Philippe Vidal Dumas, Accomplished French Director And Co-Creator Of ‘The Garfield Show,’ Dies At 59

Philippe Vidal Dumas, an accomplished French director whose work shaped some of the country’s best-loved animated series of the past three decades, at home and abroad, has died at 59.

Born in Boulogne-Billancourt on June 16, 1966, Vidal’s passion for visual storytelling emerged early. After first studying English and Law, he began to pursue his true love in 1987 when he enrolled at Paris’ famed animation school Gobelins. He joined Ellipse Studio at its inception in 1990, beginning his career as a production assistant on Babar and later contributing as layout supervisor on Tintin, Orson & Olivia, Rupert, and Blake & Mortimer. He also contributed storyboards on the animated adaptation of The NeverEnding Story.

By the mid-1990s, Vidal was directing short films and soon helmed TV series such as Fennec (1997) and Fracasse (1998), followed by the feature Bécassine: The Viking Treasure (2001).

Over the following decades, he began to refine the craft of adapting comics for television, bringing to life Valerian & Laureline and Contraptus, and co-creating the globally successful The Garfield Show with Garfield’s creator, Jim Davis. That series spanned five seasons and earned Vidal an Emmy nomination.

Animal-centered comedy became Vidal’s hallmark, with series like Bobby & Bill (winner of the Unifrance Export Prize) and, most recently, Belfort & Lupin, which received the Pulcinella Award earlier this year. Below, Vidal discusses his work on the series. (Sadly, we could only find an English-dubbed version of the video)

Throughout his career, Vidal blended humor, sensitivity, and inventiveness, while embracing evolving technologies without compromising his distinctive style. At the time of his passing, he was developing Deer Colin, a deeply personal literary and audiovisual project.

Ellipse Animation, where Vidal had just celebrated 35 years of collaboration, reflected on his legacy: “Philippe Vidal Dumas is a key figure at Ellipse Animation. His warmth, generosity, curiosity, and attentiveness leave a profound impact on his colleagues and collaborators.”

A tireless creator, mentor, and friend, Philippe Vidal Dumas leaves behind his partner, his son Benjamin, his family, and a vast community of collaborators and admirers. His contributions have left an indelible mark on European animation, ensuring that his influence will endure in the stories, characters, and worlds he so lovingly brought to life.