Robert Collard


Robert Alphonse Collard, also known as Robert Lortac or simply Lortac, was a French writer, illustrator, portraitist and art critic. He is considered a pioneer in animation.

Biography

During his youth Collard produced cartoon and caricatures for periodicals such as Bon Vivant, Le Petit Illustré amusant and Fillette. Lorac began his first animated cartoon in 1914. After meeting with Émile Cohl, he created his own production company in 1916. The Lortac workshop was in the 1920s a rich crucible - the only one in France at the time - where the young animators of the time learned their craft. Notable names included: Antoine Payen, André Rigal, Chaval and Ragonneau. He made several cartoons of fiction that the Pathé company later incorporated into the 9.5 mm Pathé-Baby film library. Among the best known, one can mention La Cigale et la fourmi, Le Lion et le rat, and Toto cuisinier.
In 1922, he published a satirical daily newspaper in cartoons entitled Le Canard en ciné, screened in theaters with the news Pathé.
He is also known to have written under his name the novel Demonax, which he illustrated in 1938. He also publishes detective and science fiction novels, including L'aventures commence ton soir in 1943, and Les bagnards du ciel in 1954.