French illustrator Jean-Jacques Sempé, co-creator of Le Petit Nicolas, dies at 89

Jean-Jacques Sempé, the celebrated French cartoonist and illustrator best known for co-creating the beloved children's series Le Petit Nicolas with René Goscinny, died on August 11, 2022, at the age of 89 in Pessac, France, the same city where he was born in 1932. Sempé began his career as a humorous cartoonist for French publications such as Sud Ouest, Le Rire, Noir et Blanc, and Ici Paris. International fame arrived in the late 1950s when his tender and satirical drawings appeared in Paris Match, The New York Times, and especially The New Yorker, where he became a regular contributor. Over four decades, he created 113 covers and dozens of illustrations for the magazine, many featuring tiny figures in vast urban landscapes rendered in delicate, trembling lines and watercolors. His most famous work, Le Petit Nicolas, debuted on March 30, 1959, and has since inspired films and cartoons. The series, published in Italy by Donzelli, follows a mischievous seven-year-old boy and has resonated with both children and adults worldwide. French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute on Twitter, praising Sempé's lightness and keen observation. His final book, Sincere amicizie, was released in Italy this year by 21lettere, while the collection Diari di bordo was published by Edizioni Clichy in June 2022.