▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁in ▁O ud erg em , ▁Fland ers , ▁together ▁with ▁his ▁tw in ▁brother ▁Ed g ard . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁twelve ▁he ▁won ▁a ▁drawing ▁contest ▁in ▁the ▁newspaper ▁Het ▁N ieu ws ▁van ▁den ▁D ag . ▁He ▁studied ▁painting ▁and ▁graph ic ▁art ▁at ▁the ▁higher ▁St . ▁Lucas - inst itu ut ▁in ▁Br uss els , ▁where ▁he ▁would ▁become ▁a ▁teacher ▁at ▁a ▁later ▁age . ▁In ▁his ▁pen ult imate ▁year ▁at ▁Sint - L uc as ▁Gal ▁worked ▁as ▁app rent ice ▁at ▁the ▁Jes uit ▁week ly ▁magazine ▁De ▁Lin ie . ▁The ▁next ▁two ▁years ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁magazine ' s ▁layout . ▁When ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁the ▁magazine ▁ceased ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁Gal ▁drew ▁the ▁final ▁cover ▁featuring ▁a ▁cut ▁down ▁tree ▁with ▁the ▁words ▁" De ▁Lin ie " ▁written ▁on ▁the ▁tree ▁b ark , ▁cr ushing ▁the ▁F lem ish ▁Lion ▁in ▁its ▁fall . ▁ ▁Gal ' s ▁first ▁cart o ons ▁were ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁and ▁appeared ▁in ▁various ▁mag az ines , ▁most ▁prom in ently ▁De ▁N ieu we ▁and ▁De ▁Zw ij ger , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁house ▁cart oon ist . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁G AL ▁publish es ▁in ▁the ▁week ly ▁magazine ▁Kn ack . ▁Over ▁the ▁years ▁his ▁cart o ons ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁c ensor