Bernard Jean-Charles Verlhac (21 August 1957 – 7 January 2015), known by his pen name Tignous (pronounced [tiɲus], derived from the Occitan word Tinhós, meaning “little stubborn one”), was a French cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and satirical artist.
A long-time contributor to Charlie Hebdo, Marianne, and Fluide Glacial, Tignous was renowned for his expressive, humane drawings that blended humor with empathy. His cartoons—sometimes dark, always insightful—captured the absurdities of politics, society, and human nature.
Tignous was murdered in the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris on 7 January 2015, alongside his fellow artists and friends Cabu, Charb, Honoré, and Wolinski. His death marked the loss of one of France’s most passionate defenders of humor and humanity.
Tignous — Infobox
| Full Name | Bernard Jean-Charles Verlhac |
|---|---|
| Pen Name | Tignous (from the Occitan “Tinhós,” meaning “little stubborn one”) |
| Born | 21 August 1957 — Paris, France |
| Died | 7 January 2015 (aged 57) — Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Cartoonist, Illustrator, Painter, Journalist, Caricaturist, Game Artist |
| Years Active | 1980 – 2015 |
| Education | École de la rue Madame; École Boulle, Paris |
| Known For | • Satirical cartoons for Charlie Hebdo, Marianne, and Fluide Glacial • Graphic novels and political cartoons • Illustrations for role-playing games (Rêve de Dragon, MEGA) |
| Artistic Style / Themes | Humanist satire, political commentary, social justice, humor with empathy, expressive linework |
| Major Publications | Charlie Hebdo, Marianne, Fluide Glacial, L’Événement du jeudi, L’Humanité, Télérama, Antirouille, Politis |
| Notable Works | • Tas de riches (1999) • Tas de pauvres (2000) • Le Procès Colonna (2008, with Dominique Paganelli) — France Info Prize for Current Affairs Comics, 2009 • Pandas dans la brume (2010) • Cinq ans sous Sarkozy (2011) |
| Affiliations | Charlie Hebdo; Cartooning for Peace; Clowns Sans Frontières; Press Judiciaire |
| Awards and Honors | • Prix France Info for Le Procès Colonna (2009) • Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (posthumously, 2015) • Official recognition as “Victim of Terrorism” (2015) |
| Humanitarian Work | Co-founder and supporter of Clowns Sans Frontières, participating in missions in Asia and Europe |
| Posthumous Tributes | • Prix Tignous (established 2017, Montreuil) • Centre Tignous d’Art Contemporain, Montreuil • Theatrical tribute Tignous, Hasta Siempre! (2016) |
| Burial Place | Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris (Division 95) |
Early Life and Education
Bernard Verlhac was born on 21 August 1957 in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, France, into a family that nurtured creativity. His father, Pierre Verlhac, and his mother, Anne-Marie Verlhac, supported his early interest in drawing.
The nickname “Tignous,” meaning “little pest” or “small but fierce” in Occitan, was affectionately given to him by his grandmother—a name that perfectly suited his later reputation for playful persistence and biting wit.
Tignous studied drawing at École de la rue Madame and then at École Boulle, one of France’s premier institutions for the applied arts. He was drawn early on to caricature, comics, and the press, finding inspiration in both classic cartoonists and contemporary satirists.
Early Career and Rise in Journalism
Tignous began publishing his first cartoons in the mid-1970s in Antirouille, a youth-oriented magazine for students and high schoolers. His early style already revealed his fascination with social realism—he drew everyday people, workers, and politicians with humor and affection, often exposing contradictions in modern life.
During the 1980s, he contributed to Charlie Mensuel, La Croix, Que Choisir, Télérama, L’Équipe Magazine, Politis, Phosphore, and Alternative Libertaire. His versatility allowed him to move fluidly between humor, politics, and culture.
In 1987, Tignous joined L’Événement du jeudi, a political weekly where he worked until 1998. He also collaborated with L’Humanité and L’Humanité Dimanche between 1990 and 2000, using his art to comment on working-class life and social justice.
Charlie Hebdo and Satirical Activism
Tignous began drawing for Charlie Hebdo in 1980 and became one of its leading cartoonists after the magazine was revived in 1992. His drawings often appeared on the front pages, distinguished by their loose, expressive linework and sharp, humane irony.
His work extended beyond Charlie Hebdo: he also contributed to Marianne, Fluide Glacial, and the humor magazine La Grosse Bertha.
Tignous was admired for his ability to laugh without cruelty, to criticize injustice while maintaining empathy for his subjects. His humor was both biting and tender, revealing the absurdity of power structures but never losing sight of human dignity.
Comics, Books, and Literary Work
Alongside his journalistic cartoons, Tignous authored and illustrated several acclaimed books and comics. Many of his works offered humorous yet powerful critiques of inequality, politics, and social hypocrisy.
📚 Selected Works
- On s’énerve pour un rien (1991, La Découverte)
- Pourquoi faire simple… (1993, La Découverte)
- Tas de riches (1999, Denoël)
- Tas de pauvres (2000, Denoël)
- Le Sport dans le sang (2006, Emma Flore)
- Le Procès Colonna (2008, with Dominique Paganelli, 12bis) — Winner of the France Info Prize for Current Affairs and Reportage Comics (2009)
- C’est la faute à la société (2008, collective work)
- Le Fric c’est capital (2010, 12bis)
- Pandas dans la brume (2010, Glénat) — an environmental satire featuring melancholic cartoon pandas
- Cinq ans sous Sarkozy (2011, 12bis)
His comic Le Procès Colonna, co-authored with journalist Dominique Paganelli, documented the controversial trial of Yvan Colonna, the accused assassin of Corsican leader Claude Érignac. The book’s success underscored Tignous’s mastery of combining journalism, satire, and moral inquiry.
Beyond Cartooning: Activism and Role-Playing Art
Tignous was also a pioneer in role-playing game illustration in France. He created visuals for the early editions of Rêve de Dragon, MEGA, and for the magazine Casus Belli. His whimsical, detailed drawings helped shape the aesthetic of French fantasy gaming in the 1980s.
He was deeply engaged in humanitarian work as well:
- A founding sponsor of Clowns Sans Frontières (Clowns Without Borders), participating in missions in the Philippines, Burma, and northern France.
- A member of Cartooning for Peace, promoting freedom of expression worldwide.
- An environmental advocate who supported WWF France, notably with his Pandas dans la brume project, which the organization hailed as “a friend’s humorous cry for the planet.”
In 2015, his illustrations were posthumously featured in the cooperative card game Les Poilus (The Grizzled), which portrays the emotional struggles of French soldiers during World War I—a perfect metaphor for Tignous’s blend of empathy and irony.
Death and Legacy
On 7 January 2015, Tignous was assassinated by Islamist extremists during the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in Paris’s 11th arrondissement. He was 57 years old.
His funeral was held on 15 January 2015 at the Père Lachaise Cemetery (division 95). During the ceremony, Franco-Lebanese jazz trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf performed in tribute, while surviving cartoonists—such as Corinne Rey (Coco) and Kianoush Ramezani (Kian)—decorated his coffin with felt-tip drawings.
Posthumously, Tignous was awarded the Legion of Honour (Chevalier) and officially recognized as a “Victim of Terrorism” by the French government.
Honors and Memorials
- 2016 – Tignous, Hasta Siempre! — a theatrical tribute by Oscar Castro and the Théâtre Aleph in Ivry-sur-Seine.
- 2017 – Creation of the Tignous Prize for Satirical Art by the city of Montreuil.
- 2017 – Renaming of Le 116 contemporary art center to Centre Tignous d’Art Contemporain, Montreuil.
- 2022 – Tignous Forever exhibition at the Centre Tignous d’Art Contemporain.
Personal Life
Tignous was married to Chloé Verlhac, and together they had four children — Marie, Jeanne, Sarah-Lou, and Solal Verlhac.
He was remembered by friends as gentle, passionate, and endlessly curious—a man who never stopped drawing, even in conversation. His cartoons often ended with the same quiet question: “What does it mean to be human?”
Legacy and Influence
Tignous’s legacy lies in his moral humor, his refusal to dehumanize, and his belief that satire should illuminate rather than destroy.
He saw drawing not as an act of defiance, but as an act of love for life. His characters—sometimes absurd, sometimes tragic—remind us that laughter can coexist with empathy, and that humor can be one of humanity’s greatest weapons against despair.
“You can kill a man, but you cannot kill his laughter.”
— Chloé Verlhac, 2016
