Léopold Chauveau was a French surgeon, sculptor, illustrator, and author of children's stories. Born in Lyon in 1870, he was the son of the renowned physiologist Auguste Chauveau. Following his father's wishes, he pursued medical studies and became a surgeon. It was only later in life, around 1905, that he began sculpting, a pursuit he learned from his friend, the artist Georges Lacombe. His artistic work focused on creating fantastical and often endearing monsters, a theme that became the central focus of his creative identity. His life was marked by profound tragedy, particularly during and after the First World War, in which he served as a military doctor. He lost his wife and two of his four sons during this period, losses that deeply influenced his subsequent artistic output.

Chauveau is the original creator of the story that forms the basis for the anime The Old Crocodile. The original tale, titled Histoire du vieux crocodile, was published as part of his collection Histoire du poisson-scie et du poisson-marteau in 1923. This story was later adapted into an animated short film in 2005 by the Japanese animator Kōji Yamamura. The film is noted for faithfully preserving the distinctive, naive style of Chauveau's original illustrations.

Beyond this single animated adaptation, Chauveau is not known as a direct creator within the anime and manga industry. His significance lies in his work as a French author and artist of the early 20th century. He wrote and illustrated numerous stories for children, often featuring animals and strange creatures, which were published in collections such as Les histoires du petit père Renaud (1927) and Les cures merveilleuses du docteur Popotame (1927). Many of these stories were originally invented for his own children, particularly his son Renaud, who died at a young age. This personal loss, alongside the larger trauma of the war, informs the recurring themes in his work. His stories are characterized by a combination of fantastical, monstrous characters, a narrative tone that does not shy away from the harsh realities of life, and a strong sense of empathy for childhood.

After the war, Chauveau abandoned medicine entirely in 1922 to dedicate himself to art and literature. His artistic identity is defined by his singular focus on monsters, which he sculpted in wood, wax, and plaster, and drew in ink and watercolor. He called these works "hypothetical creatures," and they range from the frightening to the clumsy and sad. His style drew inspiration from medieval gargoyles and Japanese art, resulting in a body of work that was largely forgotten after his death in 1940 but has been rediscovered in the 21st century. A major exhibition of his work, Au pays des monstres, was held at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris in 2020, cementing his legacy as a unique figure in French art and children's literature.