazine, Der Globi, in 1935. Starting as an exclusive animal strip, 'Globi' soon evolved into an antropomorphic character, wearing trousers and a cap. In addition, 'Globi' products were launched, like Globi chocolat, and from 1936, the first Globi Clubs were founded. By the 1950s, there were about 700 clubs with over 9,000 members. Robert Lips drew 'Globi' until his death in 1975. He was succeeded by artists like Werner Büchi and Peter Heinzer.

The Swiss creation has moved with the times, becoming more politically correct and environmentally aware, but he has yet to fly across the country's borders.

Globi – with his blue feathers, yellow beak, distinctive red and black checked trousers and jauntily placed beret – shows no signs of slowing down, despite his advanced years.

The star of 75 books still accounts for annual sales of around 80,000 classic cartoon volumes and 40,000 educational books.

"Globi is almost as old as Mickey Mouse. Every child grows up with Globi because the grandparents or parents did," Gisela Klinkenberg, head of the Globi publishing house, told swissinfo.

"If they have children of their own, Globi comes out again, so it goes from generation to generation – and it's been doing that since 1932."

According to the very first Globi comic strip – in black and white and showing a somewhat rounder parrot minus the hat – Globi ended up in Switzerland by accident.

After hatching in the Sahara, he takes to the skies and spying a party he dives downwards – only to fall on his beak in the middle of rural Switzerland.

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