André Franquin

André Franquin was a Belgian cartoonist and illustrator, born on January 3, 1924, in Etterbeek, Belgium, and died on January 5, 1997, in Saint-Laurent-du-Var, France. He is best known for creating the comic strip characters Gaston Lagaffe and Marsupilami, as well as for his work on the Spirou et Fantasio series. Franquin began his career at the age of 20 when he joined the team at the Le Journal de Spirou, a weekly Franco-Belgian comics magazine. He took over the Spirou et Fantasio series from Jijé in 1946 and continued to work on it until 1969, during which time he introduced the character of Gaston Lagaffe in 1957. Gaston Lagaffe is a bumbling office junior known for his inventive but often disastrous attempts to make office life more interesting. The series was groundbreaking in its use of humor and its satirical take on the mundanity of office life.

In 1952, Franquin created the Marsupilami, a fictional animal with a long, prehensile tail, which first appeared in the Spirou et Fantasio adventure Spirou et les héritiers. The character proved to be so popular that it later starred in its own series. Franquin's work is characterized by its fluid lines, expressive characters, and imaginative, often surreal, humor. He is considered one of the greatest cartoonists of the 20th century and has been a significant influence on subsequent generations of comic artists. Franquin's work has been recognized with several awards, including the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême in 1974, one of the most prestigious awards in the comic book industry. His legacy continues to be celebrated, and his characters remain beloved by fans around the world.