“ Cat » has it evolved compared to the Cat of 40 years ago?
Its slightly surreal, sometimes poetic, logical or completely illogical side was there from the start. The fact that he goes from the highest philosophy to the most gratifying cretinity in three seconds was there from the start. I found his DNA right away. I then found qualities in him along the way, which added up, like the pounds around his waist.
Has he gained wisdom?
He is a philosopher, as I am. He realizes that he will not slow down this race which is leading us into the wall. Even if we are convinced of the need to take environmentally friendly actions, such as not taking the car to buy bread or flying weekends to Barcelona, we are alone among billions of people who don’t care at all.
This in no way takes away his good humor, his faith in the future and his confidence in future generations, but he doesn’t have too many illusions either at the same time…
What is he criticizing, what has he criticized and what has he not yet criticized?
He is waging a fight against sinistrosis, obviously! But we can say that everyone who practices humor does it.
Very early on, he had this ecological awareness. In a very old album, he is in front of a pipe which pours filth into a pretty countryside saying “all tastes are in nature” but he writes “tastes” like a “sewer”. It has also been warning, and for a very long time, about the deforestation of the Amazon forest. He also talks about violence against women, the imposed burqa and criticizes fundamentalists. In fact, “The Cat” addresses serious subjects with the lightness of a joke.
What has he not yet criticized? All the shit to come. The inspiration will always be there and the news will always be fertile in topics.
Is “The Cat” a committed character?
Yes, “Le Chat” and I are involved in solidarity causes. These are organizations that range fromAmnesty International to small associations concerned with child abuse or pediatric cancer. I offer drawings, sculptures, time, money because it concerns me. I find it my duty too. Obviously, “The Cat” is a fantastic vector. As he is friendly, I have the impression that he arouses goodwill and can lead people to care about others.
When you draw, what is your driving force?
Make money, obviously (laughs). Of course not. I never thought about that while working. I did so many different jobs when I was on radio or television in Belgium where we had poverty wages.
What motivates me? It’s just to make people laugh or alert them when I’m working for a cause. For example, I made a drawing with “The Cat” at a climate march in Brussels, which was shown by many young people. It said “a million species threatened by one kind of idiot”: the human being.
You have been drawing the same character for forty years. Is there a form of weariness setting in? Did you want to change your character?
This would have happened to me if I had only drawn “The Cat”. I varied the pleasures. I draw other things. I divert engravings. I draw it in one image, three images, one board, three boards. And above all, since he was born, I have continued to do television, radio, writing, publishing other books. I alternated with another style which is totally different from what I offer with “Le Chat”. Finally, when I draw it, paint it or sculpt it, I find someone I missed while I was doing something else.
This is your 24th album. If we had said that in 1983, would you have believed it?
No, I never would have believed it, honestly. I didn’t know it would last, or that it would grow and take on this importance. In the same way, when I started making shows with Michel Drucker in 1999, I very sincerely thought that after 4 – 5 shows, people were going to tell me: “It’s nice to have tried but we Maybe I’ll find someone else.” It lasted seven years. And then, I decided to leave at one point.
We never know. These are professions in which we constantly put ourselves in danger. We try things. If it works, that’s great. If that doesn’t work, we try something else. I probably would have done something else if it hadn’t stuck. In reality, it was mainly me who held on. I loved doing that. The more I did it, the more it came. And the more it came, the tastier it was.
So obviously, I wouldn’t have believed or imagined it in 1983. Looking back, this album has a special flavor because it’s an anniversary album. I put more pages than usual, 64 instead of 48. I also offer unpublished drawings made over the last three years.
Today, how do you view this young man who was just starting out in life?
In retrospect, I tell myself that this young man was infinitely lucky to be born into a family of artists. I was always encouraged. I was able to study acting, which allowed me to practice this profession. When I was an actor, I met the woman of my life on a film set. And then the other chance is that this love story continues and spans time. This love continues to grow with beautiful children. And then, there’s this big dad who happened in all of this.
I was 29 when I invented “The Cat”. My first baby had just been born. We didn’t have a single nail, we were poor. We lived far from Brussels with a crappy car. We didn’t always have enough money to heat ourselves as we wanted. This character could have ruined our lives if I had been obsessed with work, to the point of not taking good care of those who need to be loved and protected. I have always made sure to make them an absolute priority. In the time I had left, I worked.
The wheel of luck meant that “Le Chat” was popular and that it became a success. Today, I tell myself that this young man was very lucky but that it may also be linked to his last name. Geluck means “happiness” or “luck” in Flemish and German.