Zep
Zep (born December 15, 1967) is the pseudonym of Philippe Chappuis, a comics creator from Switzerland, known for his series Titeuf, a popular character in French-speaking countries, and Tchô!, the associated Franco-Belgian comics magazine.
Zep | |
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Zep in 2015 | |
Born | Philippe Chappuis December 15, 1967 Geneva, Switzerland |
Nationality | Swiss |
Area(s) | artist, writer |
Notable works | Titeuf Victor |
Awards | full list |
Biography
Chappuis' pseudonym derives from the first BD magazine he created at age twelve, named "Zep" in honour of Led Zeppelin (a fan of Bob Dylan, references to his musical tastes are often found in his comics). His career began with gags published in Spirou magazine in 1987, and the character Victor which started appearing in 1988.[1]
At first struggling to find publication, the series Titeuf was initially published in the fanzine Sauve qui peut ("Escape those who can") before it was noticed by Glénat executive Jean-Claude Camano.[2] Zep joined Glénat in 1992, and first Titeuf book Dieu, le sexe et les bretelles (God, Sex And Suspenders) appeared in 1993 and sold only a few thousand copies, but the following books have gradually won over a huge readership, outselling traditional French favorites such as Astérix and Lucky Luke.[3] Today 11 million copies of the series have been sold, and the series is considered the greatest moneymaker in the French comics market.[4] Titeuf books have been translated into 15 languages, including Chinese, Italian and German. In the UK, Titeuf appeared under the name Tootuff in The Dandy.
The name "Titeuf" ostensibly derives from French tête d'oeuf (egg-head), but it could also be the familiar, contracted and inverted (verlan) form of petite fête (little party).
Zep designed the album cover of Jean-Jacques Goldman's record Chanson pour les pieds (2001).[5]
Bibliography
- Victor n’en rate pas une, 1988
- Léon Coquillard, scenario by Gilli, 1990
- Kradok : Amanite Bunker, scenario by Leglode, 1991
- Les amours contrariées de Calin et Labelle, 1995
- Les filles électriques, 1997
- L’enfer des concerts, 1999
- Mes héros de la Bande Dessinée, 2001
- Le Guide du zizi sexuel, scenario by Hélène Bruller, 2001
- Les mini-justiciers (The Minimighty Kids), scenario by Hélène Bruller, 2003
- Petite poésie des saisons, 2005
- Découpé en tranches, 2006
- Portraits de famille, scenario by Benoît Mouchart, 2006
- Titeuf
- Dieu, le sexe et les bretelles, 1993
- L’amour c’est pô propre, 1993
- Ça épate les filles, 1994
- C’est pô juste, 1995
- Titeuf et le derrière des choses, 1996
- Tchô, monde cruel, 1997
- Le miracle de la vie, 1998
- Lâchez-moi le slip, 2000
- La loi du préau, 2002
- Nadia se marie, 2004
- Mes meilleurs copains, 2006
- Le sens de la vie, 2008
- À la folie, 2012
- Bienvenue en adolescence, 2015
- Captain Biceps, art by Tébo
- L'invincible, 2004
- Le redoutable, 2005
- L'invulnérable, 2006
Awards
- 1993: Sierre Comics Festival Prix de l'humour[6]
- 1995: Livres Hebdo Prix Jeunesse
- 1996: Angoulême Festival, Alph Art jeunesse, for C'est pô juste![7]
- 1996: Sierre Comics Festival Prix du public
- 2003: Angoulême Festival Audience Award
- 2004: Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême and Angoulême Festival Best promotional comic
- 2007: Prix Canal J for best youth comic for Titeuf[8]
- 2009: Prix Canal J for Titeuf[8]
Notes
- Lambiek Comiclopedia. "Zep".
- TV5Monde. "Émission du 22 mars" (in French). Archived from the original on 2007-09-30.
- Ratier, Gilles. "ACBD bilan 2006: the new Titeuf had an initial run of 1,8 million copies in French alone, making it the best selling album of the year". ACBD.fr. Archived from the original on 2007-03-05. Retrieved 2007-02-08.
- Castrillón, Marcos. "Beyond Borders – Not That Innocent". Ninth Art.
- "Zep". lambiek.net.
- France-Jeunes.net. "Titeuf" (in French).
- ActuaBD. "Titeuf : les secrets d'un triomphe" (in French).
- "Titeuf – "Le Sens de la vie", Prix CANAL J 2009 du Meilleur Album Jeunesse" (in French). BDZoom. 27 April 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
Sources
- Zep publications in Spirou BDoubliées (in French)
- Zep albums Bedetheque (in French)
External links
- Zep biography on Lambiek Comiclopedia
- Zep official site (in French)
- Zep site on Glénat (in French)
- Tchô official site (in French)