A Royal Prisoner

Marcel Allain (1885 - 1969) was a French writer remembered for his co-creation with Pierre Souvestre of the fictional arch-villain and master criminal Fant"mas. Allain studied law before becoming a journalist. In February 1911, Allain and Souvestre began the Fant"mas book series at the request of publisher ArthŠme Fayard, who wanted to create a new monthly pulp magazine. The series was an immediate success. Pierre Souvestre (1874- 1914) was a French lawyer, journalist, and writer. One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantomas appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then in 11 volumes written by Allain alone. The character was also the basis of various film, television, and comic book adaptations.