Waterloo, cocoon of the
comic strip
What do Lucky Luke, Spirou and Gaston Lagaffe have in common? Waterloo of course!
For many years, our town has seen the birth of many personalities of the Belgian comic strip. As early as 1946, Jijé, author of Spirou, welcomed in his house three young people who will become great actors of the Belgian comic strip: Franquin, Will and Morris.
A few years later, Waterloo has not forgotten them! On December 07, 2021, the city honored these artists by inaugurating the “crossroads of the gang of 4” with 4 plaques bearing the name of each author.
Today again, the Waterloo BD Festival is highlighting the 9th art by organizing for the very first time these 20, 21 and 22 May the Waterloo BD Festival (WBDF)!
And as in Waterloo, we see things in a big way, the city has prepared a program of thunder (of Brest!).


!@/$%!! That's one big
Program
The Wellington Museum is organizing a double exhibition entitled “Iván Gil and Simon Spruyt” from Friday May 13 to Sunday August 28.
This exhibition will bring together two authors around the theme of the Battle of Waterloo. You will discover the work of Simon Spruyt, young Dutch author of “Tambour de la Moskowa” who won the “Wolinski” prize for his first comic book, and Iván Gil, Spanish author of the first volume of the trilogy “Buonaparte”.
About fifteen originals of each author will be exposed. A signing session will also take place during the three days of the WBDF!
The public will also be able to meet on other sites various comic book authors, including Godi, the author of the famous series “L’élève Ducobu” and for the first time main author of a festival!
Exhibitions, film screenings and even contests are planned to make the public discover the world of the 9th art under all its facets.
It is possible to know the program of the WBDF in its entirety by clicking right here.
This festival is organized with the support of the Municipality of Waterloo, the Ciné Wellington, the hotel Le Côté Vert, the Belfius agency, Bel RTL, the Province of Brabant Wallon, Graphic Novel Art, Le Lombard, the Brasserie Mont-Saint-Jean, HD Assurances, OADS and Sawa Center.
Iván GIL FERNANDEZ
Draftsman of the "Buonaparte" trilogy
Iván Gil was born in Getafe, Madrid, where he lives. He began studying biology before choosing to dedicate himself to his true passion: drawing and comics.
A passion that will lead him, since 2002, to the world of miniatures, where he will work for several years as a model maker, designing figures and illustrations for various companies, mainly Spanish.
At the 2007 Angoulême Festival, he came into contact with Dupuis Publishing, who, interested in his sense of detail, chose him to participate in the work on the adaptation of La Bataille.
In parallel to these activities, Iván Gil Fernandez has been a professor of drawing and comics at the Academy of Professional Drawing and Illustration “Academy C10” in Madrid.
He drew the series “Buonaparte” scripted by Fabienne Pigière and Rudi Miel, published by Editions Delcourt. He also collaborates as a digital sculptor with the company Bigchild Creatives.


Fabienne PIGIERE
Writer "Buonaparte"
Born in Brussels, Fabienne Pigière has a doctorate in History, Art and Archaeology.
She is a researcher in archaeozoology and her work focuses on northern Europe, the Mediterranean basin and South America. The results of her research have been published in international journals such as National Geographic.
Author of several monographs in the field of archaeology, she is co-writer of the comic book “Libertalia” (drawings Paolo Grella, co-writer Rudi Miel), a trilogy published by Casterman.
She signs, along with Rudi Miel, the scenario of the series “Buonaparte” published by Delcourt.
Rudi MIEL
Writer "Buonaparte"
Born in Tournai, Rudi Miel graduated in press and information (master). He worked as a freelance journalist and photographer for the newspapers “Le Soir“, “La Presse” (Montreal) and “Le Vif l’Express” before creating “Les aventures de Charlotte” (drawings by A. Taymans) for Casterman in 1993, which has five volumes.
Director of companies active in institutional communication, he is co-author of the album ” Les Eaux blessées ” (drawings D. David), published by the European Parliament, Alph’Art de la communication in Angoulême in 2003.
Rudi Miel is the scriptwriter of “L’Arbre des deux printemps” (drawings Will & Co – collection “Signé” of Le Lombard), prize for the best foreign album at the Sobreda Festival 2001 (Portugal), the co-author, with C. Cuadra, of the five volumes of “L’Ordre impair” for Paul Teng (Le Lombard) and the co-writer, with Fabienne Pigière, of the trilogy “Libertalia” (drawings Paolo Grella) for Casterman.
In 2021 the first volume of the series “Buonaparte” will be published by Delcourt, also co-written with Fabienne Pigière. Rudi Miel is also the scriptwriter of the album ” Coq-sur-Mer, 1933 ” (drawings by Baudouin Deville), to be published in October 2022 by Anspach.


Simon SPRUYT
Tambour de la Moskowa
Simon Spruyt is a Belgian cartoonist. Graduated in 2005 from Saint Luc in Brussels, he draws animated cartoons for the magazine of the city of Brussels!
His comics are published in magazines such as Demo, Ink, Myx or Zone 5300.
Simon Spruyt adapts his graphic style to his story in “Le Tambour de la Moskova“. It is a story about the survival of a young drummer in the Napoleonic army in the middle of the Russian campaign and a real reflection on innocence and greatness in times of conflict. Complete artist, Simon Spruyt is an author whose every album is a new event.