'Pat', 1949.
Maurice Cuvillier started out working as an illustrator for Le Pêle-Mêle, L'Almanach Vermot, Les Petits Bonshommes, Parisiana and Le Dimanche Illustré during the late 1910s and throughout the 1920s. He did his first comics work for Lisette (1929), Guignol (1931), L'Épatant (1931-38) and Pierrot. He became best known for his children's comics, starting with 'Zimbo et Zimba', published by Editions Croisade des Enfants in 1937.
Comic strip from Lisette.
Cuvillier created his most famous characters for the publishing house Fleurus during the 1940s. His series 'Perlin et Pinpin' first appeared in Âmes Vaillantes' in September 1940.
'Perlin et Pinpin'.
In the following year, Cuvillier created 'Sylvain et Sylvette', a series about a brother and sister who get lost in a forest, published in Coeurs Vaillants and in a series of albums. Cuvillier created a complete cast of talking animals around the characters, which made it one of France's most popular animal series.
'Sylvain et Sylvette'.
During the 1940s, Cuvillier was also a present in Pat magazine (presumably reprints). In 1956, he got ill and had to leave 'Sylvain et Sylvette' to Jean-Louis Pesch and Claude Dubois, and died a year later.
Comic from Pierrot, 1930.
Cover illustration for Pat.