sentences:  However, as the series evolved and grew more dramatic and mature, Spip's role was greatly reduced, his comments becoming less frequent until he stopped talking entirely.In later albums he's more or less a background character, still always by Spirou's side but seldom noticed by anyone.This was even parodied in "Spirou à Moscou", where he after a kidnapping spends much of the story with a Band-Aid covering his mouth, and Spirou and Fantasio don't notice it.