Blutch

Blutch, the pseudonym of Christian Hincker, was born on December 27, 1967, in Strasbourg, France, and is celebrated as a prominent figure in the French comic book scene since the early 1990s. After honing his skills at the Decorative Arts School in Strasbourg, Blutch gained recognition through a competition held by the comic magazine Fluide Glacial, earning his nickname from a classmate who noted his resemblance to Corporal Blutch from the comic series Tuniques bleues.

His early works appeared in Fluide Glacial from 1988 to 1993, featuring strips like Pecos Jim, Waldo's Bar, and Mademoiselle Sunnymoon. In 1993, he became part of the L’Association collective, a hub for independent comic creators. His contributions to the magazine A Suivre in 1996 included the historical series Péplum, while the late 1990s saw the release of Rancho Bravo, co-created with Jean-Louis Capron, and Blotch, which humorously critiqued the magazine's culture and artists.

Blutch demonstrated remarkable versatility with his two-volume autobiographical work, Le petit Christian, published in 1998 and 2008, and his comic novels, Vitesse Moderne (2002) and La Volupté (2006). His talent earned him the Prix international de la Ville de Genève pour la bande dessinée in 2002 for Vitesse Moderne and the prestigious Grand Prix de la Ville d’Angoulême in 2009, leading to his appointment as president of the Angoulême comic festival in 2010.