Claire Bretécher, "one of the most celebrated French cartoonists of recent decades and the first woman to achieve significant prominence in the genre in France," died February 10, the Guardian reported. She was 79.
Bretécher rose to fame in the 1970s with the comic-book series Les Frustres (The Frustrated Ones), "which tackled issues of gender and sexuality with a mordant and deadpan humor," the Guardian wrote, adding that her most famous character was Agrippine, a spoiled adolescent dealing with the troubles of growing up. In 1976, Roland Barthes called Bretécher the "best sociologist of the year."
Dargaud, her publisher, said: "She was one of the pioneers of this literary genre and imposed a style, a tone and an offbeat gaze that was of total originality.... Bretécher traced a path that was unique in the comic book. Her humor and spirit of mind were immense."