Hermann Huppen

Hermann Huppen (17 July 1938 – 22 March 2026), better known by the pen-name Hermann, was a Belgian comic book creator. He was most famous for his post-apocalyptic comic Jeremiah which was made into a television series.

Life and career Hermann was born on 17 July 1938 in Bévercé (now a part of Malmedy) in Liège Province. After studying to become a furniture maker and working as interior architect, Hermann made his debut as comic book artist in 1964 in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Spirou with a four-page story. Greg noticed his talent and offered him to work for his studio. In 1966, he began illustrating the Bernard Prince series written by Greg, published in Tintin magazine. In 1969, also in collaboration with Greg, he began the western series Comanche. This appeared at the same time as other western series such as Blueberry.

He began writing his own stories in 1977, starting the post-apocalyptic Jeremiah series, which is still produced today. In the same period, he also made three albums of Nick, inspired by Little Nemo in Slumberland, for Spirou.

Hermann died on 22 March 2026, at the age of 87.

Style and artistic philosophy Throughout his career, Hermann remained fiercely dedicated to traditional comic book craftsmanship, creating his works using physical mediums such as pencils, ink, and direct coloring. He expressed strong skepticism toward the digitalization of the comic book industry and the widespread use of computer graphics, arguing that digital art often strips illustrations of their unique character, human imperfection, and the organic "dirt" that defined his signature style.

In both his historical series (such as The Towers of Bois-Maury) and post-apocalyptic narratives (like Jeremiah), Hermann rejected the idealization of protagonists and contemporary political correctness. Instead, his storytelling focused on a gritty, uncompromising realism, frequently exploring the dark, primal, and brutal aspects of human nature under extreme duress or in survival scenarios.

Awards 1973: Prix Saint-Michel, Belgium 1980: Prix Saint-Michel 1992: Best Long Comic Strip at the Haxtur Awards, Spain - nominated for Best Drawing at the Haxtur Awards 1998: U Giancu's Prize, International Cartoonists Exhibition 1999: nominated for Best Drawing and Best Cover at the Haxtur Awards 2001: Best Drawing at the Haxtur Awards - nominated for Best Short Comic Strip and Best Script at the Haxtur Awards 2002: Grand Prix Saint-Michel - nominated for Best Short Comic Strip and Best Drawing at the Haxtur Awards 2003: nominated for the Audience Award and the Artwork Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, France 2005: nominated for the Audience Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival 2006: nominated for Best Comic (French language) at the Prix Saint-Michel 2010: nominated for Best Artwork at the Prix Saint-Michel

Selected bibliography All of these comics have been published in French, Dutch and German: other translations are noted in the "remarks" column.

SeriesYearsVolumesWritten byEditorRemarksBernard Prince1969–1980, 201014Greg and Yves H. (Vol. 18)Le Lombard and DargaudTranslated into German; Translated into Danish; Translated into Serbian; Translated into Swedish; Translated into Tamil by Lion Comics; Translated into Polish.