Marc Sleen, spiritual father of Nero, dies at 93

Marc Sleen, one of Belgium's most celebrated comics artists, passed away this morning, reports De Morgen. The cartoonist, and spiritual father of the Nero cartoon character, was 93 years old.

Marc Sleen was born as Marcel Neels on 30 December, 1922, in Gentbrugge, near Ghent. Growing up, Sleen devoured books and was a fervent drawer.

In 1944, he started working as a cartoonist at De Standaard. Sleen is best known for his series The Adventures of Nero, Piet Fluwijn en Bolleke and De Lustige Kapoentjes.

The Marc Sleen Museum, located in front of the Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels' Rue des Sables, is a museum dedicated to his life's work.