Fred (cartoonist)

Frédéric Othon Théodore Aristidès (5 March 1931 – 2 April 2013), known by his pseudonym Fred, was a French cartoonist in the Franco-Belgian comics tradition. He is best known for his series Philémon.

Biography

Born in Paris, France on March 5, 1931, the son of Greek immigrants, Fred began his career in his early twenties, getting a cartoon published in the magazine Zéro in 1954. The following years he was published in several magazines, both French and foreign, such as Ici Paris, France Dimanche, Punch and The New Yorker, among others. In 1960, he created the satirical journal Hara-Kiri with Georges Bernier and François Cavanna. He was the magazine's artistic director and drew its first 60 covers. Fred also wrote scenario for several artists, among others Jean-Claude Mézières, Loro, Georges Pichard, Hubuc, Mic Delinx and Alexis.

In 1980, he was awarded the Grand Prix de la ville at the seventh Angoulême International Comics Festival.

Philémon

Fred's most famous creation, Philémon was created in 1965, in a 15 page story intended for the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Spirou, which ultimately passed on it. René Goscinny, however, asked to publish it in Pilote magazine, which Fred agreed on the condition that he would produce the drawings himself. Goscinny agreed and the first Philémon adventure, Le mystère de la clairière des trois hiboux, was serialised. A last album, Le train où vont les choses, came out on February 22, 2013. It was the first Philémon album since Le diable du peintre was published in 1987, and was intended to give a proper end to the series.