'Combattants du Rail'.
Cédric Hervan is a Belgian comic book artist, best-known for his work on Jacques Martin's historical series 'Alix' and 'Les Voyages d'Alix', and as co-creator of the family chronicle 'Le Dernier des Schoenfeld' (2009-2012) with Jean-Claude and Agnès Bartoll. He is additionally active as a graphic artist, designer and illustrator for commercial clients.
Early life
Cédric Hervan was born in 1981 in Uccle as Cédric Van Heirweghe, and grew up reading the work of classic comic authors like Edgar Pierre Jacobs and Jacques Martin, and of more contemporary authors such as André Juillard, Frank le Gall and Philippe Berthet. After his classical schooling in Braine l'Alleud, he attended Jean-François Di Giorgio's comics workshop at the Espace Bernier in Waterloo.
Alix
Hervan first got in touch with Jacques Martin through his fellow student Vincent Henin. In 1999, Martin hired the young artist as an assistant and colorist on his signature series 'Alix', a realistic rendition of ancient Roman times. Hervan illustrated the installments about Persepolis and the Olympic Games in the educational book series 'Les Voyages d'Alix' ('The Travels of Alix') in 2003 and 2004. He additionally assisted Christophe Simon on the backgrounds of several of his albums in the regular 'Alix' series (2006-2008). For several months, he also worked on a planned fourth story in Martin's series 'Orion', which is set in ancient Greece. 'Le "Roi des Rois' was however never completed. The fourth album of 'Orion' eventually became 'Les Oracles' (2011) and was written and drawn years later by Marc Jailloux.
Le Dernier des Schoenfeld
In 2009, Hervan began his cooperation with the writers Agnès and Jean-Claude Bartoll for the family saga 'Le Dernier des Schoenfeld', published in two books in the collection Glénat Grafica in 2009 and 2012. The main character is the successful American novelist John Dillman, who learns on his mother's deathbed that he is the last heir of the Schoenfelds, a prestigious dynasty of luxury grocers. He goes to France to find out about his past, where he discovers that the secrets of his family are rooted in the Second World War.
Combattants du Rail
In 2012, Hervan illustrated the first album in Thierry Lamy's series 'Combattants du Rail', about a group of railwaymen in the 1940s, for Zéphyr Éditions. The second installment was drawn by Sandro Masin in 2013.
'Le Dernier des Schoenfeld'.