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Click on a description to see one of Hermann's personal photos from the album. For your information, the descriptions are by Yves Huppen.
Photo 1
Liège, September 1984. Several years running, the local police invite some illustrators to take part in a shooting contest, using targets that they have drawn themselves. Hermann and Tibet prove to be fine shots. Superb!
Photo 2
1981? Hermann is music crazy - mainly jazz and classical. It's quite normal that he takes classical guitar lessons. Something which he has left to one side over the last few years.
Photo 3
1981? Cycling - a more realistic craze.Or rather a needs must be in order to keep slim which then quickly turns into an obsession. He has reached the highest summits of the Tour de France, a mixture of self-sacrifice, pleasure and healthy sweat. To sum it up in one, he pedals in the same way that he draws!
Photo 4
Solliès-Ville, September 1993. A game of table tennis. Hermann is always ready for that! Notice his admirable professional conscience. He worries about detail to the extent of the fountain pen.
Photo 5
1978 or 1979. Hermann has always admired the great Franquin, who had just received a parking ticket from the Brussels police, a quick look at this with regard to the most famous representative of law and order in comic strips, the comical Longtarin. Photo by Ervin Rustemagic.
Photo 6
At his home in Brussels 1976. With Ervin Rustemagic, a young Yugoslavian editor, who has come a long way since then. He is not only his agent for the foreign language editions, but also one of his most devoted friends. Ervin is also behind the project for a TV series of Jérémiah. Without him, but also despite him Sarajevo Tango would never have existed.
Photo 7
Sierre 1984. Dany, an old army friend, at least from the beginnings of the Greg studio. Comic strip authors are just big kids.
Photo 8
In his office, 1975, With his son.
Photo 9
In his office, 1975. At this time he worked with a paintbrush then went on to rotring, the Japanese paintbrush and finally to direct selection .His office has changed a lot since then!
Photo 10
CBBD, November 1994. Meeting between the European Comic Strips represented by Yvan Delporte and Hermann, and the American Comic Strips represented by Burne Hogarth, The illustrator of Tarzan. It is during this evening that the American stated that one day while looking at his own drawings, he exclaimed "beat Michelangelo !"
Photo 11
At Ervin Rustemagic's home, Celje, Slovenia,1994. After the war in Bosnia, Hermann meets the editorial director of the famous independent Sarajevo newspaper, Oslobodenje. During the war. Zlatko Dizdarevic edited Sarajevo Tango which was much appreciated by the locals, except of course by the Serbs.
Photo 12
Book Fair, Montreal, 1988. 30 years later, Hermann goes back to the town where he lived for more than 3 years, from 57 to 60. He had never really been able to get used to the north American environment.
Photo 13
At Fumifon, Brussels 1987. Hermann used to have a drink on a Friday evening in this café. This is where he got documentation for Missie Vandisandi, while talking to African customers. The café it-self represents a scene in the album. Look under elephant.
Photo 14
Sierre festival, April 1985. Being an illustrator is also being obliged to undertake inherent activities to do with the profession, such as being part of a jury for a budding artists' competition.
Photo 15
Solliès-Ville festival, 1997. Hermann isn't a great believer in prizes.
His motivation, he finds in his work, and in his wish to improve incessantly; his reward, he finds in the production of something that he may begin a hundred times, and think over a thousand times. His reason for living is the perpetual search, and the achievement of a piece of work.
Photo 16
Rue de Senne, Brussels, 2000. Brussels had a smartening up project : for a few years now, certain walls in the centre of town have been decorated by several Belgian artists. Hermann chose Nic as he is more colourful and joyful than his usual series.
Photo 17
1972. First..and last trip to the Big Apple. For the anecdote, he was sharing a room with Dany in a fearful hotel in Harlem. They came in slightly "merry", that we can put down to youthful experience - they forgot to lock the door. Result : the next morning, they found that they had been burgled. They congratulate themselves on not waking up during the unwanted visit or they would probably not be alive to tell the tale.
Photo 18
In his office 2001. Hermann at work on a series of illustrations (author's number 11) of Rodrigo, album number out of the series Bois-Maury. Since Sarajevo Tango, he has used the direct selection, which means that the colour application is done without going through the traditional "blue".
Photo 19
1987. Portrait at Hermann's house. Photo by Daniel Fouss.
Photo 20
1998. Portrait of Hermann in his sitting room. Photo by Jean-Luc Vallet.
Photo 21
1969
Photo 22
1984. Photo by Marc Badran.
Photo 23
1987.Photo by Daniel Fouss.
Photo 24
1988. Photos by Ervin Rustemagic.
Photo 25
1988. Photos by Ervin Rustemagic.
Photo 26
1999. Reader's fervour can have astonishing consequences : here is a young Jérémiah. Is there a Kurdy in the room? Or Lena?
Photo 27
Here are two drawings done by Hermann at school. Hermann - a dissipated student?
Photo 28
On the cargo vessel Rutenfjell, 1957 on the crossing to Canada. The journey began on the 12th March 1957 and ended on the 25th March, the day when Herman accompanied by his mother Anna and his brother Willy set foot for the first time on Canadian soil in Halifax. He was 19 at the time.
Photo 29
Bévercé, Malmédy, in the county of Liège. This is the house where Hermann lived throughout his young years until he left for Brussels in 1950. You can still see the house from the Malmédy road on the Fagnes plateau in the direction of Eupen.
Photo 30
1958. Montreal. He worked as an interior decorator for Pascal Hotel Supplies fast food restaurants.
Photo 31
Bévercé 1940. Hermann is two. Despite the war, he plays with his sister Josée without a care in the world.
Photo 32
The crossing 1957. Not very good seamen, the whole of the Huppen family were seasick. The only civil passenger aboard who resisted without flinching was a healthy Flemish man, as thin as a rake and dressed in slippers .He is next to Hermann on the photo.
Photo 33
Montreal 1959-1960
A family reunion. From left to right: Josée and her son Eric. Willy, Anna (the mother) and Hermann. No sign of his father : he stayed behind to live in Malmédy after a long separation from his wife.
Photo 34
On holiday in France, Orléans. At this time, he has already met the woman who will become his wife in 1964. He spends the holidays with his family for the last time, with French friends they met in Canada.
Photo 35
Winter 84-85. The meeting with Philippe Vandooren, and not only because he is to be his brother in law. He will also encourage him to work with comic strips. At this time, he was the editorial director of the scout magazine Plein Feu, he writes a scene for Hermann to illustrate. This is Histoire en Able. Greg sees the magazine, finds the young and talented Hermann and asks him to come to the studio. So begins his career! Photo by Claude Denis.
Photo 36
Limousin (France). Hermann's last folly: in the beginning of the 90's, he buys a house in ruins which he completely renovates with his wife. Now, it is a charming house where people come in the summer to have a swim in the pool and make the most of the calm relaxing atmosphere.
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