Sine, caricaturist and provocative historical figure of “Charlie Hebdo” – Le Point

Known for his drawings vitriolic, Sine designer, who has just died Thursday at the age of 87, was a historical figure of the newspaper Charlie Hebdo which he was dismissed in 2008, after more than 20 years of collaboration. The provocative cartoonist, who was often in trouble with the law, adored tap capitalists, colonialists, cops, military or religions. Jazz enthusiast, he was also the author of albums on cats. Maurice Sinet born December 31, 1928 in Ménilmontant, a district of the capital. His father was a blacksmith, his mother runs a grocery store. Young, he studied drawing and layout, while singing in a group. His first cartoon appeared in 1952 in France-Dimanche . In 1955, he received the Grand Prix of black humor for his collection Lament without words . In 1959, he began to draw cats. Is success. He joined Express he left in 1962 to create Sine Massacre , which will count only 7 numbers. In 1968, he founded the equally ephemeral The Rabid with the publisher Jean-Jacques Pauvert.

20 years with Charlie

in 1974, sine incorporates the first Charlie team . He became friends with the strong personalities of the newspaper that are Reiser, Cavanna, Wolinski, Gébé or Willem. In 1981 he goes to The Thursday event . In 1992, he returned to Charlie. Meanwhile, he works “without qualms,” in his words, for advertising. Sine 2004 supports the Euro-Palestine list of Dieudonné. Accused of anti-Semitism, he refuted, he departed in 2008 to Charlie Hebdo with the publication director Philippe Val. The case, which made a great noise, was part of a column in which Sine joked about the possible conversion of Jean Sarkozy, son of the president, to Judaism before marrying the daughter of the founder of the Darty stores. Journalists and intellectuals were then divided between pro-Val and pro-Sine. In this case, Sine was sued by the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism “(LICRA) for” inciting racial hatred “, but acquitted by the court, which considered that his words held satire, not anti-Semitism. And in 2010, Charlie Hebdo was convicted wrongfully breached the contract that bound him to the cartoonist.

After leaving Charlie Hebdo he based Sine Hebdo , but the magazine closes quickly. In 2011, despite health problems, he launched Sine Monthly , which face financial difficulties last year had launched an appeal for donations. “It was scheduled that night a serious lung operation”, told AFP the family lawyer, Dominique Tricaud. “But even seriously ill, he still drew himself back cover of Sine Monthly . “In a last column this week, he told think only of his approaching death,” obsessively “.