William Vance
Encyclopedia
William Vance, the pen name of William van Cutsem, born 8 September 1935, is a Belgian comics artist
widely known throughout a long career for his distinctive style and work in Franco-Belgian comics
.
near Brussels
in 1935. After his military service in 1955-1956, he studied for four years at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
. Originally from Flanders, he worked most of his life in France, and moved later to Spain.
William Vance started drawing for the comics magazine
Tintin
in 1962. After drawing complete real life stories of four pages for a few years, he started work on his first series, Howard Flynn, written by Yves Duval. Three albums followed, before he created other short lived series such as the Western Ringo and Roderik. His first success followed with the series about secret agent Bruno Brazil
, written by Tintin's editor-in-chief Greg, as one of the comics that started the revival and repositioning of Tintin as a more adult oriented magazine.
From 1967 on, he continued the stories of Bob Morane
in Femmes d'aujourd'hui, a magazine aimed at adult women. This science fiction series, based on the novels by Henri Vernes
, was started by Dino Attanasio
and continued by Gerald Forton before Vance took over and made it a success. A few years later, the series moved to Tintin as well, and Vance was succeeded by his brother-in-law, Coria.
Vance meanwhile started two new series, Ramiro, with stories set in medieval Spain, and from 1976 onwards, Bruce J. Hawker, his personal favourite, starring a lieutenant with the Royal Navy.
His final breakthrough and largest commercial success came in 1984, when writer Jean Van Hamme
proposed a new series, XIII. First serialised in Spirou
, this series of contemporary adventures with action, violence, and complicated intrigues, let Vance draw upon his talent for realistic drawings, action scenes and exotic settings.
In 2010, Vance announces his retirement, due to Parkinson's disease.
Footnotes
Comics artist
A comics artist is an artist working within the comics medium on comic strips, comic books or graphic novels. The term may refer to any number of artists who contribute to produce a work in the comics form, from those who oversee all aspects of the work to those who contribute only a part.-Comic...
widely known throughout a long career for his distinctive style and work in Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics
Franco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
.
Biography
William Van Cutsem was born in AnderlechtAnderlecht
Anderlecht is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region.There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within the Anderlecht municipality.-Pronunciation:* Dutch: * French:...
near Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1935. After his military service in 1955-1956, he studied for four years at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
The Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels is an art school, founded in 1711.The faculty and alumni of ARBA include some of the most famous names in Belgian painting, sculpture, and architecture: James Ensor, Rene Magritte, and Paul Delvaux...
. Originally from Flanders, he worked most of his life in France, and moved later to Spain.
William Vance started drawing for the comics magazine
Franco-Belgian comics magazines
Belgium and France have a long tradition in comics. They have a common history for comics and magazines.In the early years of its history, magazines had a large place on the comics market and were often the only place where comics were published. Most of them were kids-targeted.In the 1970s,...
Tintin
Tintin (magazine)
Le journal de Tintin or Kuifje , was a weekly Belgian comics magazine of the second half of the 20th century...
in 1962. After drawing complete real life stories of four pages for a few years, he started work on his first series, Howard Flynn, written by Yves Duval. Three albums followed, before he created other short lived series such as the Western Ringo and Roderik. His first success followed with the series about secret agent Bruno Brazil
Bruno Brazil
Bruno Brazil is a Franco-Belgian comics series written by Greg, under the pseudonym Louis Albert, and drawn by William Vance. It was initially serialised in the comics magazine Tintin, first appearing on January 17, 1967...
, written by Tintin's editor-in-chief Greg, as one of the comics that started the revival and repositioning of Tintin as a more adult oriented magazine.
From 1967 on, he continued the stories of Bob Morane
Bob Morane
Bob Morane, a creation of French-speaking Belgian novelist Henri Vernes, the pseudonym of Charles-Henri Dewisme, is a series of adventure books in French, featuring an eponymous protagonist...
in Femmes d'aujourd'hui, a magazine aimed at adult women. This science fiction series, based on the novels by Henri Vernes
Henri Vernes
Charles-Henri-Jean Dewisme , better known by his pen name Henri Vernes, is a well-known author of action and science-fiction novels, of which has he published over 200 titles...
, was started by Dino Attanasio
Dino Attanasio
Dino Attanasio is an Italian author of humoristic comics.-Biography:Attanasio was born in Milan....
and continued by Gerald Forton before Vance took over and made it a success. A few years later, the series moved to Tintin as well, and Vance was succeeded by his brother-in-law, Coria.
Vance meanwhile started two new series, Ramiro, with stories set in medieval Spain, and from 1976 onwards, Bruce J. Hawker, his personal favourite, starring a lieutenant with the Royal Navy.
His final breakthrough and largest commercial success came in 1984, when writer Jean Van Hamme
Jean Van Hamme
Jean Van Hamme is a Belgian novelist and comic book writer. He has written scripts for a number of Belgian/French comic series, including Histoire sans héros, Thorgal, XIII and Largo Winch.-Early years:...
proposed a new series, XIII. First serialised in Spirou
Spirou (magazine)
Spirou magazine is a weekly Belgian comics magazine published by the Dupuis company...
, this series of contemporary adventures with action, violence, and complicated intrigues, let Vance draw upon his talent for realistic drawings, action scenes and exotic settings.
In 2010, Vance announces his retirement, due to Parkinson's disease.
Awards
- 1989: nominated for Best Long Comic Strip at the Haxtur AwardHaxtur AwardThe Haxtur Award is a Spanish award for comics published in Spain. It is awarded annually at the Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias ....
s, Spain - 2003: nominated for the Audience AwardAngoulême International Comics Festival Prize Awarded by the AudienceThis Prize Awarded by the Audience is awarded to comics authors at the Angoulême International Comics Festival since 1989.The prize was known as Alph-Art du public from 1989-2003, the Prix du public from 2004-2006, and since 2007 the Essentiel FNAC-SNCF, since it is sponsored by the retailer Fnac...
at the Angoulême International Comics FestivalAngoulême International Comics FestivalThe Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
, France - 2005: Bronzen AdhemarBronzen AdhemarThe Bronzen Adhemar is the official Flemish Community Cultural Prize for Comics, given to a Flemish comics author for his body of work. It is awarded by the Flemish Ministry of Culture during Strip Turnhout, the major Flemish comics festival, once every two years...
in Turnhout, Belgium - 2006: nominated for Best Comic (Dutch language) at the Prix Saint-MichelPrix Saint-MichelThe Prix Saint-Michel is a series of comic awards presented by the city of Brussels, with a focus on Franco-Belgian comics. They were first awarded in 1971, and are the second oldest comics award in Europe still presented, behind the Adamson Awards...
, BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
-
- - nominated for Favourite European Comic at the Eagle AwardsEagle AwardsThe Eagle Award is a series of awards for comic book titles and creators. They are awarded by UK fan voting for work produced during the previous year. Named after the UK's Eagle comic, the awards were set up by Mike Conroy, Nick Landau, Colin Campbell, Phil Clarke and Richard Burton, and launched...
, United Kingdom- 2009: Honorary citizen of the City of BrusselsBrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
- 2009: Honorary citizen of the City of Brussels
- - nominated for Favourite European Comic at the Eagle Awards
Sources
- William Vance publications in BelgianTintin and French Tintin, Spirou, BoDoï BDoubliées
- William Vance albums Bedetheque
Footnotes
External links
- William Vance biography on Lambiek Comiclopedia