Marc Sleen

Marc Sleen was a Belgian cartoonist best known for the long-running humorous adventure strip *The Adventures of Nero and Co.* Born Marcel Honoré Nestor Neels on 30 December 1922 in Belgium, he began his comics career after World War II, creating a series of gag strips before launching *Nero* in 1947. His work is marked by absurd, satirical humor and a distinctive, energetic line. For 45 years, Sleen drew, wrote, and lettered every strip entirely alone—a feat that earned him a place in the *Guinness Book of Records* in 1992. He also created popular series such as *Piet Fluwijn en Bolleke*, *De Lustige Kapoentjes*, and *Oktaaf Keunink*. Sleen worked without assistants or collaborators, making his solo output all the more remarkable. He died on 6 November 2016. A museum in Belgium is dedicated to his work, and his legacy remains that of a singular, industrious talent whose strips defined Flemish comics for generations.