frbd1-3, Exercise 1: The clear line and the weekly serial

Model answer (check the details):

The clear line (ligne claire): an even, unbroken outline, flat colour, almost no shading or hatching, and uncluttered but accurate backgrounds. Figures are simple and expressive, objects such as cars and aircraft are drawn exactly.

Why it suits a weekly serial:
- A page must be understood at a glance by a young reader who has only a few minutes with it.
- Flat colour and clean lines print well on cheap paper with the colour processes of the time.
- Simple faces make emotions and jokes easy to read, and exact backgrounds make the settings feel real.
- One consistent look allows assistants to draw backgrounds without changing the style.
- A cliffhanger at the foot of the page works best when the action is easy to follow.

Care: the style was named in the 1970s (Joost Swarte, check), so the label is later than the work it describes.