Koma
Frederik Peeters was born in 1974 in Geneva. He cites Hergé and Moebius as his strongest graphic influences. After getting a degree in visual communication at the ESAA in Geneva he worked as a poster artist and advertising/press illustrator. He strongly disliked this job and therefore quit to become an airport porter. In the evening he drew comics. Peeters made a contribution to the Swiss comic magazine Sauve Qui Peut! in 1992, but it wasn't until five years later when his first solo books were published by Atrabile publishers: 'Fromage et Confiture' (1997) and 'Brendon Bellard' (1998). In that same year, he started contributing to several comic magazines, including Le Drozophile, Bile Noire, Lapin and Spirou. He also participated in L'Association's 'Comix 2000' anthology. This publisher also released his 2002 book 'Constellation' in the collection Mimolette.
Pilules Bleues
In 2001, he created the autobiographical graphic novel 'Pilules Bleues' ('Blue Pills'). Peeters had worked on this project since he was 25. He had met a woman whom he felt was the love of his life, yet she turned out to be HIV-positive, as well as her son. Naturally Peeters had very confusing feelings about this situation but he stayed with her and even conceived another child with her. 'Pilules Bleues' tells the story of their romance in stark black-and-white drawings. The inner emotional conflicts of the couple are portrayed, as well as the exhausting daily routines of taking medications as well as precautions. Not only do they have to try and raise a child in these circumstances, but there's also the ordeal of telling the outside world about their condition. As serious as the subject matter is Peeters does leave room for moments of happiness and a hopeful message. This is what their life is and they have managed to carry on, despite all odds.
The powerful book was an unexpected best-seller and won him the Prix de la ville de Genève pour la bande dessinée and the 2002 Prix Alph'Art. It was also translated in other languages, including English. In 2014 film director Jean-Philippe Amar adapted the work into a TV film starring Guillaume Gouix and Florence Loiret Caille, which was broadcast on the French cultural TV channel Arte. Also in 2001, he drew 'les Miettes', a graphic novel written by Ibn Al Rabin and published in screen printing by Drozophile. With Pierre Wazem, he began the fantasy series 'Koma', his first work in color, that was published by Les Humanoïdes Associés between 2003 and 2010.
Lupus
Atrabile additionally published Peeters' own sci-fi series 'Lupus' between 2003 and 2006 as well as his one-shot 'Ruminations' in 2008, while his graphic novel 'Pachyderme' was published by Gallimard in the following year. 'Pachyderme' had a foreword written by Jean Giraud, aka Moebius. Gallimard has also published the diptych 'RG', which he made with scriptwriter Pierre Dragon in 2007-2008. He made the fable 'Château de sable' with scriptwriter Pierre-Oscar Lévy (Atrabile, 2010) before he made his solo sci-fi series 'Aâma' at Gallimard from 2011 to 2014. His western one-shot with writer Loo Hui Phang, 'L'Odeur des garçons affamés', was published by Casterman in 2016.
Frederik Peeters was a strong influence on David Soriano.
Pachyderme