Benoît Peeters

Benoît Peeters, born 28 August 1956 in France, is a writer, essayist, and scholar whose work spans comics, criticism, and academia. He is best known as the co-creator of the metaphysical series *Les Cités obscures* (The Obscure Cities), a sprawling cycle of graphic novels that blend architecture, philosophy, and adventure. Peeters entered comics in the early 1980s, collaborating with artist François Schuiten on *Les Murailles de Samaris* (1983), which launched the *Cités obscures* universe. The series—including standalone volumes like *La Fièvre d'Urbicande* and *L'Enfant penchée*—is celebrated for its intricate, dreamlike worlds and meticulous linework. Peeters’s writing is marked by intellectual depth and a fascination with urban spaces, memory, and perception. He also wrote for the landmark French comics magazine *(À Suivre)* and contributed to the Italian series *L'Eternauta*. Beyond comics, Peeters is a noted Tintin scholar, authoring biographies of Hergé and Jacques Derrida. In 2022–2023, he held the Chair of Artistic Creation at the Collège de France, delivering lectures on the poetics of comics. His work has earned him critical acclaim, including the Prix Tournesol and the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire. Peeters remains active as a professor and essayist, shaping discourse on sequential art.