Enki Bilal

Born in Yugoslavia, his mother was Czech and his Bosnian father used to be Tito's tailor. His family fled the country to France in 1960, where Enki learns French and discovers cinema and comic books. In 1971, he wins a contest organized by the famous comics magazine Pilote with his first story "L'appel des étoiles". It's published in Pilote and later re-released under the title "Le bol maudit", and it allows Enki Bilal to start working for the magazine by drawing politicians. He then meets Pierre Christin (at the time scenarist of "Valérian" for Pilote) and starts his collaboration with him in 1975 with "La croisières des oubliés". In 1979, they release "Les Phalanges de l'Ordre Noir", which receives great critics and a Prix RTL. Bilal also draws "Exterminateur 17" in 1978 for magazine Metal Hurlant, with a scenario by Jean-Pierre Dionnet (later released as an album in 1989). Enki Bilal releases his first solo comic book, "La foire aux immortels", in 1980, which is the first episode o