Zep

Philippe Chappuis (born December 15, 1967), better known by his pen name Zep, is a Francophone Swiss cartoonist and illustrator. Zep is mostly known for his comics series Titeuf which he created in 1992, and has become since one of the most popular children's comics in French-speaking countries. He also founded the associated Franco-Belgian comics magazine Tchô!. Biography Philippe Chappuis was born on December 15, 1967, in the city of Onex on the outskirts of Geneva in Switzerland; he is the son of a policeman and a clothes designer. As a child, he was an avid reader of Franco-Belgian comics or bande dessinée, and dreamed of becoming a professional cartoonist. At the age of 12, he took the artist name "Zep" as a nod to English rock band Led Zeppelin. As a teenager, he studied decorative arts in Geneva. Zep's career as cartoonist began with the creation of the character Victor, whose comics were published in a weekly women's magazine and then in Belgian children's comic magazine Spirou in 1987. Zep also drew comics for several fanzines. In the early 1990s, Zep created the comic series Titeuf inspired by memories of his own childhood. At first struggling to find publication, the series was initially published in the fanzine Sauve qui peut before it was noticed by Glénat executive Jean-Claude Camano. Zep joined Glénat in 1992, and the first Titeuf album, Dieu, le sexe et les bretelles (God, Sex And Suspenders) was published in 1993. It sold only a few thousand copies, but the following books have gradually won over a huge readership, outselling traditional French favorites such as Astérix and Lucky Luke. More than 23 million copies of the series have been sold, and the series is considered the greatest moneymaker in the French comics market. Titeuf books have been translated into 15 languages, including Chinese, Italian and German. In the UK, Titeuf appeared under the name Tootuff in The Dandy. The comics has been adapted into an animated series and a feature-length film, directed by Zep.