Jean De Mesmaeker was born on December 21, 1935, and died on April 30, 2017.

He was a Belgian comics artist in the Marcinelle school tradition.

He was best known for his series featuring a cute, playful and adventurous little girl, Sophie.

Jidéhem a creator of his own series Sophie, and Ginger.

He was noted for his work with Starter and Uhu-man, he is known for his collaborations and assistance to the work of André Franquin during a long career at the Franco-Belgian comics magazine Spirou, working on Spirou et Fantasio and Gaston Lagaffe, on which he shared co-authorship for several years.

Jean De Mesmaeker passed away at 81 years old.