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{{short description|French writer, screenwriter, actor and painter}}
{{Infobox writer 
| name = Roland Topor
| image = Roland Topor.jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| pen_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|1|7|df=y}}
| birth_place = Paris, France
| death_date = {{death date and age|1997|4|16|1938|1|7|df=y}}
| death_place = Paris, France
| occupation = Illustrator, cartoonist, painter, playwright, designer, painter, animator, fiction writer, actor, film and TV script writer
| period = 1964–1997
| genre = [[Satire]], [[Surrealism]], [[Black comedy]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/topor_roland.htm|title=Roland Topor|website=lambiek.net}}</ref>
| subject =
| movement = [[Panic Movement]]
| notable_works = ''[[The Tenant (novel)|The Tenant]]''
| website =
}}
'''Roland Topor''' (7 January 1938 – 16 April 1997) was a French illustrator, cartoonist, comics artist, painter, novelist, playwright, film and TV writer, filmmaker and actor,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/topor_roland.htm|title=Roland Topor|website=lambiek.net}}</ref> who was known for the [[surrealism|surreal]] [[black comedy]] nature of his work. He was of [[Polish Jews|Polish-Jewish]] origin. His parents were Jewish émigrés from [[Warsaw]], [[Poland]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/04/magazine/endpaper-the-lives-they-lived-roland-topor-a-graphic-wit.html] Kraus, Jerelle. “Endpaper -- The Lives They Lived: Roland Topor; A Graphic Wit”. ''The New York Times Magazine''. 4 Jan 1998</ref> He spent the early years of his life in [[Savoy]], where his family hid him from the [[Gestapo]].<ref name="auto"/>

== Biography ==
Roland Topor's parents came to France in the 1930s. In 1941 Topor's father, Abram, along with thousands of other Jewish men living in Paris, were required to register with the [[Vichy France|Vichy]] authorities. Topor's father was subsequently arrested and interned in a [[Pithiviers internment camp|prison camp at Pithiviers]], where inmates would be held before being sent to other concentration camps, usually [[Auschwitz concentration camp|Auschwitz]]. Of the thousands who were sent to Pithiviers only 159 survived. But Topor's father, Abram, managed to escape from Pithiviers and hide in an area south of Paris.<ref name="auto2">[https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2019/03/22/blood-shit-and-sex/] Hodgson, Andrew. "Blood, Shit, and Sex". ''The Paris Review''. 22 March 2019.</ref>

While his father was in hiding, Topor's landlady would confront the children, Topor and his older sister [[Hélène d'Almeida-Topor]], and try to cajole them into giving away the location of their father. The landlady did not succeed. Then in May 1941 a neighbor tipped off the Topor family that the French police along with the [[Gestapo]] were going to search the entire building. So the family fled to [[Vichy France]]. In Savoy, four-year-old Roland Topor was placed in a French family, was given a false name, and took on the identity of a Catholic schoolboy.<ref name="auto2"/>

The family survived, and in 1946 they sued the landlady to have their belongings returned, and to be allowed to resume living in their former apartment. The court ruled in their favor, they returned, and soon were once again paying rent to the landlady who had previously tried to have them apprehended.<ref name="auto2"/>

The night before he died of a cerebral hemorrhage, it is reported that he couldn't sleep, and instead spent the night visiting Parisian cafes, enjoying Cuban cigars, and drinking Bordeaux wine. When he arrived at the Cafe de Flore, he recounted a nightmarish dream he experienced. It was a dream that he thought might inspire his next novel:<ref name="auto3">[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/04/magazine/endpaper-the-lives-they-lived-roland-topor-a-graphic-wit.html] Kraus, Jerelle. “Endpaper -- The Lives They Lived: Roland Topor; A Graphic Wit”. The New York Times Magazine. 4 Jan 1998</ref>

{{blockquote | I'm awakened suddenly by a feeling of imminent disaster. Turning down the sheet, I discover a cadaver in my bed, the husk of a man of small stature, but fat, and of an age equal to mine. My first reflex is to jump to the telephone to warn the police. But I hesitate; the presence of this rotting carcass in my bed is embarrassing. Explanations will be demanded of me that I'll be incapable of furnishing. They'll suspect me of a crime that's abominable."<ref name="auto3"/> }}

==Art==
Roland Topor may be best known for his graphic works with their surrealist humor. He studied at the [[École des Beaux-Arts]] in Paris. His artworks have appeared in books, newspapers, posters, and film animations.<ref>[https://www.economist.com/prospero/2017/04/11/the-eclectic-genius-of-roland-topor] Author: S. S. M. “The eclectic genius of Roland Topor”. The Economist. Apr 11th 2017</ref>

==Literature==
Few of Topor's writings are available in English. His fictions are sometimes classed as "post-surrealist horror" that go beyond established limits, to portray carnivalesque worlds of bizarre situations, in which human realities that are normally unspoken are laid bare in confrontations with (using Topor's phrase) ''"le sang, la merde et le sexe"'' (blood, shit, and sex).<ref name="auto2"/>

Roland Topor wrote the novel ''[[The Tenant (novel)|The Tenant]]'' (''Le Locataire chimérique'', 1964), which was adapted to film by [[Roman Polanski]] in 1976. ''The Tenant'' is the story of a Parisian of Polish descent, who develops an obsession regarding what has happened to his apartment's previous tenant.<ref name="auto3"/> His 1969 novel ''Joko's Anniversary'' is a fable about loss of identity and is a satire on social conformity.<ref>[https://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/why-the-silence/] Hodgson, Andrew. "Why the Silence?". ''3:AM Magazine''. 23 July 2013.</ref> Topor returned to these themes in his later novel ''Head-to-Toe Portrait of Suzanne'' (1978).

In 1965 David De Silva (Becca Productions Ltd) bought the film rights to ''The Tenant'' for $15,000 and sent the novel to Roman Polanski in the hope that he would consider directing it. De Silva made the mistake of phoning Polanski from New York around 7PM which would be just about midnight London time. He received Polanski's response to the project in a letter dated 4 May 1966.<ref name="auto1">David De Silva</ref> Subsequently, De Silva sold the rights to [[Universal Pictures]] because [[Edward Albee]] wanted to adapt it as his first screenplay under a three-picture deal with Universal but the deal never materialized. Polanski adapted the film 10 years later in 1976. De Silva believes Polanski never read the novel 10 years before. He says, "When the timing is right the timing is right.".<ref name="auto1"/>

A new presentation of ''The Tenant'' by Roland Topor was released in October 2006. The book has Topor's original novel, a new introduction by [[Thomas Ligotti]], a selection of short stories by Topor, a representation of Topor's artwork and an essay on the famous Roman Polanski film version.

Thomas Ligotti's introduction concerns the affirmative themes of world-renowned authors, focusing on [[Luigi Pirandello]], with the negationist themes of Roland Topor's ''The Tenant''.

In 2018, Atlas Press published Topor's ''Head-to-Toe Portrait of Suzanne'', translated and introduced by Andrew Hodgson. It was the first of Topor's novels to enter English in nearly 50 years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://atlaspress.co.uk/product/roland-topor-head-to-toe-portrait-of-suzanne/|title=HEAD-TO-TOE PORTRAIT OF SUZANNE|date=19 March 2019|accessdate=20 August 2021}}</ref>

==Songs==
Roland Topor wrote two songs for [[Megumi Satsu]], "Je m'aime" and "Monte dans mon Ambulance".<ref name="auto"/>

==Cinema==
With [[René Laloux]], Topor made "The Dead Times" (Les Temps morts, 1964), "The Snails" (Les Escargots, 1965) and their most famous work, the feature-length animated [[science fiction]] film ''[[Fantastic Planet|La Planète sauvage]]'' (1973).<ref name="auto"/>

Topor also worked as an actor, his most famous part being [[Renfield]] in [[Werner Herzog]]'s ''[[Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht]]'' (1979). In the same year, he also performed the surrealistic paralyzed boss in the movie ''[[Ratataplan]]'' by [[Maurizio Nichetti]].<ref>[http://www.nichetti.it/ratataplan.html The Ratataplan movie webpage in the Maurizio Nichetti's website] webpage</ref>

==Theatre==
Topor variously wrote, directed and designed a number of theatre works. Topor's absurd narratives are rife with macabre ironies, scatologies, and cruelties, which seem intended to shock and reframe human interactions to an insane extent. When Topor's play ''Joko fête son anniversaire'' was performed in Brussels in 1972, one critic commented, "In some countries, the author would be shot." Topor's play ''Vinci avait raison'' (somewhat of a pastiche of [[J. B. Priestley]]'s 1945 play'' [[An Inspector Calls]]'') is set in a house where no one can escape, the toilets are clogged, and excrement becomes evident on stage. It was performed in Brussels in 1977 and caused a scandal. Critical responses include the suggestion, "We must put this idiot in prison for creating such filth."<ref name="auto2"/>

His plays include:
*1972 – ''Les derniers jours de solitude de Robinson Crusoé (The Last Lonely Days of Robinson Crusoe)''
*1972 – ''Le Bébé de Monsieur Laurent (Monsieur Laurent’s Baby)''
*1975 – ''De Moïse à Mao, 5000 ans d’aventures (From Moses to Mao, 5000 Adventurous Years)''
*1983 – ''Batailles'' (with [[Jean-Michel Ribes]]) (''Battles'')
*1989 – ''Joko fête son anniversaire (Joko Celebrates his Birthday)''<ref>Topor, Roland. ''Joko fête son anniversaire''. Publisher: Wombat (2016). {{ISBN|978-2-919186-90-7}}</ref>
*1989 – ''Vinci avait raison (Vinci was Right)''
*1994 – ''L'Hiver sous la table (Winter Under the Table)''<ref>Lemaire, Véronique. Hainaux, René. ''Theatre and Architecture - Stage Design - Costume: A Bibliographic Guide in Five Languages''. Publisher: Peter Lang, 2006. p. 135 {{ISBN|978-90-5201-281-0}}</ref>
*1996 – ''L’Ambigu (Ambiguity)''<ref>Toper, Roland. ''L'Ambigu'' (Théâtre panique II). Wombat 2016. {{ISBN|978-2-37498-056-0}}</ref>

==Chronology==
Topor published several books of drawings, including ''Dessins panique'' (1965) ''Quatre roses pour Lucienne'' (1967) and ''Toporland'' (1975). Selections from ''Quatre roses pour Lucienne'' were reprinted in the English language [[Anthology|collection]] ''Stories and Drawings'' (1967). His carefully detailed, realistic style, with elaborate [[crosshatching]], emphasises the fantastic and macabre subject matter of the images.

*1962 – Creates the [[Panic Movement]] (''Mouvement panique''), together with [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]] and [[Fernando Arrabal]].
*1961 to 1965 – Contributes to French satirical magazine ''[[Hara-Kiri (magazine)|Hara-Kiri]]''.
*1965 – Creates, with partner [[René Laloux]], the animated short film ''[[Les Escargots (short film)|Les Escargots]]'' ("The Snails"). The film won Special Jury Prize at the Cracow Film Festival.
*1966 – Illustrates [[Daniel Spoerri]]'s ''[[Daniel Spoerri#An Anecdoted Topography of Chance|An Anecdoted Topography of Chance (Re-Anecdoted Version)]]'', published by the [[Something Else Press]]. Also illustrates [[Melvin Van Peebles]]' ''Le Chinois du XIV.''
*1971 – Creates the drawings for the bizarre introduction of [[Fernando Arrabal]]'s film ''[[Viva la muerte (film)|Viva la muerte]]''.
*1973 – Topor designs and [[René Laloux]] directs ''[[Fantastic Planet|La Planète sauvage]]'', a 72-minute-long animated film, based on a novel by [[Stefan Wul]].
*1974 – Topor has a cameo in [[Dusan Makavejev]]'s ''[[Sweet Movie]]''.
*1975 – Illustrates [[Patricia Highsmith]]'s ''[[Little Tales of Misogyny|Kleine Geschichtgen für Weiberfeinde]]'', published by [[Diogenes Verlag]]. Published in English in 1977 by [[Heinemann (publisher)|Heinemann]] as ''Little Tales of Misogyny''.
*1976 – [[Roman Polanski]] directs a film version of Topor's book ''[[The Tenant (novel)|The Tenant]]''.
*1979 – Plays the role of Renfield in [[Werner Herzog]]'s film ''[[Nosferatu the Vampyre]]''.
*1983 – Creates with [[Henri Xhonneux]] the popular French television series ''[[Téléchat]]'', a [[parody]] of [[News broadcasting|news broadcasts]] featuring [[puppet]]s of a cat and an [[ostrich]].
*1989 – With Henri Xhonneux co-writes the screenplay for the film ''[[Marquis (film)|Marquis]]'', loosely based on the life and writings of [[Marquis de Sade]]. The cast consisted of actors in period costumes with animal [[mask]]s, with a separate puppet for de Sade's [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphised]] "bodily appendage."
*2011 – The Ian Potter Museum of Art at the [[University of Melbourne]] mounted a survey exhibition of 22 promotional posters designed by Roland Topor.<ref>[http://www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.au/ The Ian Potter Museum of Art] webpage</ref>

==Bibliography==
In 2010, the French publishing company United Dead Artists founded by [[Stéphane Blanquet]] published an oversized book "ReBonjour" on the work of Topor.<ref>[http://www.uniteddeadartists.com/site.php?type=P&id=35 United Dead Artist page on the Topor book] website</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://www.lambiek.net/artists/t/topor_roland.htm Lambiek Comiclopedia article]
*{{IMDb name|0867718}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110203190931/http://w3.multimedia.univ-tlse2.fr/topor/ Covers of works] by professor Gilles Methel and his student Marijan Rubesa from E.S.A.V./Université Toulouse II le Mirail
*[http://toporetmoi.over-blog.com/ The Very Rich Blog of Frantz Vaillant] (in French)
*[http://www.agoravox.fr/article.php3?id_article=33349 An interview (20-12-2007, in French) with Daniel Colagrossi about his then-recent book ''Topor traits'']

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Topor, Roland}}
[[Category:Roland Topor| ]]
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:Writers from Paris]]
[[Category:French people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:French editorial cartoonists]]
[[Category:French animators]]
[[Category:French comics artists]]
[[Category:French male screenwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century French painters]]
[[Category:French dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:French television writers]]
[[Category:French male film actors]]
[[Category:French film directors]]
[[Category:French satirical film directors]]
[[Category:French horror film directors]]
[[Category:French science fiction film directors]]
[[Category:French fantasy writers]]
[[Category:French black comedy comics]]
[[Category:French horror writers]]
[[Category:French fantasy artists]]
[[Category:French horror artists]]
[[Category:French satirists]]
[[Category:French erotic artists]]
[[Category:French surrealist artists]]
[[Category:French surrealist writers]]
[[Category:Jewish surrealist writers]]
[[Category:Jewish French artists]]
[[Category:Jewish humorists]]
[[Category:20th-century French novelists]]
[[Category:École des Beaux-Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Prix des Deux Magots winners]]
[[Category:Burials at Montparnasse Cemetery]]
[[Category:20th-century French male novelists]]
[[Category:French male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:French male songwriters]]
[[Category:Male television writers]]
[[Category:20th-century French screenwriters]]
[[Category:Writers who illustrated their own writing]]
[[Category:French television show creators]]
[[Category:20th-century French male artists]]

Roland Topor - Revision history

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