Frank Pé
Encyclopedia
Frank Pé, often signing solely as Frank (15 July 1956) is a Belgian
comic book artist
, best known for Broussaille and Zoo.
in Brussels
(with costudents like Bernard Hislaire
), he began to create comics and illustrations for Spirou
, specializing in articles about animals. The fictional presenter of these stories, an adolescent named Broussaille, later got his own series, putting Frank in the limelight.
In the meantime, he also created L'élan, a moose whose aim in life is to have his own comic and his own albums. His first graphic novel
was the one-shot Comme un animal en cage (Like an Animal in a Cage), written by Thierry Martens, then editor-in-chief at Spirou. Since 1994, he has worked on his two main series: Zoo, planned as a trilogy, and Broussaille. Zoo is a romantic and nostalgic series, while Broussaille is contemporary, allowing the author to intertwine it with his own life - featuring adventures in Brussels and in countries he has visited, such as Japan
.
Frank is a slow worker, having only published 10 albums in 22 years. Over that time he has also contributed to the Warner Bros. Animation
movie Quest for Camelot
, but not much of his work was kept in the final film. He also makes sculptures in bronze, and has produced many illustrations for Scouting
calendars. In 1993, he developed the series Matur for Kodansha
.
As his main influences, he cites comics artists like André Franquin
, Dany
and Wasterlain, but also different artists like the sculptor Auguste Rodin
, the painter Egon Schiele
, and the cineast Andrei Tarkovsky
. Apart from art and comics, his main interest is animals. He has raised 50 reptiles, including 16 crocodiles.
In 1991, a mural painting of Broussaille was unveiled in Brussels. It was the first in a long series of now over 30 murals celebrating comic heroes in the city.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
comic book artist
Comic Book Artist
Comic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
, best known for Broussaille and Zoo.
Biography
Frank Pé was born in Ixelles in 1956. After studying sculpture for three years at the Institut Saint-LucInstitut Saint-Luc
The Institut Saint-Luc is an arts school in Brussels. It consists of six departments, with a total of 2200 students and some 430 employees, divided over five locations in Ixelles and Saint-Gilles.-History:...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(with costudents like Bernard Hislaire
Bernard Hislaire
Bernard Hislaire is a Belgian comic book creator. He is also known as Sylaire and as Yslaire, his current artist name.-Biography:...
), he began to create comics and illustrations for Spirou
Spirou (magazine)
Spirou magazine is a weekly Belgian comics magazine published by the Dupuis company...
, specializing in articles about animals. The fictional presenter of these stories, an adolescent named Broussaille, later got his own series, putting Frank in the limelight.
In the meantime, he also created L'élan, a moose whose aim in life is to have his own comic and his own albums. His first graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
was the one-shot Comme un animal en cage (Like an Animal in a Cage), written by Thierry Martens, then editor-in-chief at Spirou. Since 1994, he has worked on his two main series: Zoo, planned as a trilogy, and Broussaille. Zoo is a romantic and nostalgic series, while Broussaille is contemporary, allowing the author to intertwine it with his own life - featuring adventures in Brussels and in countries he has visited, such as Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Frank is a slow worker, having only published 10 albums in 22 years. Over that time he has also contributed to the Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation is the animation division of Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner. The studio is closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, among others. The studio is the successor to Warner Bros...
movie Quest for Camelot
Quest for Camelot
Quest for Camelot is a 1998 animated feature film from Warner Bros. Animation, based on the novel The King's Damosel by Vera Chapman, starring the voices of Jessalyn Gilsig, Cary Elwes, Gary Oldman, Eric Idle, Don Rickles, Jane Seymour, Pierce Brosnan, Bronson Pinchot, Jaleel White, Gabriel Byrne,...
, but not much of his work was kept in the final film. He also makes sculptures in bronze, and has produced many illustrations for Scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
calendars. In 1993, he developed the series Matur for Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
.
As his main influences, he cites comics artists like André Franquin
André Franquin
André Franquin was an influential Belgian comics artist, whose best known comic strip creations are Gaston and Marsupilami, created while he worked on the Spirou et Fantasio comic strip from 1947 to 1969, during a period seen by many as the series' golden age.-Franquin's beginnings:Franquin was...
, Dany
Dany (comics)
Dany, pseudonym for Daniel Henrotin is a Belgian comic book artist, best known for Olivier Rameau and Ça vous intéresse?.-Biography:...
and Wasterlain, but also different artists like the sculptor Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
, the painter Egon Schiele
Egon Schiele
Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, Schiele was a major figurative painter of the early 20th century. His work is noted for its intensity, and the many self-portraits the artist produced...
, and the cineast Andrei Tarkovsky
Andrei Tarkovsky
Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky was a Soviet and Russian filmmaker, writer, film editor, film theorist, theatre and opera director, widely regarded as one of the finest filmmakers of the 20th century....
. Apart from art and comics, his main interest is animals. He has raised 50 reptiles, including 16 crocodiles.
Awards
- 1985: Alpages in SierreSierreSierre is the capital of the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of 14,355.It is situated on the French–German language border of the canton of Wallis...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... - 1989: Grand Prix de GrenobleGrenobleGrenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, Switzerland - 1990: Christian Comic AwardAngoulême International Comics Festival Religious awardA variety of religious awards has been presented to comics at the Angoulême International Comics Festival between 1985 and 2003.-1980s:* 1985: Christian testimony award: Le transperceneige by Rochette and Jacques Lob, Casterman...
and Audience AwardAngoulême International Comics Festival Prize Awarded by the AudienceThis Prize Awarded by the Audience is awarded to comics authors at the Angoulême International Comics Festival since 1989.The prize was known as Alph-Art du public from 1989-2003, the Prix du public from 2004-2006, and since 2007 the Essentiel FNAC-SNCF, since it is sponsored by the retailer Fnac...
at the Angoulême International Comics FestivalAngoulême International Comics FestivalThe Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... - 1996: Best imported comic at the Max & Moritz PrizesMax & Moritz PrizesThe Max & Moritz Prize is a prize for comic books, comic strips, and other similar materials which has been awarded at each of the biennial International Comics Shows of Erlangen since 1984...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
In 1991, a mural painting of Broussaille was unveiled in Brussels. It was the first in a long series of now over 30 murals celebrating comic heroes in the city.
Source
- Béra, Michel; Denni, Michel; and Mellot, Philippe (2002): "Trésors de la Bande Dessinée 2003-2004". ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Les éditions de l'amateur. ISBN 2-85917-357-9