The skateboard craze of the late 1970s was captured quite nicely inside the pages of French comic Pif Gadget. Adverts, features, special offers, prizes and even a whole cover were given over to skateboarding during 1977 and 1978.
Issue #476 from 1978 featured an Aublé illustration of a skateboarder on the cover. Inside was packed with skateboard features, notably a competition in which you could win one of 50 skateboards and protective equipment as prizes.
Pif Gadget #476 1978. Skateboard cover by French illustrator Aublé.
Issue #476 competition details first page.
Issue #476 competition details, second page.
Issue #476 also featured 6 skateboard-themed puzzle and cartoon pages, along with various product adverts and offers. The back page concluded with a skateboard-themed comic strip from Pif Gadget regular Hercule.
Issue #476 opening page of 6-page game section featuring skateboard-themed puzzles and cartoons.
Issue #476. Skateboard offer from French company Chef Tamisee and their flour products.
Issue #476. Yabassi skate wear.
Issue #476. Le Roller-Side – also marketed as ‘The Outrider’ was not a skateboard but shared some similarities.
Pif Gadget. 1978.
Issue #476. Back cover showing Hercule comic strip.
Other Pif Gadget issues showing skateboard-related pages
Another Yabassi ad, this time from Pif Gadget #495, 1978.
France. Pif Gadget. 1981.
France. Pif Gadget 496. 1978. American skateboards direct from the US.
Detail of the first half of the ad from issue 496 ad showing US skateboards available to order.
Second half of issue 496 showing order details.
France. PIf Gadget #451. 1977. This J.L.M. promotions offers a FREE tee-shirt with each purchase of a skateboard.
Gepy skateboard footwear. France. PIf Gadget #467. 1978.
The cut out section of the Gepy advert shows an offer to buy a Gepy skateboard and tee-shirt.
This Christmas promotion offers Sancheski boards either in plastic or wood as well as knee and elbow protection gear. Pif Gadget #456. 1977.
Skateboard apparel. France. Pif Gadget. 1978.
Detail from above advert showing the white tee-shirt with ‘Skateboard’ design.
Other skateboarding ads
US advert. Star Wars comic 1978. The Park-Rider skateboard by Nash.
Thrashin’. Directed by David Winters. 1987 ad from Alpha Flight #47.
Italy. Topolono. 1987.
UK. Star Wars Weekly. 1978.
Denmark. 1988.
Denmark. 1988.
Denmark. 1987.
Skateboards. Spelboom Club Journal. 1987. Netherlands.
The Vintage Toy Advertiser 