Peter de Smet

Peter de Smet was a Dutch comic-strip artist best known for creating *De Generaal* ("The General"). He was born on 4 July 1944 in Amsterdam, where he also died on 6 January 2003.

De Smet began his career in the 1960s as an advertising artist, and soon started drawing comics on the side. An early version of *De Generaal* was submitted to *Tintin* but never saw print. In 1968, he launched the medieval series *Fulco* for the magazine *'t Kapoentje*, but had to abandon it due to illness. He then returned to advertising, producing strips like *Pieter Pienter* for a bank, which appeared in *Tina* and *Donald Duck*.

In 1971, *Pep* magazine picked up *De Generaal*, and the series continued through the magazine's later incarnations, most notably *Eppo*. De Smet worked as an artist, colorist, inker, letterer, and writer across 94 issues, with his most credited titles including *Pep*, *De Generaal*, *Por Dios*, and *Kuifje*.

Though his output was shaped by health challenges, his work on *De Generaal* remains his enduring legacy, a satirical strip that found a loyal readership across decades.