France has a long tradition of graphic art and from the earliest comics, such as L’illustré National and L’Épatant, the automobile in all forms has inspired illustrators.
Specialist comic shops around France and Belgium are packed with a wealth of titles, ranging from motoring innovators to racing legends, historic Gallic roads to futuristic forms of travel.
Award-winning illustrator Christophe Merlin follows in that wonderful tradition, with a bold style that has featured in books, magazines, posters and comic-art festivals.
A trio of Porsches at Le Mans, with a 550A coupé at the front
Christophe’s lifelong passion for cars has inspired much of his work, including a book on Juan Manuel Fangio’s legendary 1957 German Grand Prix victory and Renault sans limites, the story of the Étoile Filante record-breaker.
More recently, Christophe has collaborated with historian Jean-Louis Loubet and motoring writer Laurent-Frédéric Bollée on a new production, L’Incroyable histoire de l’Automobile.
