'Hush Puppies' (2002).
Éric Closter is a Belgian comic artist, who worked for 'Smurfs' creator Peyo. During the 1980s and 1990s, he worked on artwork for Smurfs-related products, and new comics with other classic Peyo creations for Schtroumpf magazine (1990-1992). Among his solo projects have been the children's comic 'Laser et Pépin' (Soleil, 1990), the promotional strip 'Hush Puppies' (2002), and several illustration jobs.
Early life and career
Éric Closter was born in 1962 in the city of Liège. His grandfather was Jean Closter, a comic artist of the 1940s magazine Wrill. Closter got his graphic education at the Châtelet Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied in the section "Comics, Scripts and Illustrations", run by comic colorist and artist Vittorio Leonardo.
'Benoît Brisefer' gag in Spirou #2346, 31 March 1983.
Studio Peyo
Through Leonardo, Closter was introduced to Peyo, who was looking for assistants. Joining Peyo's studio in the early 1980s, he was trained in drawing Peyo's creations by Daniel Desorgher. In 1983, Closter drew a gag page with Peyo's 'Benoît Brisefer' character on the occasion of Spirou magazine's 45th anniversary. With Desorgher, he additionally worked on the artwork of the 'Smurfs' story 'Le Bébé Schtroumpf' ('Baby Smurf', 1984), and also on artwork for many merchandising items with the Smurfs. At one point, Closter was briefly an assistant for 'Spirou et Fantasio' artists Tome & Janry, but they soon found a more suitable match in Bruno Gazzotti, while Closter returned to Peyo.
By the late 1980s, Closter had joined the team of Cartoon Création, the 'Smurfs' production studio and publishing imprint, headed by Peyo's son Thierry Culliford. For the new monthly magazine Schtroumpf!, he drew new gags and episodes of such classic Peyo creations as the humorous kitten 'Poussy' and, from scripts by Jean-Claude de la Royère, the magical 'Pierrot et la Lampe'. Another artist for these features was Philippe Delzenne.
'Poussy' (Schtroumpf #14, November 1990). Poussy turns the channel to watch Hanna-Barbera's 'Tom & Jerry'.
Solo comics
Under the pen name "Closteric", Closter also worked on personal comic projects, but it is unknown where of if these were ever published. With his former art teacher Vittorio Leonardo as co-writer, he created one volume of the children's comic 'Laser et Pépin' (Soleil, 1990), starring a wacky scientist, a little boy and an animated doll that turns out to be a friendly little alien. Along with another former Léonardo student, Jean-Marc Massart, Closter contributed artwork to the 1991 book 'La Grande Enigme', an encyclopedia book about André Franquin's 'Marsupilami' creature. In 2002, Closter created the give-away comic book 'Hush Puppies' for the children's shoe brand of the same name, available at shoe stores throughout Belgium. In 2006 and 2007, he was back in Spirou magazine with four short one-shot stories, written by Falzar, Jean-Michel Darlot or Zidrou.
Illustrator
However, after his stint with Schtroumpf magazine (1990-1992), Éric Closter has been mostly active as an illustrator. He has illustrated children's books for the publisher Hemma, and has been the house artist of the animal welfare organization S.P.A. in Charleroi. One of his productions for this latter clients has been the 2022 game 'Puissance 4 Pattes', a co-production between S.P.A. and DicoGames.
'Laser et Pépin' (1990).