The Art of Serge Clerc (Métal Hurlant, Spirou)

Subscribe for more! Serge Clerc began his professional career in 1975 in the monthly magazine Métal Hurlant, after having created his own fanzine, Abolutely Live. Initially a science-ficion artist, his story, 'Captain Futur', appeared in book format in 1979 by Les Humanöides Associés. He also succeeded Enki Bilal on the graphical part of 'L'Exterminateur 17' (script by Jean-Pierre Dionnet). Influenced by Tardi, Sire and Voss, his style soon became transformed into the clear line and atomic style well-known by artists like Chaland, Ever Meulen and Swarte. Cooperating with Philippe Manoeuvre, Clerc became one of the main representatives of the "BD Rock" scene, together with Ben Radis, Dodo and Frank Margerin. In 1984, when the book 'La Legende du Rock & Roll' appeared, it was noticed by the British pop magazine Melody Maker, for which Clerc became a freelance illustrator. His artwork also appeared in other (international) music magazines, such as Rock & Folk (France), New Musical Express (UK) and OOR (The Netherlands). Meanwhile, his stories still appeared in Métal Hurlant until the magazine came to an end in 1987. For the magazine Rock and Folk, he created the detective 'Phil Perfect' and his alter ego 'Sam Bronx', a series also printed in Métal Hurlant and books by Les Humanoïdes Associés. Together with François Avril, Clerc also made contributions to the anthology 'Frank Margerin Présente'. In 1997, his story 'Les Limaces Rouges' appeared in the American Heavy Metal Magazine. In 1999, Serge Clerc made a comic comeback when he started publishing short stories again, such as 'Irresistible Ascension'. Clerc has been mainly active as an illustrator and designer in the 2000s, while his comic activities were limited to a series of anthology projects. In 2011, he published 'Spirou Vers la Modernité', an homage artbook to the classic character of the publishing house Dupuis, drawn by atomic style masters like Jijé and Franquin. Serge Clerc was a strong influence on Zep. His retro themed work has been used on music albums by The Fleshtones (Speed Connection), Carmel (The Drum Is Everything) and Joe Jackson (Big World), as well as on a number of other albums and singles. #comics #manga #drawing #art #cartoonist #books