Comics take back their rights in Angoulême – Le Monde

A spring breeze is blowing over the Angoulême International Comics Festival (FIBD). Canceled in January 2021 due to the pandemic, suspended a year later, then finally postponed to mid-March, the 49th edition of the main European exhibition dedicated to the 9th art opens, Thursday March 17, in a surprisingly radiant context, at least in appearance. The lifting of the mask and the good health displayed by the specialized edition bode well for a splendid and relaxed event, placed under the aegis of Chris Ware, the Proustian genius of a medium whose narrative potential he has shaken up. Read also Julie Doucet, a “feminist to the core” and underground Grand Prix of Angoulême Present in Charente for the exhibition dedicated to her, the American saw a woman succeed her on the Grand Prix list, Wednesday evening, during the inauguration of the festival. Three authors – Pénélope Bagieu, Julie Doucet, Catherine Meurisse – made up the trio of finalists who came out on top in a vote carried out by professionals in the sector: something never seen since the festival changed its Grand Prix designation system, 2017; a year before, a lively controversy had underlined the under-representation of women in comics. New price and mini-crisis The election in the second round of the ballot of Julie Doucet, 56, has everything of the strong symbol, today, for Angoulême. The Canadian had indeed stopped comics in 1999 precisely because she felt isolated in an environment that was too masculine for her taste. Her reintegration into the fold, through this prize which she accepts with good heart, is a godsend for the FIBD in terms of image. Julie Doucet remains the third woman “only” to reach the Grand Prix list, after Florence Cestac in 2000 and the Japanese Rumiko Takahashi in 2019. Cover of the Comix “Dirty Plotte” extracted from the anthology “Maxiplotte », published in 2021. JULIE DOUCET & THE 2021 ASSOCIATION A habit of controversy, Angoulême will not have escaped, despite everything, a new mini-crisis this year. Its object? The creation of a new prize, the eco-fauve (the fauves are the trophies given to the best albums of the past year), intended to reward a work dealing with ecology. Seeing that the prize in question was associated with the name of a company – Raja, European leader in cardboard packaging – revolted the members of the jury (two authors, two scientists, an environmental activist), who denounced an operation of “ greenwashing”. Their resignation en bloc led to the withdrawal of three of the seven titles in contention by their own authors, including Etienne Davodeau and Christophe Blain. Julie Doucet is the third woman to reach the Grand Prix list, after Florence Cestac and the Japanese Rumiko Takahashi You have 51.32% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.