Urbanus

This article is about the Belgian artist. For the Belgian comic strip, see Urbanus (comics). For the popes, see Pope Urban (disambiguation). For the skipper butterfly genus, see Urbanus (genus). For 3rd century Roman usurper, see Urbanus (Roman usurper).

Urbain Servranckx
Urbain Servranckx signing an Urbanus comic (2004) Urbain Servranckx, (2004)
Born	(1949-06-07) 7 June 1949 Dilbeek, Belgium
Other names	Urbain, Urbanus van Anus
Occupation	actor, comedian, singer

Urbain Servranckx (born 7 June 1949), better known as Urbanus, is a Belgian stand-up comedian, actor, singer and comic book writer.

Career

Urbanus, artist's name of Urbain Joseph Servranckx (Dilbeek, June 7, 1949) is a Belgian comedian, singer, guitarist, author of comic books and actor. Originally he used the artist name: Urbanus van Anus. Anus was the name of his former backing group.

In Flanders and the Netherlands Urbanus is well-known and very popular since 1974. Although he's most famous as comedian, some of his songs became famous and were massively played. Such as Bakske vol met stro (1979), Madammen met een bontjas (1980) and Hittentit (1982).

Until 2008 there were three films in which he played the leading role, Hector (1987), Koko Flanel (1990) and Seventh Heaven (1993). The two first films were the leaders in the Flemish box offices for many years. His first movie Hector (directed by Stijn Coninx) won the 1988 international comedy film festival in Chamrousse, France. He also was named best actor by Radio France and Dauphiné Libéré. Seventh Heaven was a box office bomb.

More recently, Urbanus lend his voice for the Flemish versions of the Pixar movies, Cars and Cars 2, where he was the voice of the character Mater.

In 1982, Urbanus and Willy Linthout began writing a comic book series about Urbanus: Urbanus, with an adolescent version of himself as the main character. As of 2007, more than 121 such comic books have been published. He's also the productive scenarist of the series De Geverniste Vernepelingskes, Plankgas en Plastronneke and Mieleke Melleke Mol.

For his political comments during the 2007 Belgian government formation crisis, he received the Prize of Liberty, an annual award delivered by the think tank Nova Civitas, in January 2008.

His humoristic style can be described as absurd, folksy, subversive, anarchic, childish, morbid, sometimes vulgar and populist.

Discography

Albums

File:Urbanus 1979 1.jpg

Urbanus in 1979

Year	Album	Peak positions		Note
		BEL-FL Ultratop 50	NED Album Top 100
1974	Urbanus van Anus leevend	–	–
1975	Urbanus van anus in de weide / op de vijver	–	–
1977	Drie sprookjes	–	–
1978	Volle maan	–	–
1979	Is er toevallig een Urbanus in de zaal?	–	24	Live album
1982	Urbanus VI	–	20	Live album
1983	Tien jaar live	–	26	Live album / Compilation album
1985	Urbanus' plezantste	–	10	Live album / Compilation album
	Donders en bliksems	–	–
1986	In 't echt!	–	31	Live album
1995	Iedereen beroemd	–	–
2007	Urbanus Vobiscum	–	–	Tribute album
2010	Wie dit leest is zot!	7	–
2011	Goe poeier!	2	–
2013	Wan troe tie!	4	–

Singles

File:Urbanus 1985 1.jpg

Urbanus in 1985

Year	Album	Peak positions				Notes
		BEL-FL Ultratop 50	BEL-FL Ultratip	NED Dutch Top 40	NED Single Top 100
1979	"Bakske vol met stro"	1	–	–	–
1980	"Quand les zosiaux chantent dans le bois"	3	–	–	–
1982	"Kodazuur"	39	–	–	50
1982	"Hittentit"	24	–	–	50
1983	"Awel Mercie"	27	–	–	–
1984	"Scratchin' zwaantjes"	10	–	–	–
1994	"Poesje stoei"	8	–	15	12
1995	"De paashaas"	12	–	–	–
2007	"CO2 prostituee"	–	16	–	–
2013	"Zetpilcar"	–	2	–	–	with Isolde Lasoen

Films

Urbanus produced and appeared in several movies:

• Hector (1988)
• Koko Flanel (1990)
• Les Sept péchés capitaux (1992)
• De Zevende Hemel (1993)
• Max (1994)
• Suske en Wiske: De duistere diamant (2004)
• K3 en het IJsprinsesje (2007)

Urbanus did voices for the following movies:

• March of the Penguins (2005) - narration for the Dutch version
• Cars (2006) - voice of Mater for the Flemish version

External links

• Official website
• urbanusstrips.blogspot.com Urbanus comic books