Alberto Varanda

Following a pivotal encounter with André Franquin, Alberto Varanda took away a lesson that would guide his entire career: uncompromising standards. From dark heroic fantasy comic art to illustrations for role-playing games and novel covers, and children’s books imbued with poetry, his versatile artistic style has spanned numerous genres of narrative imagery. 

Born on November 1, 1965, in Arcozelo, Portugal, he grew up in Picardy from 1968 onward, where his family settled. He first trained in woodcarving, followed by advertising design and illustration in Paris. After completing his studies, he contributed to the magazines Rantanplan Presse, Spirou, and Tintin Reporter. He then taught drawing classes and met Croc, a role-playing game designer at Siroz Publishing. Their collaboration gave rise to games such as INS/MV, Bloodlust, Scales, and Bitume. During this period, he also created illustrations for Casus Belli. His collaboration with Ange subsequently began with the comic book Reflets d’écume. This was followed by the series Bloodline, La Geste des Chevaliers Dragons, and Paradis perdu. At the same time, Alberto created book covers for the publisher Fleuve Noir. He then met Christophe Arleston, the writer of Lanfeust de Troy, with whom he began Élixirs. Simultaneously, he created a series of paintings that would become book covers for Bragelonne. In 2010, he published a beautiful trilogy with Soleil Productions—a poetic and dreamlike illustrated book intended for readers of all ages: Petit Pierrot. In addition to La Mort vivante (script by Olivier Vatine), he is developing a new series for young readers with Comix Buro: Les Little Héros. In 2022, the Daniel Maghen Gallery dedicated an exhibition to him alongside Alessandro Barbucci.