The cartoonist Sempè, 'father' of the Little Nicolas, died

(ANSA) - PARIS, AUGUST 11 - One of the greatest French comic and comic cartoonists, Jean-Jacques Sempé, died at the age of 89.

Together with René Goscinny, one of Asterix's fathers, he had given life to the character of 'Little Nicolas' who accompanied the childhood of French generations, and has signed hundreds of covers for the New Yorker, Paris Match and other publications.

The announcement of his death, which took place in his holiday home, was made by his wife Martine Gossieaux Sempé to AFP.

    A genius of humorous drawing, he drew poetic works with apparent simplicity for more than half a century, inventing the first 'graphic novels' already in the 1950s, also addressing busy themes but always with great lightness and subtlety of stroke.

   (HANDLE).