Having graduated from the School of Fine Arts in Paris, Raymond Poïvet (1910-1999) started as an illustrator and designer, before he turned to comics in the early 1940s. His collaboration with scriptwriter Roger Lécureux marks the main turning point in his career, as well as in the history of French comics. Together, they created the science fiction comic ‘Les Pionniers de l’Espérance’ for Vaillant, a comic weekly, in end 1945. Considered one of the best in its genre, the series, the first and longest running comic of the kind in France, was published until 1973. While working for Vaillant, Poïvet also produced many comics for other magazines, ranging from romantic stories targeting the female audience, to detective stories and various heroic fantasies.

Raymond Poïvet: “Les Pionniers de lʼEspérance / ThePioneersof Hope”, 1969, 29 x 40 cm