René Goscinny

René Goscinny (Paris, 14 August 1926 – 5 november 1977, Paris) was a French writer, humorist and screenwriter of comic strips.

Goscinny was born in Paris as the second son of Stanislas "Simkha" Goscinny, a chemical engineer from Warsaw, and Anna Beresniak Goscinny from the village of Chodorkow (Ukraine) who had met each other in Paris. In 1928 the family moved to Buenos Aires because Goscinny senior had gotten a job there.

His early years spent in Argentina by Goscinny where he had a brief career as a draughtsman. His father died In december 1943 . Goscinny had some jobs, among other things as an apprentice accountant and as a draughtsman. In 1945 he moved with his mother to the United States and joined his uncle Boris live. In 1946 he returned toFrance to fulfill his military service at the 141st battalion of Alpine hunters. He was promoted to corporal and was the illustrator of his regiment. For the army, he made illustrations and posters. In 1947 he illustrated a book, and then he returned to New York.

There followed a difficult period out of work. In 1948 he began in a small studio to work. Goscinny became friends with people here as Will Elder, Jack Davis and Harvey Kurtzman, who later would be known by their work for Mad Magazine. In 1949 he also met the artist Maurice De Bevere (Morris). Goscinny moved back to Paris shortly afterwards.

In 1951, he met there the artist Albert Uderzo , with whom he made several comics series, including Oompah-pah pa, that in the magazine Tintin appeared between 1958and 1962. From 1959 began their comic Asterix to appear in comic magazine Pilote. In the meantime, Goscinny in 1955 also start writing stories for the comic Lucky Lukewho was drawn by Morris. The cooperation with both Morris as Uderzo, would last until the death of Goscinny in 1977.

As an editor (from 1959) and later Chief Editor (from 1963 until 1974) of Pilote made Goscinny this sheet to a comic magazine for adults with comics that were more innovative than become more inventive and until then usual in comic pages for children.

Goscinny worked as a scriptwriter also worked with Jean Tabary (Iznogoud, 1962-1977) and Gotlib (Les dingo files, 1965-1967). He wrote under the pseudonym "Agostini" a series of children's books, the little Nicholas (1956-1964), illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé.

Goscinny died at 51 of a heart attack during an exercise stress test in a hospital in Paris. In the 13th arrondissement is a street named after him.