Jean-Jacques Sempé facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jean-Jacques Sempé |
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Sempé in 2011
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| Born | 17 August 1932 Pessac, France |
| Died | 11 August 2022 (aged 89) Draguignan, France |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist |
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Notable works
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Le Petit Nicolas |
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| Children | Inga Sempé |
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Jean-Jacques Sempé, often known simply as Sempé, was a famous French cartoonist. He was born on August 17, 1932, and passed away on August 11, 2022. Sempé is best known for the popular children's book series Le Petit Nicolas (Little Nicholas), which he created with writer René Goscinny.
His drawings often showed detailed landscapes or cities from a distance. They looked like posters. For many years, he also created more than a hundred covers for The New Yorker magazine.
Contents
Sempé's Early Life and First Jobs
Sempé was born in Pessac, a town near Bordeaux, France. He was first raised by foster parents, but later his mother took him back. When he was young, he had some challenges. He was expelled from school and didn't pass exams for jobs at the post office, a bank, or the railways.
He then found work selling tooth powder door-to-door. He also delivered wine by bicycle in the Gironde region. In 1950, he joined the French Army by saying he was older than he was. He explained that it was "the only place that would give me a job and a bed." He sometimes got into trouble for drawing when he was supposed to be on guard duty. When his real age was found out, he was discharged from the army. After this, he moved to Paris and started working with René Goscinny. Sempé lived most of his life in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris.
Sempé's Amazing Art Career
Sempé's career began in France, where he worked in the world of Franco-Belgian comics. His unique drawings, often watercolors or single sketches, slowly became famous around the world. These drawings were special because the characters often didn't speak with words. Instead, they told a rich story through pictures alone. In 1952, he won his first award. This award was given to help young amateur artists become professionals.
For many years, Sempé's full-page cartoons appeared in Paris Match magazine. In the 1950s, Sempé became good friends with René Goscinny, who later created the famous Asterix comics. Together, Sempé and Goscinny created the character "Little Nicolas" in 1959.
The Story of Little Nicholas
The Le Petit Nicolas stories first appeared in Le Moustique magazine in 1954. Sempé used his own childhood memories to illustrate these comics. In 1960, Le Petit Nicolas was published in Pilote magazine. At that time, these stories were quite new for children's literature. They focused on the experiences of a child, rather than an adult's view of the world. Sempé usually drew something every day, but he rarely drew directly from real life. He would put sketches aside if he got bored with them.
Sempé's International Recognition
Sempé's artwork has appeared on the cover of The New Yorker magazine over a hundred times, starting in 1978. He also illustrated the 1991 story Die Geschichte von Herrn Sommer by Patrick Süskind. The Le Petit Nicolas series has been translated into 30 different languages, showing how popular it is worldwide.
In 2006, some of his drawings were translated into English by Anthea Bell. These were published in four books: Nothing is Simple (originally from 1962), Everything is Complicated (1963), Sunny Spells (1999), and Mixed Messages (2003). To celebrate his 80th birthday, the Wilhelm Busch Museum held an exhibition of his work in 2012.
In 2022, an animated film called Little Nicholas: Happy As Can Be was made. It was based on Sempé's drawings from the Le Petit Nicolas series. This film was a wonderful tribute to both Sempé and Goscinny.
Sempé's Family and Legacy
Sempé was married three times. His marriages to artists Christina Courtois and Mette Ivers ended in divorce. He had a daughter, Inga Sempé, from his second marriage. In 2017, he married Martine Gossieaux, who used to be his agent.
Sempé passed away on August 11, 2022, at the age of 89. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, shared a message on Twitter. He wrote, "Tender irony, the delicatesse of intelligence, the jazz: we will not be able to forget Sempé." This shows how much Sempé's art and personality were appreciated.
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Jacques Sempé para niños
