Lucien De Gieter started off in the graphic-novel world as a writer for Spirou magazine, in 1961. He launched his first series, Pony, and collaborated with Peyo in the inking of the Smurfs. But it was with Tooot and Puit, the adventures of a young Japanese fisherman and a siren, that he gained his reputation as an author. In 1974, the first Papyrus strips were published in Spirou. This Egyptian saga quickly became very popular.