Graphic Novel

François Marcela Froideval

Born in France on December 10, 1958.
He studied literature and law.
François Marcela Froideval is greately responsible for the introduction of role play in France: he is the creator of the famous club in Ulm Street and one of the founders of the Casus Belli magazine.
Beginning his career at Excelsior Publications as a game publication editor for the game publisher Descartes, he also participates in the design of the "Jeux & Stratégie" journal (owned by the same group) and creates the French Federation of strategic and tactical simulation games, of which he will be the chairman.
He founded the magazine Casus Belli of which he will be chief editor until his departure for the USA.
In 1982, he left France to become Assistant to the president of TSR (Dungeons & Dragons ™). It he lives 4 years in the USA. In those years, he co-wrote several rule books for Advanced Dungeon and Dragons: Monster Manual 2 and Oriental Adventure, with Gary Gygax.
Back in France, he handles the distribution and translation of TSR products in France until 1989.
Then he worked for Infogrames as a consultant on many programs, including "Drakkhen" which he will sign the scenario. He then works with the team of Cryo Interactive for which he wrote Dragonlore 1 and 2.
In all, he creates twenty games, including "Ave Tenebrae" and "Fiefs et Empires", and many role-playing games scenarios.
In 1988, he made a short apparition in "PIlote Et Charlie", with the "Ninja de la Nuit" and "Cauchemar", with 2 boards designed respectively by Henry Bismuth (now a painter) and Tignous.
In 1989, he created the first volume of the "Chroniques de la Lune Noire©" fantastic cycle designed by Olivier Ledroit and published by Zenda, which has since been resumed by Dargaud. From 1994, Cyril Pontet resumed drawing.
HeS earned over the years the title of the French specialist for Heroïc Fantasy, and fantasy in general.

Olivier Ledroit

Olivier Ledroit studies for 2 years at " l'École supérieure des arts appliqués Duperré " in Paris. Then, after a few illustrations for card games magazines, it is by seeking work at a thinking games exhibition he made the acquaintance of François Froideval and Guy Delcourt. They then offer him to participate in a comic book project for Zenda publications. Thus in 1989 was published the first volume of "Chroniques de la Lune Noire©", which he designed the first five volumes (without however colorizing the fifth), in collaboration with François Froideval. He also produces all of the covers for the series, then resumed by Dargaud.
This comic book clearly inspired by medieval fantasy leads in the90s a new style called Gothic comic book, which finds its inspiration directly into the medieval-fantasy universe of 80s and in fantasy literature of the nineteenth century. It will in turn inspire the authors of universes in the 90s to this day. Olivier Ledroit is recognized today as a pioneer and leader of this style.

Cyril Pontet

Cyril Pontet was born in Marseilles on May 7, 1971. He followed a classic (but quite chaotic) path in school until he obtained his art & literature degree in 1991. He then went to the University to take psychology courses but stopped after one year and tried his luck in the world of comic books.
His comic book influences came from the other side of the Atlantic: his childhood had been rocked by American comic books. He must also confess to a great love the fantasy universe, whether those created by Tolkien, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, or those more disturbing and most contemporary by Lovecraft or Ramsey Campbell. "Chroniques de la Lune Noire©" is his first comic book.