Barly Baruti is a Congolese comics author artist, and probably the best-known African comic artist in Europe. He was born into a family of painters as Baruti Kandolo Lilela in Kisangani. He was working at the graphics departments of French cultural centres in Kisingani and Kinshasa, when he made 'Le Temps d'Agir' in 1982. This first comic book in commission, dealing with environmental issues, was followed by other similar works, like 'Le Village des Ventrus' and 'Aube Nouvelle à Mobo'. During the same period, he was invited by Michel Pierre, literary director of the French publisher Casterman, for an apprenticeship in Angoulême.