Olivier GRENSON

Olivier Grenson © Europe Comics

Olivier GRENSON is a Belgian comic book artist and writer.
Deeply passionate about comics from a young age and determined to make it his profession, Grenson studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Châtelet while also pursuing scientific studies as a backup plan. From 1981 to 1985, he attended the École de Recherche Graphique in Brussels, and three years later, returned… as a teacher! (A position he still holds today.)
In 1983, he joined the Journal de Tintin, publishing his first pages and then his first short humorous series, Aldose et Glucose. Despite this, he struggled to get his early projects published.
Recognition came in 1999 with Niklos Koda (written by Jean Dufaux). The first volume, A l'arrière des Berlines, introduced the freelance French intelligence agent and established him among unforgettable comic book heroes! The character’s Eastern charm, combined with Grenson’s elegant, refined, and sensitive art style, created a recognizable identity for the series. But it was also the intelligence of the storyline that led to its success. Ten years and ten albums later, the first cycle ended, before a second began in 2013.
In the meantime, Grenson took part in collaborative projects such as Live Free or Die! - 9 Stories of Resistance and the collective album Partenaires.
In 2018, he illustrated Judith Warner, the 13th volume of the series XIII Mystery, written by Jean Van Hamme, bringing together two important women from XIII’s life: Judith and Jessica Martin. Grenson, while remaining faithful to the spirit of the series, infused it with his personal and recognizable universe, to the delight of his fans!
In 2024, the graphic novel Le Partage des Mondes highlighted the power of storytelling, of tales, of history—as the last human thread when life unravels under the bombs of the London Blitz.
Though Grenson acknowledges the mixed influences of Moebius, Mattoti, Battaglia, and painter David Hockney, the quality of his drawing, particularly his work on backgrounds, makes him one of the most influential Belgian artists of his generation. His continued teaching alongside his creative work also reflects his spirit of generosity and the desire to share that has never left him.