Laudec is a Belgian comic artist with Italian origins, who is a longtime contributor to Spirou magazine. He was born Antonio "Tony" de Luca in Spezzano, Italy, but he has lived in Belgium since he was four years old. He grew up in Liège, while his father worked as a miner in the surrounding villages. He studied electromechanics and worked as an industrial draughtsman with a factory in Charleroi from the age of 22, while attempting to build a career as a comic artist. He published his first stories, such as 'Les Cornichons', in local fanzines like À Propos, Bhof and Outfi! in 1976 and 1977.
