About Cabu
Lived 1938 – 2015 (aged 76). Cabu was a French cartoonist, caricaturist, painter, comics artist, writer and illustrator.
Jean Maurice Jules Cabut (; 13 January 19387 January 2015), known by the pen-name Cabu , was a French comic strip artist and caricaturist. He was murdered in the January 2015 shooting attack on the Charlie Hebdo newspaper offices.
In 1960, after he left the Army, he became one of the founders of Hara-Kiri magazine. In the 1970s and 1980s, he became a popular artist, collaborating for a time with the children's TV programme Récré A2. He continued working in political caricature for Charlie Hebdo and Le Canard enchaîné.
His popular characters include Le Grand Duduche and adjudant Kronenbourg, and especially Mon Beauf. So spot-on was this caricature of an average, racist, sexist, vulgar, ordinary Frenchman that the word 'beauf' (short for "beau-frère", i. e., brother-in-law) has slipped into ordinary use. A 1973 drawing by Cabu attacking male politicians with the question "Qui a engrossé les 343 salopes du manifeste sur l'avortement?" ("Who got the 343 sluts from the abortion manifesto pregnant?") gave the Manifesto of the 343 its familiar nickname, often mistaken as the original title.
In February 2006, a Cabu cartoon which appeared on the cover of Charlie Hebdo in response to the Danish cartoons affair caused more controversy and a lawsuit. It depicted the Muslim prophet Muhammad under the caption "Muhammad overwhelmed by fundamentalists", crying "C'est dur d'être aimé par des cons!" ("So hard to be loved by jerks!").
From September 2006 to January 2007, an exhibition entitled Cabu and Paris was organised at the Paris city hall.
Death Cabu was killed, along with seven of his colleagues, two police officers, and two others, on 7 January 2015 in the Charlie Hebdo shooting when al-Qaeda gunmen stormed the newspaper's offices in Paris.
The asteroid 320880 Cabu was named in his memory on 5 June 2016 by its discoverer Jean-Claude Merlin.
Personal life Cabu was the father of the French singer/songwriter Mano Solo (24 April 1963 – 10 January 2010).
He was succeeded by two unnamed relatives. His tombstone read... "the man who gave every moment a shot..." in Occitan.
Works
Le grand Duduche series : Le grand Duduche (1972) Dargaud Il lui faudrait une bonne guerre !.. (1972) Dargaud Les aventures de madame Pompidou (1972) Square L'ennemi intérieur (1973) éd. du Square et Dargaud Le grand Duduche en vacances (1974) éd. du Square Passe ton bac, après on verra ! (1980) éd. du Rond Point Maraboud'ficelle, scénario de William Leymergie (1980) Dargaud À bas la mode ! (1981) Dargaud Le Grand Duduche et la fille du proviseur (1982) Dargaud Le journal de Catherine (1970) – éd du Square Mon beauf (1976) éd du Square Catherine saute au Paf (1978) éd du Square Inspecteur la bavure (1981) Albin Michel Le Gros blond avec sa chemise noire (1988) Albin Michel À consommer avec modération (1989) Albin Michel Mort aux vieux ! (1989) Albin Michel Cabu au Canard Enchaîné (1989) Albin Michel Tonton la-terreur (1991) Albin Michel Adieu Tonton (1992) Albin Michel Les Abrutis sont parmi nous (1992) Albin Michel Responsables mais pas coupables ! (1993) Albin Michel Secrets d'État (1994) Albin Michel Les Aventure épatantes de Jacques Chirac (1996) Albin Michel Vas-y Jospin ! (1999) Albin Michel À gauche toute ! (2000) Albin Michel
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Cabu's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Cabu's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Cabu?
French comic strip artist and caricaturist (1938-2015)
When was Cabu born?
Cabu was born on 13 January 1938 in Châlons-en-Champagne.
When did Cabu die?
Cabu died on 7 January 2015 in 10, Rue Nicolas-Appert, 11th arrondissement of Paris.
What was Cabu's occupation?
Cabu was a cartoonist, caricaturist, painter, comics artist, writer and illustrator.
What nationality was Cabu?
Cabu was French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cabu. https://biography.guide/cabu/
MLA: "Cabu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cabu/.
Chicago: "Cabu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cabu/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:09 UTC