Joann Sfar  

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Joann Sfar (born August 28, 1971 in Nice) is a French comics artist and comic book creator.

Biography

Sfar is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L'Association which was founded in 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu and six other artists. He also worked together with many of the new movement's main artists, e.g. David B. and Lewis Trondheim. The Donjon series which he created with Trondheim has a cult following in many countries.

As the son of Jewish parents (an Ashkenazi mother and a Sephardic father) some of his comics are inspired by his Jewish heritage. He himself says that there is Ashkenazi humor in his Professeur Bell series (loosely based on Joseph Bell), whereas Le chat du rabbin is clearly inspired by his Sephardic side. Les olives noires is a series about a Jewish child in Palestine at the time of Jesus. Like Le chat du rabbin, the series contains a lot of historical and theological information.

His main influences are Fred and André Franquin as well as Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt and John Buscema.

Partial bibliography

• Petrus Barbygère (with Pierre Dubois, scenario)
  • L'elficologue (1996, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-082-2)
  • Le croquemitaine d'écume (1997, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-136-5)

• Les Potamoks (with José-Luis Munuera, art)
  • 1. Terra Incognita (1996, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-088-1)
  • 2. Les fontaines rouges (1996, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-110-1)
  • 3. Nous et le désert (1997, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-147-0)

• La Fille du professeur (1997, with Emmanuel Guibert (art), Dupuis, ISBN 2-8001-2481-4)
  • Published in English by First Second Books as The Professor's Daughter (2007), ISBN 159643130X

• Donjon (since 1998, with Lewis Trondheim and collective)

• Le petit monde du Golem (1998, L'Association, ISBN 2-909020-98-3)

• Troll (with Olivier Boiscommun, art)
  • 3. Mille et un ennuis (1999, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-276-0)

• Professeur Bell (from #3, with Hervé Tanquerelle, art)
  • 1. Le mexicain à deux têtes (1999, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-257-4)
  • 2. Les poupées de Jérusalem (2000, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-432-1)
  • 3. Le cargo du Roi Singe (2002, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-752-5)
  • 4. Promenade des Anglaises (2003, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84789-187-0)
  • 5. L'Irlande à bicyclette (2006, Delcourt, ISBN 2-7560-0013-2)

• Urani (2000, with David B, Dargaud, ISBN 2-2050-4795-7)

• Grand Vampire
  • 1. Cupidon s'en fout (2001, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-526-3)
  • 2. Mortelles en tête (2002, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-809-2)
  • 3. Transatlantique en solitaire (2002, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84055-941-2)
  • 4. Quai des brunes (2003, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84789-000-9)
    • Books 1-4 published in English as Vampire Loves (2006, First Second, ISBN 1596430931)
  • 5. La Communauté des magiciens (2004, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84789-262-1)
  • 6. Le peuple est un Golem (2005, Delcourt, ISBN 2-84789-494-2)

• Les olives noires (with Emmanuel Guibert, art)
  • 1. Pourquoi cette nuit est-elle différente des autres nuits? (2001, Dupuis, ISBN 2-8001-3149-7)
  • 2. Adam Harishon (2002, Dupuis, ISBN 2-8001-3220-5)
  • 3. Tu ne mangeras pas le chevreau dans le lait de sa mère (2003, Dupuis, ISBN 2-8001-3378-3)

• Le chat du rabbin
  • 1. La Bar-Mitsva (2002, Dargaud, ISBN 2-205-05207-1)
  • 2. Le Malka des Lions (2002, Dargaud, ISBN 2-205-05369-8)
  • 3. L'exode (2003, Dargaud, ISBN 2-205-05497-X)
    • Books 1-3 published in English as The Rabbi's Cat (2005, Pantheon, ISBN 0-375-42281-1)
  • 4. Le Paradis Terrestre (2005, Dargaud, ISBN 2-205-05725-1)
  • 5. Jérusalem d'Afrique (2006, Dargaud, ISBN 2-205-05868-1)
    • Books 4-5 published in English as The Rabbi's Cat 2 (2008, Pantheon, ISBN 0-375-42507-1)

• Klezmer
  • 1. Conquête de l'Est (2005, Gallimard, ISBN 2-07-057309-5)
  • 2. Bon anniversaire Scylla (2006, Gallimard, ISBN 2-07-057552-7)
  • 3. Tous des voleurs! (2007, Gallimard, ISBN 2-07-057868-2)

Awards

• 1998: Award for First Comic Book and René Goscinny Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, France
• 2000: Nominated for Best Comic Book and for the Youth Award (9 to 12 years) at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
  • Nominated for the Best Long Comic Strip at the Haxtur Awards, Spain
  • Nominated for Best International Writer at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Germany
• 2001: Nominated for Best Scenario and for the Humour Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 2002: Nominated for Best Artwork and the Canal BD Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 2003: Oecumenic Jury Award and Polish award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
  • Nominated for Best Comic Book, for the Canal BD Award, and for the Prix de la critique at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 2004: Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême: 30th anniversary prize, France
  • Award for Best Youth Album (7 to 8 years) at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
  • Best International Series at the Prix Saint-Michel, Belgium
  • Nominated for Best Series at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
  • Best International Writer at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Germany
• 2005: Nominated for Best Artwork at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 2006: Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material at the Eisner Awards, United States
  • Nominated for the Audience Award and for Best Series at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 2007: Sproing Award, for Best Foreign translated material, Rabbinerens katt (Le chat du rabbin), Norway
  • Nominated for Outstanding Series at the Ignatz Awards, United States