'Emile'.
Hubertus Verlinden (Verli, sometimes erroneously referred to as Henri Verlinden) was born in 1940 in Antwerp. He was a studio artist of Spirou magazine from 1962 to 1968. Besides editorial illustrations, he also provided the art for a couple of mini-books and short stories. His gag strip 'Loesje Lef' was published exclusively in Spirou's Flemish equivalent Robbedoes in 1966 and 1967. Verlinden went to Pilote in 1968, where his most notable work was the 'Emile' series from 1969 and 1970.
'Loesje Lef' (Robbedoes #1537, 28 September 1967).
'Emile', about a children's drawing that came to life, is set backstage in comic world, dealing with among others the origins of speech balloons. It is Michel Greg's 'Achille Talon' who leads the young 'Emile' through the comic world. Verli continued to make short stories and illustrations for Pilote until 1973. Verli has also made the satirical comic 'Le Secret Enigmatique du Mystère du Chicon' with Honoré Delbouille (Yvan Delporte), about Flemish-Walloon antagonisms, in the Belgian edition of Tintin in 1972. He was additionally present in the Dutch comic magazine Pep with 'Koning Yaroslav' in 1972.
Cover illustrations for Pilote.