Origins & Early Life

Maurice De Bevere (Dutch: [moːˈriz də ˈbeːvərə]; French: [mɔʁis də bəvɛʁ, moʁ-]; 1 December 1923 – 16 July 2001), better known as Morris, was a Belgian comics artist, illustrator, and the creator of Lucky Luke, a best-selling comic series about a gunslinger in the American Wild West. He was inspired by the adventures of the historic Dalton Gang and other outlaws. It was a best-selling series for more than 50 years, published internationally and translated into 23 languages. He collaborated for two decades with French writer René Goscinny on the series.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Morris's pen name is an Anglicized version of Maurice. Born in Kortrijk, Belgium, Morris attended the well-known Jesuit college in Aalst. His math teacher told his parents the youth would unfortunately never succeed in life, as he passed the time in class doodling in the margins of his math books. The school uniforms inspired his choices for those of the undertakers in his Lucky Luke cartoon series. Morris started his career after college drawing at the Compagnie Belge d'Actualités (CBA) animation studios.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

This short-lived Belgian animation studio is where he met fellow artists Peyo, André Franquin, and Eddy Paape. After...

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