René Follet

René Follet
Born (1931-04-10) 10 April 1931
Brussels, Belgium
Nationality Belgian
Area(s) artist
Pseudonym(s) Ref
Notable works
 Les Zingari
Yvan Zourine
Steve Severin
Terreur
Awards full list

René Follet (born 10 April 1931), sometimes known by the pen name Ref, is a Belgian illustrator, comics writer and artist.

Biography

René Follet was born in Brussels in 1931.[1] His first publication appeared when he was 14, illustrating a promotional issue of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island for Aiglon, a chocolate factory. In 1949, he started working for the two main Franco-Belgian comics magazines of that time, Tintin and Spirou. For both, he collaborated on the series of 4 page historical stories which functioned as a starting point for many young artists like Jean Graton and Hermann Huppen. He also provided numerous illustrations for both magazines, as well as books for Casterman publishing.[1]

In his long cartooning career, spanning over 50 years, Follet never had a long-running or particularly successful series, but his many shorter series and one-shots have earned him the acclaim of many of his peers.[2] He has worked for the Dutch magazine Eppo, and for the major publishing houses in Belgium and France, including Dupuis, Le Lombard, and Glénat. He has also worked as the main penciller for artists Mitacq and William Vance, and has made a long promotional comic for Citroën.[1] At the beginning of his career, he was asked by Edgar Pierre Jacobs to help him draw Blake and Mortimer, but Follet refused because Jacobs didn't want Follet's name to included in the credits.[2]

As an illustrator he works in pencil, acrylic, and other materials, and as a cartoonist is considered a master of the realistic and picturesque drawing style, or as he has been dubbed, "the 'most famous unknown' great master of the 9th art".[1][3]

His major influences are Jijé, whose series Valhardi he continued for two albums, and the Dutch comics artist Hans G. Kresse (known for his American Indian series 'Les Peaux-Rouges' published by Casterman).[2]

Bibliography

Comics

Series Years Volumes Writer Editor Remarks
Bruno Brazil 1973–1977 5 Greg Magic-Strip William Vance drew the comics, Follet provided the page lay-out
Ivan Zourine 1979 2 Jacques Stoquart Magic-Strip
Steve Severin 1981–2003 9 Jacques Stoquart and Yvan Delporte Glénat 3 in French - 6 additional in Dutch
L'Iliade 1982 1 Jacques Stoquart Glénat Adapted from the Ilias by Homer
Jacques Le Gall 1984–1985 2 Jean-Michel Charlier Dupuis A collaboration with MiTacq
Valhardi 1984–1986 2 Jacques Stoquart and André-Paul Duchâteau Dupuis Continuation of the series after Jijé and Eddy Paape
Alain Brisant 1985 1 Maurice Tillieux Dupuis
Edmund Bell 1987–1990 4 Jacques Stoquart and Martin Lodewijk Cl. Lefrancq Based on the stories by John Flanders (Jean Ray)
Daddy 1991-92 2 Loup Durand Cl. Lefrancq
Bob Morane 1991–2000 3 Henri Vernes Nautilus and Claude Lefrancq Follet drew one story in 2000, and made the cover art for two others (drawn by Gerald Forton)
Harricana 1992 1 Jean-Claude de la Royère Claude Lefrancq Drawn by Denis Mérezette, Follet did the page lay-out
Marshall Blueberry 1994 1 Jean Giraud Alpen Drawn by William Vance, Follet did the page lay-out
Ikar 1995–1997 2 Pierre Makyo Glénat
Les autos de l'aventure 1996–1998 2 De la Royère Citroën Promotional comics
Terreur 2002–2004 2 André-Paul Duchâteau Le Lombard Fictional biography of Madame Tussaud
Les zingari 2004–2005 2 Yvan Delporte Hibou
Shelena 2005 1 Jéromine Pasteur Casterman
L'étoile du soldat 2007 1 Christophe De Ponfilly Casterman Announced (28 August 2007)[4]
L'affaire Dominici 2010 1 Pascal Bresson Glénat

Book illustrations

According to Follet, illustrations are too short in comics; so he also illustrates novels or history books :

He has also worked:

Awards

Sources

Footnotes
  1. 1 2 3 4 De Weyer, Geert (2005). "René Follet". In België gestript, pp. 110-111. Tielt: Lannoo.
  2. 1 2 3 Interview with ZozoLala magazine (Dutch)
  3. ↑ or as the website Evene puts it:
    "le plus 'célèbre méconnu' des grands maîtres du 9e art."
  4. ↑ Casterman site
  5. ↑ Biography at Bédétheque

External links

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