Jean Tabary

Jean Tabary is best known for the 'Iznogoud' series, which he created together with the legendary writer René Goscinny. Tabary's work is easily recognizable through the nervous and effective drawing style. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, he made his professional debut in Vaillant magazine in 1956 with the 'Richard et Charlie' series. It was the 'Totoche' series however, that became the highlight of Tabary's Vaillant output.

Starting in 1959, 'Totoche' was about a little boy who is head of gang of kids, that used an abandoned terrain as their playground. Two members of this gang, 'Corinne et Jeannot', soon got their own series of gags that also appeared in Vaillant (now called Pif). 'Totoche' also briefly got his own periodical, called Totoche Poche, that was also published by Vaillant publishers. Tabary drew the series until 1976.

In addition to 'Totoche' and 'Corinne et Jeannot', Tabary also produced the mishaps of 'Grabadu et Gabaliouchtou' for Vaillant from 1958. Appearing as short gags, comics or game pages, the series ran for only four years. It made a remarkable reappearance in Fluide Glacial magazine in 1977.

It was in 1962 when Tabary started his collaboration with René Goscinny. Their first work was the adventures of the silly potentate 'Haroun el-Poussah', which appeared in Record magazine. It was the secondary character of power-hungry grand vizier 'Iznogoud' however, that became the main character. 'Iznogoud' was a big success and was soon also published in Goscinny's Pilote magazine. In recent years, 'Iznogoud' has also been adapted into a series of television cartoons. Also in 1962, Tabary and Goscinny created their second series, 'Valentin', which appeared in Pilote. For this magazine, Tabary also worked as the scenarist of the 'Buck Gallo' series, illustrated by Mic Delinx.

After Goscinny's death in 1977, Tabary continued the 'Iznogoud' series on his own. He also founded his own publishing house, called Séguinière (later called Éditions Tabary). This publishing house published two monthlies, Les Vacheries de Corinne à Jeannot and Les Récrés de Totoche. For these periodicals, Tabary also revived his 'Grabadu et Gabaliouchtou' characters. Éditions Tabary also published reprints of Tabary's first series, 'Richard et Charlie'.