French cartoonist André Juillard has passed at the age of 76. André was a prolific cartoonist and perhaps best known for his historical comic books. He was awarded the Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême in 1996. The prize is considered the most prestigious award in Franco-Belgian comics.
According to Lambiek website, André was a student of Jean-Claude Mézières and Jean Giraud while attending the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The two instructors are best known for their science fiction and American Western comics.
Artwork above by André Juillard
From The Brussels Times:
[His] received widespread acclaim for his historical adventure saga set in the era of Henry IV, ‘The Seven Lives of the Sparrowhawk’, comprised seven volumes written by Patrick Cothias and published by Glénat from 1983 to 1991.
While Juillard was adept at storytelling through others’ words, he also ventured into solo projects, attempting contemporary storytelling with ‘The Blue Notebook’ in 1994. This tale of crossed love and misunderstandings earned him the award for the best French album at the International Comics Festival of Angoulême in 1995.
The article also mentions André had been working on the next volume of the long running Blake and Mortimer comic. The work, entitled Signed Olrik, will be published later this year.
Notable awards:
- 1995: Award for Best Album at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, France
- 1996: Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême, France
- 1997: nominated for Best Cover at the Haxtur Awards, Spain
- 2000: Best Short Comic Strip at the Haxtur Awards
- 2006: nominated for the Grand Prix Saint-Michel, Belgium
- 2007: nominated for the Grand Prix Saint-Michel, Belgium