Tartarin

Émile-Joseph Porphyre Pinchon started painting at an early age and became the pupil of Cormon and Albert Besnard. His work was exposed in the annual salon of the National Art Society in 1893. For financial reasons, he decided to become an illustrator for the press, and his first drawings appeared in Le Petit Journal de la Jeunesse in 1904. His most important comic work is 'Bécassine', which he started in the first issue of the magazine La Semaine de Suzette in 1905, from a scenario by Caumery (pseudonym of Maurice Languereau). This series, which appeared in a collection in 1913 by publisher Gautier-Languereau, became an enormous success. In World War II, Pinchon was present in Fillette and Fanfan la Tulipe. After the war, Pinchon started a collaboration with Belgian magazine Wrill, for which he created comics like 'Gilles du Maquis', 'Gringalou', 'Olive et Bengali', 'Suzel' and many others. He revived 'Frimousset in Le Petit Canard in 1946 and additionally worked for France-Soir Jeudi ('Patounet, Giboulard et Cie', 1946-47), Sabord (1947-49), Âmes Vaillantes (1948-49) and Lisette (1950). Émile-Joseph Pinchon was an important pioneer among the French-Belgian comic artists, working in a pure, realistic style. His art style later inspired the Ligne Claire ('clear line') style, of which Hergé was one of the most important representatives.