Jacques Tardi

Jacques Tardi ([taʁdi]; born 1946) is a French comics artist. He is often credited solely as Tardi.

Tardi was born on 30 August 1946 in Valence, Drôme. After graduating from the École nationale des beaux-arts de Lyon and the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris, he started drawing comics in 1969, at the age of 23, in the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Pilote, initially illustrating short stories written by Jean Giraud and Serge de Beketch, before creating the political fiction story Rumeur sur le Rouergue from a scenario by Pierre Christin in 1972.

A highly versatile artist, Tardi successfully adapted novels by controversial writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline and crime novelist Léo Malet. In Malet's case, Tardi adapted his detective hero Nestor Burma into a series of critically acclaimed graphic novels, though he also wrote and drew original stories of his own.

Tardi also created one of French comics' most famous heroines, Adèle Blanc-Sec. This series recreates the Paris of early 20th century where the moody heroine encounters supernatural events, state plots, occult societies and experiments in cryogenics.

Another graphic novel was Ici Même [fr] which was written by Jean-Claude Forest, best known as the creator of Barbarella. A satire, it describes the adventures of Arthur Même who lives on the walls of his family's former property.

Tardi has produced many antiwar graphic novels and comics, mainly focusing on the collective European trauma of the First World War, and the pitfalls of patriotism spawned several albums (Adieu Brindavoine, C'était la guerre des tranchées, Le trou d'obus, Putain de Guerre...). His grandfather's involvement in the day-to-day horrors of trench warfare, seems to have had a deep influence on his artistic expression. He also completed a four-volume series on the Paris Commune, Le cri du peuple.

In the English language, many of Tardi's books are published by Fantagraphics Books, edited and translated by Fantagraphics' co-founder Kim Thompson. Books published by Fantagraphics include West Coast Blues (Le Petit bleu de la côte ouest), You Are There (Ici Même), It Was the War of the Trenches (C'était la guerre des tranchées), Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot (La Position du tireur couché) and The Arctic Marauder (Le Démon des glaces). Four books, including two albums collecting the first four Adele Blanc-Sec volumes, were previously published by NBM Publishing, the previous rightsholder to Tardi's works, in translations by Jean-Marc Lofficier and Randy Lofficier.

In January 2013, Tardi was nominated as a Chevalier in France's Legion of Honour, the country's highest distinction. However, he turned down the distinction, citing that he will "remain a free man and not be held hostage by any power whatsoever."

• 1974: Grand Prix Phénix
• 1975: Award for Best French Artist at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, France

- Grand Prix for Black Humor

• 1977: Best Foreign Artist at the Prix Saint-Michel, Belgium
• 1982: Award for best comic by "l'Association 813" at the Festival du Polar in Reims
• 1985: Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême, France

- Knighted in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France

• 1986: Adamson Award, Sweden
• 1990: Best German-language Comic/Comic-related Publication at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Germany
• 1991: Special mention at the Best Promotional Comic Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 1994: Audience Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival

- Best German-language Comic/Comic-related Publication at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Germany

• 1998: nominated for the Award for Best Comic Book at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 2002: Audience Award and Award for Artwork at the Angoulême International Comics Festival

- nominated for the Prix de la critique and the Canal BD Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival

• 2003: nominated for the Audience Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 2004: nominated for Best American Edition of Foreign Material at the Harvey Awards, U.S.
• 2005: nominated for Award for a Series at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 2006: nominated for the Award for Best Comic Book and the Audience Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival
• 2006: Special Prize for outstanding life's work at the Max & Moritz Prizes, Germany

- nominated for the Grand Prix Saint-Michel

• 2007: nominated for the Grand Prix Saint-Michel
• 2010: nominated for the Press Prize at the Prix Saint-Michel
• 2011: winner of two Eisner Awards