'SGF' (2010).
Simon Spruyt is a Belgian comic artist from Mechelen, often regarded as a "chameleon" due to his tendency to drastically changes styles, topics and themes. Among his humorous creations were the royal family series 'De Bamburgers' written by Fritz Van den Heuvel (2006-2012), a witty satire of the comic industry ('SGF', 2011) and the lucky French soldier Dragon Dragon in 'De Ruiterlijke Confessies van Dragon Dragon' (script by Nicolas Juncker, 2022-2025). Spruyt showed his more serious side in his graphic novels set in historical eras, like the Middle Ages ('Papa Zoglu', 2017), the Baroque era ('Bouvaert', 2019), the Napoleonic era ('De Tamboer van Borodino', 2021) and the Prussian period ('Junker', 2014). With 'De Uitverkorene' (2025), he modernized the biblical tale of Jacob and Esau to our time. His work has also been translated into French.
Early life and career
Simon Godfried Frederik Spruyt was born in 1978 in Perk, a town south of Mechelen in Flemish Brabant. He studied Germanic Languages and later Graphic Arts at the Sint-Lukas School of Arts in Brussels, where Johan De Moor and Pascal Lefèvre were among his teachers. As a student, he participated in the collective art project 'Bruxxxel Noord' (2005), a collaboration with some non-profit organizations near the North Station of Brussels. A group of four students, consisting of Simon Spruyt, Kristof Spaey, Maarten De Saeger, Judith Vanistendael, collaborated with their teachers Nix and Johan De Moor on eight short stories set in this district of Brussels. In the Brussels city magazine Zone 02, he succeeded his former teacher Nix as house cartoonist, using the pseudonym Zlatan Magazurski (an inside joke referring to his alter ego in the 'Vampire' video game). Additional early work by Simon Spruyt ran in the alternative Flemish/Dutch magazines Demo, Ink, Myx and Zone 5300.
After graduation in 2005, Spruyt worked for a while as a night receptionist in a hotel in Leuven, but eventually embarked upon a full-time career as a comic artist. He was lucky that his career in comics had already started rolling when he was still a student. This motivated him to devote his career to topics that might not have full commercial potential, but are always things he personally wants to do. Spruyt's comics have artistic depth, but he doesn't always want to be dead serious. Interviewed by Koen Driessens for De Stripspeciaalzaak (21 February 2025), he explained: "I have a lot of seriousness in me, but I can't always stand it and want to yank it down. I love creating confusion between solemnity and comedy. The advantage of drawing comics is that we aren't completely taken seriously in the artistic sector either (...) Humor automatically floats on top when you have a critical mind. You can't keep up the seriousness, from time to time you have let off steam."
Simon Spruyt has named Olivier Schrauwen as an important graphic influence.
De Bamburgers - 'De Nationale Feestdag' (2006).
De Bamburgers
Spruyt's first notable comic series was 'De Bamburgers' (2006-2012), scripted by Fritz Van den Heuvel, formerly better known for his highly absurd humor comics. A more straightforward children's humor comic, 'De Bamburgers' revolves around the royal dynasty of Nordanië, a fictional island between the United Kingdom and the European mainland. Its monarchy consists of king Ludwig and queen Divina, and their two children, the bored princes Leo and Louis. After serialization in the Dutch MYX magazine, the book compilations were published by Silvester. While some press releases and journalists refer to 'De Bamburgers' as a "children's comic", Spruyt felt it was more "all ages". Interviewed by Koen Driessens for De Stripspeciaalzaak (21 February 2025), he said that he wouldn't have done something like 'De Bamburgers' on his own, but since he liked Van den Heuvel and often agreed to do things he felt were interesting, it was a done deal.
De Furox #1 - 'Diaspora' (2007).
De Furox
At the Belgian publishing house Bries, Spruyt had his solo debut with the historical fantasy series 'De Furox', a diptych divided in the volumes 'Diaspora' (2007) and 'Terra Nova' (2008). Set in Nazi Germany during the 1930s, news goes around that a mythical dragon, the Furox, might not be a legend, but in fact a creature that still exists in the modern era, more specifically in New York City. Both the Jewish professor Spielspass and the Nazi Marsmann try to track the Furox down, both for their own purposes.
SGF
In 2008, Simon Spruyt won a comics contest organized by Focus Knack (the cultural supplement of Knack magazine), with his short story 'Productiecapaciteit'. A concept he had already begun as a student in Sint-Lukas, it offered a mocking look at the commercial comics industry, carrying as a subtitle "Een blik achter de schermen van Les Studios S.G.F. Spruyt" ("A behind-the-scenes look at Les Studios S.G.F. Spruyt"). The comic is a hilariously over-the-top satire of the comic industry, personified in the merciless publisher S.G.F. Spruyt. In the following years, Spruyt expanded and colorized the story into the full-length graphic novel 'SGF' (Silvester, 2010), of which chapters were serialized in Zone 5300.
SGF - 'A Shortcut To Success' (Zone 5300, fall 2006).
In this very dark comedy, Spruyt acts less like a real-life publisher and more like a real estate tycoon from a campy soap opera. Purely for profit, Spruyt's vicious publisher persona doesn't shy away from gruesome acts. After forcibly impregnating the daughter of real-life comic publisher Dargaud, her father insists that she marries him, thus giving Spruyt power over all of Dargaud's legal properties. When people get in his way, he doesn't shy away from having them killed or even signing a pact with the Devil. Despite being comically exaggerated, 'SGF' took inspiration from semi-autobiographical anecdotes from Spruyt's own experiences with publishers. In a 2021 interview with BRUZZ.be, he described S.G.F. Spruyt as the embodiment of his own negative characteristics.
'Junker: Een Pruisische Blues' (2014).
Junker
Spruyt's next graphic novel, 'Junker: Een Pruisische Blues' (Blloan, 2014), was originally intended as a spin-off of 'De Furox', focusing on a member of an ancient Prussian noble family. While researching the time period, it evolved into a completely different story. The plot is set right before the First World War, and centers on two brothers, Ludwig and Oswald von Schlitt, who hail from a noble Prussian family in decline. Their father is a war invalid, who keeps believing that the glory days from the past might return. Just like their father, the brothers join the military academy to become cadets. While Ludwig shows promise as a model soldier, Oswald can't deal with the rules and spins out of control.
'Papa Zoglu - De Wonderbaarlijke Reizen van de Koeienprins' (2017).
Papa Zoglu
With 'Papa Zoglu - De Wonderbaarlijke Reizen van de Koeienprins' (Bries, 2017), Spruyt went for a less historically accurate route. Set in a surreal version of the Middle Ages, all artwork is presented in a pseudo-medieval miniature style. A little boy, Zoglu, is raised by a witch. When he learns that his biological mother is a cow, he decides to go look for her. During his quest, Zoglu meets two gay Teutonic knights, a woman who wants to get rid of her chastity belt and an albino chimney sweeper.
'Bouvaert - Elegie Voor Een Ezel' (2019).
Bouvaert, Elegie Voor Een Ezel
Spruyt's next graphic novel, 'Bouvaert - Elegie Voor Een Ezel' (Blloan, 2019), is set in the 17th century, and focuses on a painter clearly modelled after Peter Paul Rubens. Interviewed by Ivan Put (BRUZZ.be, 7 April 2021), Spruyt said he was well aware that he could probably improve the international marketability if he had made the story directly about Rubens, but to him "that's what I find funny." Interviewed by Mario Stabel (Stripspeciaalzaak, 2019), Spruyt said that he didn't like the idea of a direct biopic in comic book form, because "it's usually a dishonest mixture between fact and fiction." Instead, 'Bouvaert' centers on the fictional painter Jan Bouvaert who manages to become rich and respected, while his brother Pieter struggles to make a name for himself and is overshadowed by his brother's success. The book pokes fun at the baroque period, which Spruyt describes as "propaganda art, mixed with dirty men who like to see half-naked women. I enjoy destroying that illusion." 'Bouvaert' was also translated into French by Casterman.
'De Tamboer van Borodino' (2021).
De Tamboer van Borodino
Earlier, in 2011, Spruyt was asked to create a four-page story for a one-time magazine, published at the occasion of Nix' 'Kinky & Cosy Experience' in Angoulême, France. Since he had just read Leo Tolstoy's literary epic 'War and Peace', he made a story about tambour Petja Rostov, a minor character from the novel. A decade later, when publisher Lombard contacted him to create a book, they wanted him to expand this tale into a full-length graphic novel. Precisely because Petja is such a vague character, Spruyt could reinvent him in many different ways, including changing his name to Vincent Bosse.
'De Tamboer van Borodino' (2021, in French: 'Le Tambour de la Moskova'), follows the drummer boy Vincent Bosse during Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Russia. The sheer innocence of the naïve young boy is contrasted with the world-weary cynicism of his fellow soldiers and officers. His corporal is deliberately modelled after one of the criminals on the Hieronymus Bosch painting 'The Carrying of the Cross'. Spruyt uses atmospheric color schemes to evoke the foggy weather and fiery battle scenes.
'De Ruiterlijke Confessies van Dragon Dragon' #3 (2025).
Dragon Dragon
When Simon Spruyt's next concept was rejected by Le Lombard, the publisher connected him to the French comic writer Nicolas Juncker. Commissioned to write a new comic series, Juncker was familiar with Spruyt's 'S.G.F.' and so set out for something more edgy than Le Lombard's otherwise family-friendly comics. For Spruyt, the historical parody trilogy 'De Ruiterlijke Confessies van Dragon Dragon' (Les Mémoires du Dragon Dragon, 2022-2025) was the first time since 'De Bamburgers' that he worked with a comic writer. Luckily, he and Juncker became good friends, and collaborated on both the script and the lay-out. The main narrative, divided over three volumes, is set in France, at the turn of the 18th into the 19th century. Pierre-Marie Dragon is a soldier who gets caught up in the Napoleonic Wars and manages to survive the most dangerous (and wittiest) situations by dumb luck. Spruyt was responsible for adding the character of Anselme.
Between 2 and 18 June 2022, the comic was the subject of an exhibition, held in the Les Arts Dessinés gallery in Paris.
'De Uitverkorene' (2025).
De Uitverkorene
Since back in 2022 Le Lombard wasn't interested in Spruyt's solo concept about biblical retellings, he took the project to the Flemish publisher Oogachtend instead. 'De Uitverkorene' (2025) centers on a modernisation of biblical tales about "chosen ones" selected by God, more specifically the story of Jacob and Esau. Spruyt was directly inspired by Thomas Mann's story 'Jozef and his Brothers'. Since most readers nowadays are less versed in Bible stories than they used to be, Spruyt first tells the traditional biblical tale before presenting his contemporary retelling, starring a crafty communication adviser who does anything to get to the top. Presented in water color paint, Spruyt made use of colors to visualize characters' emotions. Whether there really is a "chosen one" in this story remains an open question. When the book was released, Spruyt announced a sequel, set in a science fiction universe.
Commissioned comics
On rare occasions, Spruyt has worked on comics on commission. In 2010, he created 'Over Rozen', a 32-page comic about the history of socialism in Flanders. It was made on commission of the Flemish Socialist Party (Socialistische Partij Anders). Instead of telling a dry summation of facts, Spruyt created a storyline around a family that, through three generations, reflects its social connection, or perhaps its aversion, to the labor movement. Still, in the previously mentioned Stripspeciaalzaak interview, Spruyt reflected that this assignment was a one-time occasion and that he wouldn't make another comic for SP.A. or any other political party again.
In later years, Spruyt made a bi-weekly short comic for a website of the Flemish government, 'En Dat Met Ons Belastinggeld'. Aimed specifically at civil servants, it was later retitled as 'De Dienders' and turned into a science fiction-themed superhero comic.
'En Dat Met Ons Belastinggeld' (2019). The government is depicted as the crew of 'Star Trek' who activate a system, despite some crew members advising to wait, "because we're not sure whether the system can cope with it." The man in the final panel concludes: "Hey, my bill to the government has already been paid."
Graphic contributions
For a while, Spruyt was also part of the animation studio making adaptations of Nix' comic characters 'Kinky and Cosy'. In 2010, Spruyt made a contribution to 'Mooi Is Dat: Hoogtepunten van de Nederlandstalige Literatuur Verbeeld' (De Vliegende Hollander, 2010), an anthology with graphic visualizations of classics from Dutch literature. Spruyt was one of several artists to make a comic strip for the art book 'Building Bridges in Europe' (2012), published by the European Association of National Builders' Merchants Associations and Manufacturers (UFEMAT). He also designed an ex libris for a reprint of the Jef Nys 'Jommeke' story 'Het Verkeerde Land'.
In March 2017, he joined Wasco in his pop-up studio in the Antwerp-based gallery The Bries Space to join Wasco, Jeroen Funke and Charlotte Dumortier in creating hundreds of variations on the ancient joke set-up "Waiter, there's a hair in my soup!".
In 2023, Simon Spruyt drew 'Les Années Lumières - De la Régence aux États Généraux' (script by Pauline Lemaigre-Gaffier and Rahul Markovitz), volume 12 of 'Histoire Dessinée de la France', a comic collection about the history of France, published by La Revue Dessinée-La Découverte.
Recognition
In September 2006, Simon Spruyt and Fritz Van den Heuvel's 'De Bamburgers' comic received the Stripschapspenning for "Best Dutch-Language Youth Comic". Two years later, he received the Focus Knack Stripstrijd Juryprijs, resulting in the creation of his comic 'SGF'. In 2011, this book was honored by the Flemish Independent Comics Guild with a Stripvos for "Best Dutch-language Comic Book", and in 2014 he received the Willy Vandersteenprijs for his album 'Junker'. In 2021, 'De Tamboer van Borodino' won the Prix Wolinski de la BD in France. In 2024, Spruyt was honored with the Atomium Prize for the second part of 'De Ruiterlijke Confessies van Dragon Dragon'.
Legacy
Simon Spruyt has developed a reputation for being a thematic chameleon, always picking out topics fans, critics and audiences wouldn't expect. In his own opinion, he mostly wants to challenge and surprise himself. In the aforementioned BRUZZ.be interview, he stated: "(...) What's the higher purpose of just creating self-evident things? Then you work for an audience, give people what they want. I don't mind going against an audience from time to time. And I hope they are smart enough to see the difference between a voice in a book and the author."
Simon Spruyt has received admiration from fellow artist Frederik Van Den Stock, who also colored Spruyt's 'Les Mémoires du Dragon Dragon'.
Photo © Carl Vandervoort .