Raymond Macherot

Raymond Macherot (30 March 1924 – 26 September 2008) was a Belgian comics artist, most famous for his satirical funny animal series Chlorophylle and Sibylline. Although not nearly as famous as fellow Belgian cartoonists such as Hergé, Peyo or André Franquin, Macherot's work, both as artist and writer, remains highly regarded among critics and collectors.

Biography

The Tintin years Raymond Macherot was born in Verviers, Belgium in 1924. He wanted to become a journalist or a painter but, for financial reasons, he became an illustrator and comics artist. Following the end of World War II, Macherot began his career producing a few cartoons in the style of Virgil Partch for the satirical weekly Pan, under the pseudonym "Zara".

Themes Although superficially gentle and innocent looking, many of Macherot's strips are darker, and certainly more violent and ambiguous than they may seem. The main theme in his work is the struggle for survival. In Macherot's world, animals live in a society of their own, and species must learn to coexist together peacefully. Macherot's typical way to achieve this is to make vegetarianism mandatory for all. As a result, his villains are often natural predators who choose to ignore the law of the land. Additionally, Macherot's intrigues often veer into the political, particularly during the so-called "Croquefredouille cycle" as well as in Chaminou et le Khrompire, and the subject of war is alluded to in many of his stories.