Joann Sfar

Joann Sfar (; born 28 August 1971) is a French comics artist, comic book creator, novelist, and film director.

Life and career Sfar was born in Nice, the son of Lilou, a pop singer, who died when he was three, and André Sfar, a lawyer well known for prosecuting Neo-Nazis. As a result of his mother's early death, Sfar was raised by his father and maternal grandfather, a military doctor of Ukrainian origin in the Alsace-Lorraine Independent Brigade (France) during World War II. Sfar's grandfather reportedly saved the right hand of the brigade's leader, novelist André Malraux, for which he was awarded French citizenship.

Sfar is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics, though he has rejected the assertion that he, along with artists such as Christophe Blain, Marjane Satrapi, and Lewis Trondheim, sought to create an alternative scene or a new movement in comics.

Some of his comics are inspired by his Jewish heritage. Sfar is the son of Jewish parents (an Ashkenazi mother whose family was from Ukraine and a Sephardic father from Algeria). He himself says that there is Ashkenazi humor in his Professeur Bell series (loosely based on Joseph Bell), whereas Le chat du rabbin is clearly inspired by his Sephardic side. Les olives noires is a series about a Jewish child living in Israel at the time of Jesus. Like Le chat du rabbin, the series contains a lot of historical and theological information.

His main influences are Fred and André Franquin, as well as Marc Chagall, Chaïm Soutine, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt and John Buscema.

From 2009 to 2010, Sfar wrote and directed Gainsbourg: Vie Héroïque, a biopic of the illustrious French songwriter and singer, of whom Sfar is a self-confessed fanatic. The film, which draws substantially on Sfar's abilities as a comic book artist through its extensive use of fantasy artwork, animation and puppetry, was released in 2010 to general critical acclaim.

Sfar's book L’Eternel has been adapted for a live-action drama entitled Monsters’ Shrink by Canal plus.

Published works

In English Klezmer: Tales of the Wild East, First Second Books, New York, 2006. Vampire Loves, First Second Books, New York, 2006. Sardine in Outer Space, 6 volumes, with Emmanuel Guibert, First Second Books, New York, 2006–2008. The Professor's Daughter, with Emmanuel Guibert, First Second Books, New York, 2007. The Rabbi's Cat, Pantheon, 2007. The Rabbi's Cat 2, Pantheon, 2008. , First Second Books, New York, 2008. Dungeon (since 1998, with Lewis Trondheim and collective) The Little Prince (Comic Adaptation), Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, 2010. Pascin, Uncivilized Books, 2016.

In French

Petrus Barbygère (with Pierre Dubois, scenario) L'elficologue (1996, Delcourt, ) Le croquemitaine d'écume (1997, Delcourt, ) Les Potamoks (with José-Luis Munuera, art) 1. Terra Incognita (1996, Delcourt, ) 2. Les fontaines rouges (1996, Delcourt, ) 3. Nous et le désert (1997, Delcourt, ) La Fille du professeur (1997, with Emmanuel Guibert (art), Dupuis, ) Published in English by First Second Books as The Professor's Daughter (2007), Donjon (since 1998, with Lewis Trondheim and collective) Le petit monde du Golem (1998, L'Association, ) Troll (with Olivier Boiscommun, art) 3. Mille et un ennuis (1999, Delcourt, ) Professeur Bell (from #3, with Hervé Tanquerelle, art) 1. Le mexicain à deux têtes (1999, Delcourt, ) 2. Les poupées de Jérusalem (2000, Delcourt, ) 3. Le cargo du Roi Singe (2002, Delcourt, ) 4. Promenade des Anglaises (2003, Delcourt, ) 5. L'Irlande à bicyclette (2006, Delcourt, ) Urani (2000, with David B, Dargaud, ) Grand Vampire 1. Cupidon s'en fout (2001, Delcourt, ) 2. Mortelles en tête (2002, Delcourt, ) 3. Transatlantique en solitaire (2002, Delcourt, ) 4. Quai des brunes (2003, Delcourt, ) Books 1-4 published in English as Vampire Loves (2006, First Second, ) 5. La Communauté des magiciens (2004, Delcourt, ) 6. Le peuple est un Golem (2005, Delcourt, ) Les olives noires (with Emmanuel Guibert, art) 1. Pourquoi cette nuit est-elle différente des autres nuits? (2001, Dupuis, ) 2. Adam Harishon (2002, Dupuis, ) 3. Tu ne mangeras pas le chevreau dans le lait de sa mère (2003, Dupuis, ) Le chat du rabbin 1. La Bar-Mitsva (2002, Dargaud, ) 2. Le Malka des Lions (2002, Dargaud, ) 3. L'exode (2003, Dargaud, ) Books 1-3 published in English as The Rabbi's Cat (2005, Pantheon, ) 4. Le Paradis Terrestre (2005, Dargaud, ) 5. Jérusalem d'Afrique (2006, Dargaud, ) Books 4-5 published in English as The Rabbi's Cat 2 (2008, Pantheon, ) 6. Tu n'auras pas d'autre dieu que moi (2015, Dargaud, ) 7. La Tour de Bab-El-Oued (2017, Dargaud) 8. Petits paniers aux amandes (2018, Dargaud) 9. La Reine de Shabbat (2019, Dargaud) 10. Rentrez chez vous ! (2020, Dargaud) 11. La Bible pour les chats (2021, Dargaud) 12. La Traversée de la mer Noire (2023, Dargaud) 13. L'Arbre de la connaissance (2025, Dargaud) Klezmer 1. Conquête de l'Est (2005, Gallimard, ) 2. Bon anniversaire Scylla (2006, Gallimard, ) 3. Tous des voleurs! (2007, Gallimard, ) 4. Trapèze volant! (2012, Gallimard ) 5. Kishinev-des-fous (2014, Gallimard ) Chagall en Russie 1. Première partie (2010, Gallimard ) 2. Seconde partie (2011, Gallimard ) "Nous Vivrons" (2024)

Filmography Year Title Credited as NotesDirectorScreenwriterProducer 2010 Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life Also as actor (as Georges Brassens)César Award for Best First Feature FilmNominated—César Award for Best FilmNominated—Lumière Award for Best FilmNominated—Lumière Award for Best Director 2011 The Rabbi's Cat Based on his comic series; also as storyboard artist and voice actorCésar Award for Best Animated FilmCristal Award for Best Feature FilmPrix Jacques Prévert du Scénario for Best AdaptationNominated—Annie Award for Best Animated FeatureNominated—European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film 2013 Aya of Yop City Nominated—César Award for Best Animated Film 2014 Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet 2015 The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun 2020 Little Vampire Based on his comic seriesNominated—César Award for Best Animated Film

Novels L'éternel (2013, Albin Michel, ) Le Plus Grand Philosophe de France (2014, Albin Michel, )

Awards 1998: Award for First Comic Book and René Goscinny Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, France 2000: Nominated for Best Comic Book and for the Youth Award (9 to 12 years) at the Angoulême International Comics Festival Nominated for the Best Long Comic Strip at the Haxtur Awards Spain Nominated for Best International Writer at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Germany 2001: Nominated for Best Scenario and for the Humour Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival 2002: Nominated for Best Artwork and the Canal BD Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival 2003: Oecumenic Jury Award and Polish award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival Nominated for Best Comic Book, for the Canal BD Award, and for the Prix de la critique at the Angoulême International Comics Festival 2004: Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême: 30th anniversary prize, France Award for Best Youth Album (7 to 8 years) at the Angoulême International Comics Festival Best International Series at the Prix Saint-Michel, Belgium Nominated for Best Series at the Angoulême International Comics Festival Best International Writer at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Germany 2005: Nominated for Best Artwork at the Angoulême International Comics Festival 2006: Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material at the Eisner Awards, United States Nominated for the Audience Award and for Best Series at the Angoulême International Comics Festival 2007: Sproing Award, for Best Foreign translated material, Rabbinerens katt (Le chat du rabbin), Norway Nominated for Outstanding Series at the Ignatz Awards, United States