Rutu Modan and Alison Bechdel at the 2014 Angoulême Comics Festival
Here is a look at what you can expect to see at this year’s Angoulême Comics Festival, which runs from January 30 thru February 2. Just grab a croissant and kick back and watch some of the proceedings.
The festival has since cut off its live feed. For a long stretch, try this link here.
From press material for the Angoulême Comics Festival 2014:
International Encounters
International Encounters gives the say to authors from around the world, invited to look back at and explain their works to the public, whether they be abundant or still in the becoming.
Around an album, a series, a magazine, the International Encounters offer festivalgoers a direct contact with authors from all horizons of comics. Offered by the Festival each year since 2004, these conferences are organized in a spacious room, and last an hour to an hour and a half. They are animated by a moderator (critic, specialist) familiar with the presented work, who guides and accompanies the invited artist’s commentary on his or her own work, and allows room for the public, to intervene at any time.
Images revisiting one or many of the author’s books will accompany these privileged moments (the images will be projected on screen during each conference). For the non French speaking guests, an interpreter will simultaneously translate into French. The choice of guests for this 41st edition is varied and eclectic.
Whether they be French or foreign authors, of mainstream or alternative comics, all the greatest talents take part in the International Encounters.
As every year, The salle Buñuel, at l’Espace Franquin, will welcome authors linked to the Festival’s program and theme: the remarkable diversity of perspectives on the world found within comic books. Major guest of this year’s Festival, the Argentine, Quino, will discuss the history of his very famous character Mafalda, and the difficult context he found himself in when publishing at the end of the 60s and early 70s. Willem, the president of the the jury will take a look back at his rich career in comics and press illustrations, and in the wake of the exhibition, Joost Swarte and young Dutch authors will speak about the Atelier populaire they will be running during the Festival, as well as the printed posters they will put up throughout the city.
The Israeli, Rutu Modan (author of Exit Wounds, rewarded at the Festival in 2008, and most recently La Propriété, Actes Sud BD), will participate in a conference as well as the Japanese Suehiro Maruo, master of eroguro (erotic grotesque), around the publication of DDT (The Black Lizard) and L’Enfer en bouteille (Casterman). The Americans Alison Bechdel (author of Fun Home and of C’est toi ma maman ?, published by Denoël Graphic), and Dash Shaw (author of Bottomless Belly Button and most recently of New School, published by çà et là) will also be present, as well as the British Pat Mills, scriptwriter of La Grande Guerre de Charlie (Delirium), and Peter Blegvad, author of Livre de Léviathan (L’Apocalypse). Finally, the Chinese Li Kunwu (Une Vie chinoise, Les Pieds bandés and most recently La Voie ferrée audessus des nuages, by Kana) will come testify about the creation of comics in China today, and many Korean authors will also be part of the program.
Conferences with francophone authors will take place in the Gabriel Fauré Conservatory Auditorium. The French author of the youth series Les Légendaires, Patrick Sorbal, will look back at the immense success of his series, which he has been writing and illustrating for ten years now. Around Transperceneige, adapted to Film by the Korean Bong Joon-ho, a conference will be organized to discuss the work of Jean-Marc Rochette, illustrator of this three-volume cult comic book, which an exhibition at the Festival will be paying tribute to. A conference with both François Boucq and Hermann will allow the back at these two authors’ work, and explore audience to take a look their perception of each other’s techniques and evolutions. Christian Rossi, who is publishing Deadline (Glénat), will look back at a career rich of many series (Jim Cutlass, W.E.S.T., Les Errances de Julius Antoine, La Gloire d’Hera). For the occasion of the publishing of Camera Obscura: vers la ligne claire et retour publishing), which revisits stories, some dating (Champaka back to the 70s, Ted Benoit will discuss, in company of Joost Swarte, the “clear lign“, expression invented by Swarte in 1977. Finally, many authors published by Misma will come speak about the collective work accomplished by this young organisation which will celebrate its 10 year anniversary at the Paper Museum.
Exhibitions
Tardi and the Great War
Gus Bofa, Farewell to Arms
Willem Exhibition, that’s what I call comics!
Mafalda, a 50 year old girl
Les Légendaires
80 birthday candles for the Journal de Mickey
Ernest & Rebecca
Along the way she meets…
Korea Exhibition: Flowers that never fade
10 years of happiness according to Misma
From Transperceneige to Snowpiercer
