A few centimetres of metal, hours of brushwork: welcome to Pixi, the workshop that turned the comic-book figurine into a craft of its own.
Founded in 1982 by the sculptor Alexis Poliakoff and by Philippe-Antoine Guénard, Pixi invented a genre: the hand-painted metal comic figurine, issued in small runs. The name itself is a family wink, built on the initials of Pierre Guénard and Alexis. More than forty years on, among collectors it stands for precision.
From lead soldiers to Belle Époque shopfronts
Son of the painter Serge Poliakoff, Alexis had been modelling since childhood. His first miniatures followed the lead-soldier tradition right down to its classic size, 5 to 6 centimetres. Yet the 1983 series staged no battles: they were snapshots of the Belle Époque, shopfronts, artists' studios, strollers in their Sunday best, packed in a red box that echoed the old soldier tins. That box is still the house signature. The first shop opened in 1984, on rue de Seine in Paris. Fashion, sport, theatre and opera followed.
1988: Tintin changes everything
Those small civilian scenes charmed people without ever quite taking off. The turning point came from comics: in 1988, with the agreement of the Hergé Foundation, Pixi issued its series number one around The Blue Lotus, in six hundred numbered pieces delivered with their certificate. Success opened the door to other authors: Gaston under Franquin's own eye, Asterix with Uderzo, Lucky Luke, then Corto Maltese. In 2015 the Musée Maillol exhibited thousands of these figurines, from history to painting by way of comics.
The making: from mould to brush
Each piece starts as a metal casting, is trimmed, then painted entirely by hand in the company's Normandy workshop; faces a few millimetres across are worked under a magnifier. Long, delicate work, which explains both the prices and the small runs, and which means no two Pixi figurines are ever exactly alike. Metal remains the workshop's signature, but the family has widened over the years: resin for the large formats, patinated bronze for a few exceptional pieces.
Runs, numbers and certificates
Pixi editions are numbered and come with a certificate of authenticity. Runs range from a few hundred to a few thousand pieces: six hundred for the 1988 Blue Lotus, three hundred for several recent releases. A sold-out series is never reissued, and that is what keeps the collectors' market alive, where some early pieces, the first Tintin ranges in particular, have become highly sought after. We always say it carefully: these pieces can gain in value, but you collect for pleasure first.
The great comic ranges
The workshop has cast in metal most of the Franco-Belgian comics heritage: Tintin, Asterix, Lucky Luke, Blake and Mortimer, Gaston, Spirou and the Marsupilami, the Smurfs, the Bluecoats, Bécassine and Corto Maltese. Two pieces from our shelves, from a single figure to a numbered scene:
Smurf with Tuba - Pixi
Smurfs and Stork Figurine
Starting a Pixi collection
Three pieces of counter advice. Start with a character you genuinely love: resale value never makes up for a joyless purchase. Keep the box and the certificate, which matter as much as the figurine on the day it changes hands. And display it away from dust and direct sunlight.
A word on use, because the question comes up often at the counter: a Pixi is a display piece, not a toy. It belongs in a cabinet, out of reach of small hands, whereas a PVC figurine of the same hero will do very nicely in a toy box. The rest, meaning the urge for a second piece, takes care of itself.
About the author: This article was written by the team of L'Oiseau de Paradis, a Parisian toy shop founded in 1932. Four generations in the service of childhood and authentic play.
