Thursday, December 10, 2009

Georges Pichard

Georges Pichard (January 17, 1920 - June 7, 2003 in Paris, France) was a French comics artist, known for numerous BD magazine covers, serial publications and albums, stereotypically featuring partially exposed voluptuous women. Georges Pichard studied at l'École des Arts Appliqués in Paris. Later, he would return there as a teacher. He went into publishing, but in 1946 he switched to illustrating. He worked for various magazines, including Le Rire and Les Veillées des Chaumieres, and made his comic debut in 1956 with 'Miss Mimi' in La Semaine de Suzette. In 1964, he met writer Jacques Lob, with whom he created superhero parodies such as 'Ténébrax' (in Chouchou) and 'Submerman' (in Pilote), before entering the field in which he became famous - erotic comics. The first of this genre was 'Blanche Épiphanie', which he created with Lob for V Magazine in 1967. This was followed by 'Ulysse' in Linus (1968). Several of the series created by Pichard and Lob were later continued in other magazines, such as France-Soir, Charlie Mensuel and Phénix. In 1970, he created, together with writer George Wolinski, his most famous character: 'Paulette'. Many other round-breasted beauties followed her, like 'Caroline Choléra' (L'Écho des Savanes, 1976), 'Marie-Gabrielle' (Glénat, 1981) and 'Carmen' (Albin Michel, 1981). Pichard worked together with various writers, of whom Danie Dubos was one of the most interesting for her outstanding scenarios of among others 'Caroline Choléra', 'Lolly Strip' (Le Rire, 1966) and the non-erotic 'Bornéo Jo' (Charlie Mensuel, 1982). In addition, Pichard was present in Charlie Mensuel with 'Les Manufacturées' (script Feraldo) and the science-fiction story 'Je Réserve' (script Jean-Pierre Andrevon). With Andrevon he also created 'Ceux-la' for Editions du Square (1980). From 1978 he was present in Circus with 'L'Usine' and 'Les Sorcieres de Thesalie', and in B.D. with 'Alias'. He succeeded Magnus and illustrated the second volume of 'Cent Dix Pilules' in 1987, drew 'La Comtesse Rouge' for publisher Dominique Leroy (1985) and contributed 'Marlene et Jupiter' and 'La Belle Endormie' to magazine J'Ose (1987-88). Pichard adapted some of the world's famous erotic stories such as 'Mémoirs d'un Don Juan' by Guillaume Apollinaire (Albin Michel, 1991) and 'Le Kama-Soutra' by Vatsyayana (Dominique Leroy, 1991). With his series 'Madoline', 'Germinal' and 'La Religieuse', he was one of the main contributors to the magazine Love Comix, that started in 1993. Pichard's style is immediately recognizable: he draws tall, well-endowed women, whose starry eyes with excessive make-up give them a teutonian and gothic look. Apart from being a master of the erotic genre, Pichard also illustrated countless books and magazines, drew humor cartoons and made lithographs in his more than 40-year long career. He died in June, 2003.