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Endpoint: Pirana (Cartoonist)



created on: 25/08/2026
by: Nathalie (5077)
 
 

Person properties

General info :
Pirana (born February 9, 1947 in Zele, Pegium - died January 19, 2020 in Zele, Belgium (aged 72)), was the pseudonym of the Flemish cartoonist Leon Van De Velde.

Pirana began his professional career as a floor layer, working alongside his father Petrus Van de Velde, who had previously been a successful cyclist in Flanders. In his spare time, he drew and published in small magazines, and was particularly inspired by the work of Marc Sleen.
From 1967 onwards, he sent drawings to the newspaper Het Volk.
He published in De Voorpost from the Dender region (not to be confused with the far-right group of the same name). He published in De Zwijger, Panorama, P-Magazine, The Star, and Penthouse, among others, and has also published cartoons in France, Germany, England, the United States, and Uganda.

His pseudonym was derived from the voracious fish species: the piranha.
Pirana is known for his simple, minimalist, and loose drawing style and macabre, sexist humor. His style is primarily influenced by the cartoonists from the magazine Hara-Kiri.

Pirana published, among others, the stop-motion comics "Peli Pelikaan", "De belevenissen van Cyriel, Klinske & Co", and "Cartoons uit de Torlterkamer".
He drew cartoons about current events, such as the Olympic Games (1976) and TV series like Roots and Rich Man, Poor Man.
He has no real recurring characters, except for Mrs. Dallemans, an aggressive and heavily built woman.
He also created many cartoons about the sexuality of Black people under the title "Zwarte liefde". Pirana has a fondness for African Black women.

Pirana has been the world record holder for the longest cartoon multiple times. He first broke this record on July 13, 1975, at the Zeelse Kouterfeesten, with a cartoon of 40.90 meters, drawn in 108 minutes. He has consistently improved this record at various locations in Belgium and France. His final attempt was in Namur at the Festival des métiers creatifs, where he drew 206m continuously.
During his career, Pirana also regularly won prizes at cartoon festivals, such as the one in Knokke-Heist.

In 2014, cancer was diagnosed during a routine examination. Pirana kept this completely secret until a few weeks before his death six years later. He chose euthanasia. He was 72 years old.
Relations :
Alias used by : Leon Van De Velde
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Item number : 73286

Submitted by : Nathalie (5077)
on : 25/08/2026