René Griffon
Created by Didier Daeninckx

RENÉ GRIFFON is a French veteran of the trenches turned P.I. who makes his only appearance in a very successful book, Le der des ders, (translates as "the war to end all wars.") which offered a hard look at France's role in WWI.

René is a private detective scrambling to make a living in a France still trying to come to terms with the war. He's got a taste for all things American, and in fact, he drives a big, snazzy 12-cylinder Packard he's almost finished paying for. He's also close friends with an expatriate American named Bob who sells army surplus blue jeans and anything else that isn't nailed down on the black market.

And in 1998, Le Der des der was adapted into a graphic novel by Jacques Tardi, who's also responsible for some some excellent adaptations of some of Léo Malet's Nestor Burma and, in collaboration with other French writers, such as Patrick Manchette and Daniel Pennac, several other works with original scripts.

Author didier Daeninckx is often touted as being France's leading mystery writer. Certainly, his 1984 novel Meurtres pour Mèmoire featuring his popular series character Inspector Cadin caused quite a sensation. It embarrassed and forced the French government to try Nazi collaborators and led to the life imprisonment of Paul Touvier.

UNDER OATH

• "I just finished reading Didier Daeninckx's very powerful A Very Profitable War (original title Le der des ders). It's just one hell of an unflinching look at war and its aftermath, deefinitely not for the squeamish. In this case, the war is WWI, but it could be any war. And in these days of flag-waving and rah-rah patriotism, it offers a pretty dark, sobering and often cynical (but refreshing) take on the media, politics, business, heroism and what real patriotism means. He's hired by a war hero to tail his wife, but he soon finds himself dealing with blackmailers, radicals, murder, amputees, war profiteers and a scandal that could rip France apart. In other words, something for everyone. Hey, there's even a french-kissing scene in there (with René's and his lover/secretary, Irène) that'll just steam your shorts. Okay, there are also a few clunky bits of translation (they've translated some French slang for some British slang that seems a bit off) and there's one awful typographical glitch where they didn't break for a new paragraph and really should have, but I think it's still well-worth checking out, for those of you who aren't afraid to read something a little different."
  (Kevin Burton Smith, December 2001)

NOVELS

• A Very Profitable War (1984; English translation of "Le der des ders") . Buy this book

GRAPHIC NOVEL

• LE DER DE LES DERS
  (1998)
  Adapted and drawn by Jacques Tardi

Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith. Thanks to Marcel Bernadac for this one!