Willy Linthout

Willy Linthout (1 May 1953) is a Belgian comics author, best known for the Urbanus comics and his graphic novel Years of the Elephant.

Biography
Willy Linthout is born in Eksaarde near Lokeren, Belgium in 1953. He was a comics collector when he met Flemish comedian Urbanus. They decided to create a comic strip based on the character Urbanus. The first album appeared in 1983, and it soon became of the most popular Flemish comic strips. So far, 135 albums have appeared.

Linthout also collaborates on the popular Kiekeboe comic strip of Merho, and has created together with Luc Cromheecke the series Roboboy.

In 2007, after the suicide of his son, he wrote and drew the graphic novel Jaren van de Olifant (Years of the Elephant), which was nominated for a number of international awards and won the Bronzen Adhemar, the most important Flemish comics award.

Awards

 * 2007: nominated for the Stripschapprijs Album of the Year (Dutch, literary) for The Year of the Elephant part 1
 * 2008: nominated for the Prix Saint-Michel for best Dutch language comic
 * 2009: Bronzen Adhemar for The Year of the Elephant
 * 2010: nominated for the Eisner Awards for Best U.S. Edition of International Material and Best Writer/Artist-Nonfiction
 * 2010: nominated for the Award for Best Dutch Language Youth Comic at the Stripschapprizes for Roboboy 6
 * 2010: nominated for the Award for Best Dutch Language Comic at the Prix Saint-Michel for The Year of the Elephant