A former history aggregator and comic book author, Jul, who spent part of his youth in Saint-Mandé, retains vivid memories of his time at the Decroly school. He emphasizes the importance of its educational method, which encouraged learning secondary subjects like drawing and, above all, the development of critical thinking, thus fueling the humor and irony in his work.
In the 1980s, at the age of 7, he created his own newspaper, "Le Julien déchaîné." He describes Saint-Mandé as a town with an extraordinary connection to its zoo and woods, which served as its playground. He recalls a unique atmosphere, "à la Renoir," populated by diverse characters, which marked his childhood. It was also in Saint-Mandé that, at 12 years old, he received the 3rd Prize in the youth competition at the Angoulême Festival for his drawings of a penguin at the North Pole.
After a brief career teaching Chinese History, Jul dedicated himself fully to drawing. He has collaborated with numerous newspapers and magazines such as La Nouvelle République des Pyrénées, Charlie Hebdo, Le Point, Le Nouvel Observateur, Marianne, Le Monde, Libération, and L’Écho des savanes. In parallel, he has created several iconic comic book series like "Silex and the City" and "La Planète des Sages," and has taken over the "Lucky Luke" and "Scrooge McDuck" licenses.
Three years ago, in collaboration with Aïtor Alfonso, he launched "La faim de l’histoire" (The Hunger of History), a comic book that recounts world history through food. Volume 2, released in September, explores new themes, and a third volume is already planned.
To celebrate Lucky Luke's 80th anniversary, Jul has penned "Saint Lucky Luke," a new album that takes the famous cowboy on adventures blending "a touch of madness and religion" in the Wild West. The first copy was presented to Pope Leo XIV during his visit to France.
