Christian Lerolle is a French colourist and illustrator born in Reims. A discreet figure, he has made a name for himself through his talent for bringing life and atmosphere to the pages thanks to precise, expressive colouring that is always adapted to the story.
Drawn to the visual arts from a young age, Christian discovered comics in middle school, where he met Jean-David Morvan, a future screenwriter, and Sylvain Savoia.
Together, they contributed to the Reims-based fanzine Hors Gabarit, which served as a springboard for a whole generation of authors.
After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the Saint-Luc school in Brussels, a leading institution for comics professionals, before joining his friends at Atelier 510 TTC, a collective of authors that would produce several important names in the comics world.
It was there that Christian specialized in coloring, a crucial step in creating a graphic novel that transforms raw drawing into a vibrant and harmonious narrative.
His first significant work in color was on the H.K. series, and he hasn’t stopped since, constantly expanding his scope of work.
Christian Lerolle has worked on a wide variety of graphic novels, demonstrating his ability to adapt to very different styles:
Les Geeks: a humorous series where his colors emphasize the lighthearted tone and the quirky situations of the characters.
Walter the Wolf: with Jose Luis Munuera, he brings a visual flair to the burlesque adventures of this wolf unlike any other.
Méto: a graphic novel adaptation of the famous novel by Yves Grevet, where his coloring contributes to the immersive atmosphere of this young adult dystopia.
Christian’s work doesn’t just involve applying colors. He leads creative workshops, including at festivals like the Angoulême International Comics Festival, where he has facilitated comic book sessions and shared his expertise with the public, including young people.
He is also actively involved in the professional comics industry, having served on the jury for the Angoulême International Comics Festival’s school comics competition for nearly 18 years, and being an active member of the steering committee of SNAC-BD, a group of comic book authors.
Alongside his work on graphic novels, he creates illustrations, covers, and advertising projects, works in schools and training programs, and participates in organizing comic book events in Reims.
