Jacques Nicolaou

Jacques Nicolaou, born 7 October 1930 in France, was a French comic book artist best known for his long-running work on the humorous adventure series *Placid et Muzo*. He entered the comics field in the 1960s, contributing to the popular weekly *Pif Gadget* and its related publications. Nicolaou’s clean, expressive linework and lively storytelling made him a staple of the magazine, where he often served as artist, inker, letterer, and writer. His signature creation, *Placid et Muzo*, a comedic duo of animal characters, became a beloved fixture in French comics, with Nicolaou handling the series across numerous issues from 1964 into the 1990s. He collaborated closely with writer and co-creator Jacques Kamb, among others, to develop the strip’s gentle humor and slapstick adventures. Nicolaou’s work appeared in over two dozen issues, primarily for *Pif Gadget* and *Pif*, cementing his reputation as a reliable craftsman of family-friendly entertainment. He passed away on 30 May 2022 at age 91, leaving behind a legacy as a dedicated contributor to the golden age of French weekly comics. Though not widely known outside France, his consistent output and cheerful art style earned him a lasting place in the history of European humorous comics.