Paul Gillon

Born to a poor Parisian family, Gillon (1926-2011) started publishing cartoons and illustrations in French periodicals when he was still a young teenager. After World War II, when the market for magazines was plunged into chaos, Gillon lost this regular source of income and made a more or less coincidental step into the world of comics. In 1947, he took over several series published in the weekly magazine Vaillant, and soon began creating his own comics. In the late 1950s, he became an increasingly renowned and, thanks to his distinctly realistic style, desired author. In 1959 he began his comic strip ‘13 rue de l’Espoir’, which was published in France Soir until 1972. The soap opera about the life and romance of Françoise Morel, a 20 year old Parisian, left a lasting mark on Gillon’s career and the French audience. His second great work is ‘Les Naufragés du Temps’ (‘Castaways in Time’, sometimes translated as ‘Lost in Time’). Like all his other works, this outstanding science fiction comic is marked by extraordinary, well-balanced drawing and the author’s ability to create convincing and extremely attractive worlds.

Paul Gillon: “13 rue de lʼEspoir 3644/ 3 Hope Street 3644″, 1962, 25 x 65 cm

Paul Gillon: “13 rue de lʼEspoir 2399 / 13 HopeStreet 2399″, 1962, 25 x 65 cm

Posted in France