Joann Sfar (born August 28, 1971 in Nice) is a French comics artist, comic book creator, and film director. Sfar is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L'Association which was founded in 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu and six other artists. He also worked together with many of the new movement's main artists, e.g. David B. and Lewis Trondheim. The Donjon series which he created with Trondheim has a cult following in many countries. Some of his comics are inspired by his Jewish heritage as the son of Jewish parents (an Ashkenazi mother and a Sephardic father). He himself says that there is Ashkenazi humor in his Professeur Bell series (loosely based on Joseph Bell), whereas Le chat du rabbin is clearly inspired by his Sephardic side. Les olives noires is a series about a Jewish child in Israel at the time of Jesus. Like Le chat du rabbin, the series contains a lot of historical and theological information. His main influences are Fred and André Franquin as well as Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt and John Buscema. From 2009 to 2010, Sfar wrote and directed 'Serge Gainsbourgh: Une Vie Heroique', a biopic of the notorious French songwriter, of whom Sfar is a self-confessed fanatic. The film, which draws substantially on Sfar's abilities as a comic book artist through its extensive use of fantasy artwork, animation and puppetry, was released in 2010 to general critical acclaim.
Series
Books
Dungeon
Zenith - Vol. 2: The Barbarian Princess
2000
Les profondeurs
2004
Aspirine #2
Un vrai bain de sang
2019
Le Ministère Secret - Tome 2 - Trembler en France
2021
Japan As Viewed By 17 Creators
2005
Coeur de canard
1998
Socrate le demi-chien
Œdipe à Corinthe
2009
Le niçois
2016
Technique Grogro
2007
Aspirine
2018
Dungeon
The Early Years - Vol. 1: The Night Shirt
1999
Le volcan des Vaucanson
2001
La Mazmorra
Integral 2
2020
Tu n'auras pas d'autre dieu que moi
2015
L'ancien temps - Grandclapier
2014
La fortezza vol. 1
2008
Cupidon s'en fout
2001
Aspirine #3 - Monster Tinder
2021
Dungeon
Zenith vol. 5: Fog & Tears
2023
Un mariage à part
2001
Merlin - Tome 3 - Merlin va à la plage
2000
Si Dieu existe
2015
Journal de merde
2013
Tales of the Wild East
2005
Petit Vampire
On ne jeut pas avec la vie
2019
Le serment des pirates
2017
Socrate le demi-chien
Ulysse
2003
Rabinov mačak
2010
Socrate le demi-chien
Héraclès
2002
Le Dojo du lagon
2005
Le jour des crapauds
2002
Dungeon
Early Years, vol. 3: Wihout a Sound
2022
Le Roman De La Mère De Renart
2001
Sortilège et avatar
2000
La fortezza vol. 6
2022
La maison de la terreur qui fait peur
2018
Der Ewige
Roman
2013
Jérusalem d'Afrique
2006
Petit panier aux amandes
2018
Le sage du ghetto
2001
Du ramdam chez les brasseurs
2003
La Synagogue
2022
Le noir seigneur
2003
Professeur Bell, Tome 1
Le Mexicain à Deux Têtes
1998
La Bar-Mitsva
2002
Bon anniversaire Scylla
2006
La Reine de Shabbat
2019
Crève-coeur
2004
La Tour de Bab-El-Oued
2017
L'Ancien temps
Puisque tout le monde veut la guerre
2018
Kishinev-des-fous
2014
Héros de la République
2021
Chagall en Russie
Première partie
2010
L'Exode
2003
Le Ministère Secret - Tome 3 - Le Sphincter de Moscou - Enquêtes présidentielles
2022
La fortezza vol. 4
2022
L'Art du Chat du Rabbin
2011
Le Paradis terrestre
2005
Le Malka des Lions
2002
The Professor's Daughter
1997
Rentrez chez vous !
2020
La fortezza vol. 2
2008
La casa de la Colina Negra
2006
Comment tu parles de ton père
2016
Vampir. Victima de la moda
2004
Stars of the Stars
2010
The Rabbi's Cat
2001
The Rabbi's Cat 2
2002
Merlin tome 2 Merlin contre le père Noël
1999
Doctor Margeurite
2004
La fortezza vol. 5
2022
Révolutions
2009
Dungeon
Zenith: The Barbarian Princess
1998
Tu n'as rien à craindre de moi
2016
La fortezza vol. 3
2020
Petit Vampire t2
Le pouvoir du dragon
2020
L'Ancien temps
Le roi n'embrasse pas
2009
Retour en fanfare
2008
La Bible pour les chats
2021
Les nouveaux centurions
2006
Little Vampire Goes to School
2003
Little Vampire Does Kung Fu!
2003
Armaggedon
2002
Si j'étais une femme je m'épouserais
2016
Le roi de la bagarre
1998
Trapèze volant!
2012
Nous vivrons - Enquête sur l'avenir des juifs
2024
Dungeon
Twilight vols. 1-2: Cemetery of the Dragon
2022
Jean-Jean la Terreur
2000
La Mazmorra
Integral 4
2022
