Belgian comics creator Hermann passed away on March 22nd. He was 97 years old. He had had a two year battle with cancer.
"Hermann Huppen, who signed with solely his first name, was one of the most popular Belgian artists. He took evening art courses at the Saint-Gilles in Brussels, and started out working as an interior designer, participating in the Expo 58, among other projects. He also worked in Montreal and New York for a short period. It was his brother-in-law Philippe Vandooren (the future editor-in-chief of Spirou) who introduced him to the field of comics. Vandooren assigned him to do a short story for the boy scout magazine Plein-Feu, of which he was the editor at the time. By 1964, Hermann joined the art studios of Michel Greg. During the same period, he illustrated some stories in the series 'Les Belles Histoires de l'Oncle Paul' for Spirou magazine.
"With Greg as his scriptwriter, Hermann broke through with the adventure series 'Bernard Prince' in Tintin in 1966. While continuing this series, he also did some independent stories, as well as the first episodes of the 'Jugurtha' series (written by Jean-Luc Vernal). In 1969, he started on a second series with Greg, the western 'Comanche'. More dramatic and hard-boiled than for instance 'Blueberry' and 'Jerry Spring', 'Comanche' ranks among the best series in the genre. After ten years, Hermann canceled his collaboration with Greg to begin series of his own.
"Hermann's first solo comic was the 'Jeremiah' series, which he initially created for the German publisher Koralle. This grim post-apocalyptic fantasy was an instant hit and remains Hermann's most famous work."
"European comics was rocked this past week following the news that Belgian comics auteur Hermann had died March 22, age 87, following a two year battle with cancer. The news went beyond specialised comics outlets, being widely reported in national newspapers across France, Belgium, and beyond. The Brussels Book Fair held a special tribute on March 29, and a ceremony for fans and mourners will take place April 1.
"His former publishers Dupuis and Lombard delivered the news, with Le Lombard saying,
"'It is with pain and sadness that Le Lombard regrets to announce the death of Hermann. A pillar of European comics…Le Lombard extend their heartfelt condolences to Hermann’s family, friends, and loved ones, especially his wife and his son Yves H., who was also his scriptwriter and closest collaborator. More broadly, the world of comics and all lovers of the 9th art have just lost a truly great author.'"
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