Joann Sfar

Comic author and storyteller, film director, screenwriter and novelist – with Joann Sfar, the jury of the Max und Moritz Award honours one of France's most versatile artists and one of the most productive contemporary comic artists with the award for an outstanding life's work. His books revolve around Judaism, faith and philosophy, react to political and social events and deal with questions of biography. With over 160 publications, Joann Sfar has been a major and important innovator of French comics for more than twenty years.

His best-known work in Germany is the series "Die Katze des Rabbiners", launched in 2001, which was awarded a Max und Moritz Award in 2004. The cat belonging to an Algerian Rabbi, who speaks and shares his philosophical and religious views after having consumed a parrot is one of the most ingenious character inventions in recent comic history. The series, comprising twelve albums to date, is a worldwide success. It has been translated into twenty languages and, under the author's direction, has conquered cinema screens as an animated film.

Joann Sfar was born in Nice on 28 August, 1971. Influenced by the stories and myths of his Jewish family, he began drawing his own stories at an early age. He studied philosophy in his native city and then attended the National Academy of Fine Arts in Paris. At the "Atelier des Vosges", he shared a studio with well-known colleagues including Marjane Satrapi, Émile Bravo, Riad Sattouf, Mathieu Sapin, Christoph Blain, David B. and Lewis Trondheim. In collaboration with Trondheim, Joann Sfar launched the fantasy series "Donjon" in 2007, which has now achieved cult status with over 50 volumes.

Other important series available in German include "Klezmer" (from 2007), "Professor Bell" (from 2004) and for children, "Desmodus der Vampir" (from 2006), as well as numerous stories in individual volumes. His notebooks are also published in France. These comprise thousands of closely written pages, illustrated with sketches, commentary on political or social issues and are considered an important aspect of his work. As a draughtsman, Sfar has developed an unmistakable style; his repertoire ranges from sketchy illustrations to fine ink drawings and employ elements of painting. The gaps in his stories leave room for the imagination.

Joann Sfar made his successful debut as a director in 2010 with the feature film "Gainsbourg – der Mann der die Frauen liebte" for which he was awarded the "César" in 2011. His first novel, "Der Ewige", followed in 2013. Most recently, avant-verlag published the autobiographical comic "The Synagogue", and the next part of his autobiography, titled "Der Götzendiener", will be available in time for the International Comic Salon.

On the occasion of the 21^st International Comic Salon dedicates his first retrospective exhibition in Germany to Joann Sfar, while the jury of the Max und Moritz Award is honouring him as one of the most important living comic artists for an already outstanding life's work, which will certainly be enriched with many more ingenious stories in the years to come.

Comics in German (selection):

Petrus Grumbart. Splitter, Bielefeld 1998, distributed by avant-verlag, Berlin 2004
Donjon (with the sub-series "Parade" and "Monster"). With L. Trondheim and others, 53 volumes to date, Reprodukt, Berlin 1999-2024
Professor Bell. 5 volumes (vol. 3-5 with H. Tanquerelle), avant-verlag, Berlin 2004-2011
Pascin. avant-verlag, Berlin 2006
Die kleine Welt des Golem. avant-verlag, Berlin 2006
Desmodus der Vampir. 4 volumes. avant-verlag, Berlin 2006-2007
Klezmer. 5 volumes. avant-verlag, Berlin 2007-2017
Der kleine Prinz. Carlsen, Hamburg 2009
Sokrates der Halbhund. 3 volumes, with C. Blain, Reprodukt, Berlin 2011
Chagall in Russland. avant-verlag, Berlin 2012
Vampir. avant-verlag, Berlin 2013
Aspirine. avant-verlag, Berlin 2014
Die Katze des Rabbiners. 4 anthologies. avant-verlag, Berlin 2014-2022; Volume 5: avant-verlag, Berlin, October 2024
Der Traum des Apachen. Eine Hommage an Leutnant Blueberry. With C. Blain, Egmont, Berlin 2020
Die Synagogue. avant-verlag, Berlin 2023
Der Götzendiener. avant-verlag, Berlin, June 2024

Prices and awards (selection):

1997 – Prix René Goscinny
1998 – Alph'Art Coup de Cœur in Angoulême
2002 – Yellow Kid in Lucca
2003 – Prix Oecuménique de la Bande Dessinée in Angoulême
2004 – Prix de l‘album Jeunesse 7–8 ans in Angoulême
2004 – Max und Moritz Award for Best Scenarist for "Die Katze des Rabbiners"
2006 – Will Eisner Award for "Die Katze des Rabbiners"
2009 – Essentiel Jeunesse du festival d'Angoulême for "Der kleine Prinz"
2011 – "César" film Award for "Gainsbourg – Der Mann, der die Frauen liebte" (Best Debut)
2012 – "César" Film Award for "Die Katze des Rabbiners" (Best Animated Film)
2014 – Officier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres
2024 – Max und Moritz Award for an outstanding lifetime achievement