Born in 1983, Thomas Gilbert spent a year studying the fine arts in Paris and three more at the Saint-Luc Institute in Brussels, specializing in comics, before beginning his career as an author with two series, “Oklahoma Boy” (Manolosanctis) and the long-running heroic fantasy series “Bjorn le Morphir” (Casterman). His primary influences came from L’Association, which taught him the importance of the author’s perspective in developing a narrative. In the years since, Gilbert has done books for children (such as “Nordics” with Sarbacane) and other works skewed more toward adults, including “Sauvage ou la sagesse des pierres,” with Vide Cocagne). In 2018, Gilbert completed “Les Filles de Salem” (Dargaud; “The Daughters of Salem,” Europe Comics), plunging himself and the reader into the oppressive world of Salem, in 17th-century New England. His extensive research of the Salem witch trials led to the creation of this work that goes beyond the facts of the case to explore the place of persecution and even hatred in the judicial system and society of the time.