Tintin Forums

Sad to read of the passing of another of the Belgian comic-art masters, René "Ref" Follet (1931-2020), who - while not famous for any one strip - was known as a prolific and talented artist, providing many short comics for both Tintin and Spirou magazines, amongst others.
According to his Wikipedia entry, Follet's earliest published work was an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, used for a chocolate company promotion, when he was only 14.
He produced several homages to Hergé and Tintin, in the form of illustrations done his own style.
A versatile artist, admired and appreciated by his peers, even if not so well known to the general public, Wikipedia also suggests that E.P. Jacobs asked Follet to collaborate on the Blake & Mortimer series with him.
Ref is said to have turned Jacobs down, because he would get no credit on the books - seemingly similar to the dissatisfaction felt by Jacobs before he left Hergé, when he could not get a credit for his work on Tintin stories.

We extend our sympathies to all who knew him.