Tardi was born on 30 August 1946 in
Valence, Drôme. After graduating from the
École nationale des beaux-arts de Lyon and the
École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in
Paris, he started drawing comics in 1969, at the age of 23, in the
Franco-Belgian comics magazine
Pilote, initially illustrating short stories written by
Jean Giraud and
Serge de Beketch, before creating the
political fiction story
Rumeur sur le Rouergue from a scenario by
Pierre Christin in 1972. Tardi especially gained fame and recognition with his graphic novels about the horror and misery of
The First World War, like
It Was The War of the Trenches. In 2013, Tardi was nominated as a
Chevalier in France's
Legion of Honour, the country's highest distinction. However, he turned down the distinction, citing that he will "remain a free man and not be held hostage by any power whatsoever." ==Awards==