Born in 1982, Julie Rocheleau is a Montreal-based illustrator who grew up in rural Quebec. Between 1999 and 2002, she studied traditional animated design in Vieux-Montréal and then became a freelance storyboard artist and developed characters for several animation studios. At the same time, she illustrated books for children and teens and directed and produced independent animated films.
In 2010, she started on her first graphic novel, La Fille invisible (Glénat Québec), a story about eating disorders written by Émilie Villeneuve. The two authors received the Bédéis Causa for best first professional graphic novel at the Festival de la BD francophone de Québec. The same year, Julie Rocheleau received the Joe Shuster award for best colorist; she was also a finalist in the best illustration category.
She continued her work on graphic novels with writer Olivier Bocquet, who wrote the trilogy, La Colère de Fantômas (Dargaud). The trilogy was awarded several times in Europe and Canada, including the Prix Quai du Polar 2015, the Prix du festival Interpol’Art 2013 de Reims, and a second Joe Shuster award for best cover. The English-language edition of the trilogy was nominated for best international graphic novel at the Eisner Awards.
She then published La petite patrie (La Pastèque) with writer Normand Grégoire, inspired by the work of Quebec novelist Claude Jasmin.
With writer Véronique Cazot, she created Betty Boob (Casterman) which was published in 2017. The graphic novel won the Prix de la BD Fnac, the Prix des libraires du Québec and the Prix Albéric-Bourgeois. The American edition, About Betty’s Boob, was also nominated for an Eisner Award.
In 2020, she illustrated Traverser l’autoroute (La Pastèque), written by Sophie Bienvenu. In 2024, she worked with American writer Julien Voloj on Globetrotters, le tour du monde de Nellie Bly et Elizabeth Bisland. A race against time, sexism, and prejudice… An ode to audacity and determination!
Julie Rocheleau also illustrates novels, posters, and magazine editorials. She makes fanzines and cyanotypes in her free time. She co-managed the artist studio L’Usine from 2015 to 2025 and co-founded the artist co-op La Planque in 2026.
