View source for Midam

{{Short description|Belgian comics author}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox comics creator
| image         =MIDAM n&b.jpg
| imagesize     =
| caption       =
| birth_name    = Michel Ledent
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1963|5|16}}
| birth_place   = [[Etterbeek]], [[Brussels-Capital Region]], Belgium
| nationality   = Belgian
| area          = artist, writer
| alias         =
| notable works = ''[[Kid Paddle]]''
| awards        = [[#Awards|see awards section]]
}}
'''Michel Ledent''' (born 16 May 1963), known by the pseudonym '''Midam''', is a Belgian comics author, best known for ''[[Kid Paddle]]''.
==Biography==
Michel Ledent was born in [[Etterbeek]] near [[Brussels]] in 1963. He studied illustration and interior decoration at the [[Institut Saint-Luc]] in Brussels, and started creating comics in 1989 for the computer magazine ''Micro-Systèmes''. Under the pseudonym Midam, he joined ''[[Spirou (magazine)|Spirou]]'' magazine in 1992 as an illustrator for the videogames section.
The character he created there, ''[[Kid Paddle]]'', soon got its own series, which became very popular, with over 4 million copies sold in French. New albums sell some 400,000 copies in French alone, making it one of the top ten best-selling French language comics series.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Perrin |first1=Raymond |title=Littérature de jeunesse et presse des jeunes au début du XXIe siècle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l01Ns5qliD4C&q=%22midam%22+%22kid+paddle%22&pg=PA505 |access-date=8 May 2009 |year=2008 |publisher=L'Harmattan |language=French |isbn=978-2-296-05257-4 |page=528}}</ref> In 2002, a separate ''[[Kid Paddle]]'' magazine was launched, and an animated TV series was created as well, with so far 104 episodes. The spin-off series ''Game Over'' was created in 2004, presenting the misadventures of the main character of the video games Kid Paddle is fond of playing in his own albums. The comic is wordless and is according to Midam inspired by the everfailing quests of [[Wile E. Coyote]]. The first album sold 60,000 copies.<ref>{{cite news |first=Manon |last=Guilbert |title=MIDAM, KID PADDLE. Motus et bouche cousue |url=http://www.canoe.com/divertissement/livres/entrevues/2006/12/27/3022092-jdm.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119202106/http://www.canoe.com/divertissement/livres/entrevues/2006/12/27/3022092-jdm.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 January 2013 |publisher=Le Journal de Montréal |date=27 December 2006 |access-date=8 May 2009 |language=French}}</ref>
Other series by Midam were ''Le Gowap'', which was continued by [[Curd Ridel]], and ''Durant les Travaux, l'Exposition Continue'' with [[Frédéric Seron|Clarke]].
Midam is married to Chilean Araceli Cancino, who translates his works into Spanish.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hacen cómic de aventuras virtuales |url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/54598.html |publisher=El Universal |location=Mexico |date=12 November 2007 |access-date=8 May 2009 |language=Spanish |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113184441/http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/cultura/54598.html |archive-date=13 January 2008}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
*''Kid Paddle'': Dupuis, 1996–2007, Mad Fabrik, 2011-present, 15 volumes
*''Durant les Travaux, l'Exposition Continue'': Dupuis, 1998 - 2000, with Clarke, 3 volumes
*''Game Over'': Dupuis, 2004–2009, Mad Fabrik, 2009-present, 17 volumes, with Adam and others
*''Le Miracle de la vie'': Dupuis, 2004, artwork by Clarke, 1 volume
*''Harding was Here'': Quadrants, 2008, with Adam, 1 volume
==Awards==
*2002: Nominated for the [[Angoulême International Comics Festival Prix Jeunesse 9-12 ans|Youth Prize]] at the [[Angoulême International Comics Festival]] for ''Kid Paddle''
*2005: Youth Prize at the [[Prix Saint-Michel]] for ''Game Over''
*2006: Prix Canal J for the best youth comic for ''Kid Paddle''<ref name=CanalJ>{{cite web |title=Titeuf - "Le Sens de la vie", Prix CANAL J 2009 du Meilleur Album Jeunesse |url=http://www.bdzoom.com/spip.php?article3844 |publisher=BDZoom |language=French |date=27 April 2009 |access-date=8 May 2009}}</ref>
:: Nominated for the Youth Prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival for ''Kid Paddle''
:: Nominated for the Youth Prize at the Prix Saint-Michel for ''Kid Paddle''
*2009: Nominated for the Prix Canal J for ''Kid Paddle''<ref name=CanalJ/>
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090427120101/http://midam.be/index.html Midam] homepage
*[http://lambiek.net/artists/m/midam.htm Biography] at [[Lambiek]] Comiclopedia
*[http://www.dupuis.com/catalogue/UK/au/59/midam.html Biography] at publisher [[Dupuis]]
{{Authority control (arts)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Midam}}
[[Category:Belgian comics writers]]
[[Category:Belgian comics artists]]
[[Category:Belgian humorists]]
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]