René Follet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids René Follet |
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|---|---|
| Born | 10 April 1931 Brussels, Belgium |
| Died | 13 March 2020 (aged 88) 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 April 10, 1931 – died March 13, 2020) was a talented Belgian artist. He was known for his amazing illustrations and for creating comics. Sometimes, he used the pen name Ref.
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Who Was René Follet?
René Follet was born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1931. He started his career very early! When he was just 14 years old, he illustrated a special edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's famous book, Treasure Island. This was for a chocolate company called Aiglon.
Starting His Comics Journey
In 1949, René Follet began working for two of the biggest Franco-Belgian comics magazines: Tintin and Spirou. For both magazines, he helped create short, 4-page historical stories. These stories were a great way for many young artists, like Jean Graton and Hermann Huppen, to start their careers.
Besides comics, Follet also drew many pictures for these magazines. He also illustrated books for a publisher called Casterman.
A Master of Drawing
René Follet had a very long career in comics, lasting over 50 years! Even though he didn't have one super-famous, long-running comic series, his many shorter series and single stories were highly praised by other artists.
He worked for a Dutch magazine called Eppo. He also drew for major publishing companies in Belgium and France, such as Dupuis, Le Lombard, and Glénat. He even helped other artists, like Mitacq and William Vance, with their drawings. He also created a long comic story to promote the car company Citroën.
Early in his career, a famous artist named Edgar P. Jacobs asked René Follet to help him draw Blake and Mortimer. However, Follet said no because Jacobs didn't want to give him credit for his work.
René Follet was known for his realistic and detailed drawing style. People called him "the 'most famous unknown' great master of the 9th art," which means he was a brilliant artist that many people admired, even if his name wasn't always widely known. He used pencils, acrylic paints, and other materials for his illustrations.
His Artistic Inspirations
Two artists greatly influenced René Follet's work. One was Jijé, whose comic series Valhardi Follet continued for two albums. The other was a Dutch comics artist named Hans G. Kresse, famous for his American Indian series 'Les Peaux-Rouges'.
René Follet passed away on March 13, 2020, at the age of 88.
Awards and Recognition
René Follet received several awards for his amazing work:
- 1975: He was named "Revelation of the year" at the Prix Saint-Michel in Brussels. This award recognizes new and exciting talent.
- 1998: He won the Tournesol Award for his comic Ikar 2 at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France. This is a very important comics festival.
- 2003: He received the Grand Prix for drawing from the Belgian Chamber of Comics Experts.
- 2006: He was nominated for "best artwork" at the Prix Saint-Michel again.
See also
In Spanish: René Follet para niños
