René Hausman

René Hausman was a Belgian comic artist and writer born on 21 February 1936, and he passed away on 28 April 2016. He is best remembered for his dark fairy tales and distinctive watercolor illustrations. Hausman entered the comics field in the late 1950s, contributing to *Spirou* magazine, where his work first appeared in 1959. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he took on roles as artist, colorist, inker, letterer, and writer across 13 issues, with his most frequent credits appearing in *Spirou*, *Pandora*, and the *Laïyna* series (including *Laiyna*, *Laïyna Intégrale*, and *Saki et Zunie*). His style was marked by a lush, painterly approach that gave his creatures and landscapes an eerie, folkloric quality. Hausman often collaborated with writers who shared his taste for the fantastical and macabre, though his own writing also shaped many of his projects. His legacy lies in his ability to blend the innocence of fairy tales with a darker, more mature sensibility, influencing later European fantasy comics. While he did not receive major mainstream awards, his work remains admired among connoisseurs of Franco-Belgian bande dessinée for its singular vision and technical skill.