Jean Van Hamme

Born in Brussels on January 16th, 1939, Jean Van Hamme is a great artistic talent who holds degrees in finance, journalism, and civic law. After a brilliant international career, he left his job as general manager of Philips Belgium in 1976 to become a writer. While writing six novels based on the adventures of Largo Winch for Mercure de France, he also took up scriptwriting for the magazine Tintin, including strips for artist Attanasio (Modeste et Pompon), a mythological adventure (Epoxy), as well as episodes of Corentin for Paul Cuvelier, Michael Logan for André Beautemps, Domino for Cheret, Mr Magellan for Géri, and, for Dany, Arlequin and Histoire sans héros (Story Without a Hero, Cinebook/Europe Comics). He then started on the legendary Thorgal saga for Grzegorz Rosinski (Le Lombard, Cinebook/Europe Comics in English), with whom he later created Le Grand Pouvoir du Chninkel for Casterman. Afterward, he created the XIII series alongside Vance at Dargaud, and Les Maîtres de l'orge for Vallès at Éditions Glénat. We can also thank him for several television scripts (including the adaptation of Maîtres de l'Orge) as well as screenplays (Diva by Jean-Jacques Beneix and Meurtres à domicile by Marc Lobet). In 1987, he managed publisher Dupuis, launching the best-selling series Largo Winch with Philippe Francq, and devising what would later become the "Aire Libre" collection, for which he wrote the stories S.O.S. Bonheur (Authorised Happiness, Cinebook/Europe Comics), illustrated by Griffo, and Lune de guerre, with Hermann. Having mastered the techniques of popular storytelling, Van Hamme has become a scriptwriter who turns everything he writes into gold, including bringing the characters of Blake & Mortimer back to life in 1996 with illustrator Ted Benoît, continuing in the tradition of Edgar P. Jacobs. In addition to teaching at the Institut d'Arts de Diffusion (Louvain-la-Neuve), Van Hamme has also served as chairman of the Centre Belge de le Bande Dessinée.