Paris - French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni became stars of France's comic book scene last year.

The cover of the recently published book, Carla and Carlito, depicts the French first lady carrying an image of Sarkozy in a baby sling.

It has sold 100,000 copies and demand continues, the newspaper Le Parisien reported in late December. The book depicts Bruni as the real power in the Elysee Palace and reveals that her control over him is so strong that the staff refer to him as Carlito or little Carla.

Another comic book that appeared in 2007, La face karchée de Nicolas Sarkozy, which roughly translates to The Power-Washed Face of Nicolas Sarkozy, has sold more than 200,000 copies, Le Parisien reported. The title is taken from Sarkozy's comment about how a section of Paris should be cleaned with a pressure washer.

In addition to the comic books, several books have been published about the relationship between the president and his wealthy Italian-born wife, who became famous as a model before pursuing a singing career. (dpa)