FRENCH COMICS
FRAMED FESTIVAL
NEW YORK CITY
SEPT. 27 – NOV. 5, 2016
Illustration © Christophe Blain 2016
FRENCH COMICS
FRAMED
In 1889, Richard Felton Outcault, creator of the
legendary Yellow Kid, moved to Paris to study
art. He came back to the US with a brand new
outfit: a beret and a cape.
In Manhattan 1952, Morris met René Goscinny:
thus Lucky Luke found his new writer, who
would also go on to create Asterix and many
more iconic heroes.
Comics and bande dessinée have always been
entwined, keeping up a constant communication
across the ocean. Although comics artists may share their work
and keep track of each other’s production, these
exchanges might not be quite so accessible to
the general public. Well, we’d like to make them
available to everyone. After all, stars such as The
Smurfs, Tintin, Blacksad and Persepolis were
born and raised in Europe before conquering
the US. FRENCH COMICS FRAMED festival displays
in English the wonderful diversity of the
Francophone bande dessinée. From much-loved
icons to sophisticated graphic novels; from
masters of sci-fi to sociopolitical documentaries.
With a stunning exhibition, engaging talks, and
encounters with some of the best Francophone
artists at the New York Comic Con, get ready for
an amazing journey through French creation and
discover the art of comics à la Française.
Philippe Ostermann
President of the French Comics Association
FRENCH COMICS FRAMED EXHIBITION
SEPT. 27 – NOV. 5, 2016
THE COOPER UNION, FOUNDATION BUILDING
7 EAST 7 TH ST., NY 10003
This exhibit presents a wide selection of Franco-Belgian works. Staged under the beautiful
arcades of the iconic Foundation Building of The Cooper Union, renowned for its programs in
arts and architecture, it offers a journey through the formal and thematic evolutions of comics
published from Paris to Brussels over the past 70 years.
Most of these works have attracted U.S. publishers’ attention and have been translated into
English. Entitled French Comics Framed and divided into three sections, the exhibition aims
to expose the varied architectures that structure the design and narrative of the comics form.
The exhibit includes works for all audiences, from science fiction and fantasy to works of
intimate realism.
© DR
1 | WINDOWS ON THE WORLD
The Fourth Avenue Colonnade windows allow the viewers to gaze in from the outside, on
images that range from the infinite grandeur of the universe to the intimacy of the mind
of a single character. Meet famous characters from classics such as Asterix to bestselling
series including Blacksad and Lastman, and dive into stunning pictures of iconic cities and
imaginary worlds (such as The Obscure Cities by Schuiten & Peeters or Alex Alice’s works).
2 | FROM THE COMIC STRIP TO THE GRAPHIC NOVEL FRAME
The comic is above all characterized by the physical architecture of its form, from the
frame to the strip and the page. This section of the exhibit presents a selection of works by
innovative artists known for their willingness to reject these codes of conventional comics,
including Lewis Trondheim, Benjamin Renner, Victor Hussenot, Brüno...
Whether extending panels into panorama, bursting through frames or re-imagining the use
of color to enhance characters (for Enki Bilal and Julie Maroh), artists’ structural innovations
have significantly expanded the possibilities of storytelling.
It also demonstrates the influence of other styles of visual narrative (American comics,
manga, film) that Franco-Belgian comics have integrated.
3 | FRAME TO THE WORLD French artists have often been inspired by the wider world, and American culture in
particular has long fed their fascination. These artists challenge and delight the reader with
references to contemporary issues and pop culture. Comics adaptation of famous stories
or literary classics such as H.P. Lovecraft adapted by Mathieu Sapin, diversion of famous
characters such as Mickey Mouse by Loisel and The Simpsons, contribute to these cultural
exchanges. Francophone artists are also stimulated by international collaborators and
travels that inspire them to draw from personal experiences abroad. Emmanuel Guibert’s
The photographer or Guy Delisle’s books are examples of works that result from these
exchanges, reflecting the dynamism of the world of comics art today.
NEW YORK COMIC CON BOOTH #1558
OCT. 6 – 9, 2016
JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER, 655 WEST 34TH ST., NY 10001
For the first time, the French Comics Association exhibits at NYCC. Don’t miss our blue, white
and red booth featuring a wide selection of Franco-Belgian comics in English translations from
your favorite U.S. publishers. Our acclaimed artists will present their innovative works and
bestselling books and will welcome you to signings.
Enter our giveaway to win comics, tickets for a VIP event and more! Aspiring artists will also
have the opportunity to ask French editors’ advice on their own work.
THU-SUN, OCTOBER 6-9
BOOTH AND BOOK SIGNING: NEW YORK COMIC CON
Discover our wide selection of Francophone comics in English translation, presented by
numerous American publishers, at booth #1558. FRENCH COMICS FRAMED artists will
present their innovative works and best-selling books at New York Comic Con and in Artist
Alley, where a book signing will be held.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1:30-2:30pm (ROOM 1B03)
DRAWING FROM THE WORLD: FRANCO-BELGIAN COMICS IN GLOBAL CONTEXT
Featuring Arthur de Pins, François Boucq, Barbara Canepa, Stéphane Créty, Asaf Hanuka,
Matz, Nicolas Otero
Moderated by Matt Madden (author of Drawing Words and Writing Pictures: Making Comics)
In both style and subject matter, Franco-Belgian comics are unprecedentedly diverse,
thanks to creators’ thriving exchanges with the world. The panel will discuss how U.S. pop
culture shapes setting and story, or how collaborators like Walter Hill and Jerome Charyn
add fresh spirit to the work of French artists. Publishers will also share singular experiences
working with international artists such as Barbara Canepa and Asaf Hanuka, which led them
to worldwide success.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 5:30-6:30pm (ROOM 1A05)
COMICSBEAT PRESENTS: THE EUROPEAN COMICS INVASION
Featuring Heidi MacDonald, Jean-Marc Rochette, Arthur de Pins, Simon Fraser, Leeann Hamilton
It’s our annual look at the European comics scene, with the cartoonists from around the
world talking about their work and the comics tradition of their countries. This time we’ll
talk to Jean-Marc Rochette (Snowpiercer, France), Arthur de Pins (March of the Crabs,
France), Simon Fraser (Judge Dredd, Scotland), Leeann Hamilton (Cash Cow, Ireland) and
more about their careers, their influences and how comics are becoming an international
language without borders.
DO IT THE
FRENCH WAY
RENDEZ-VOUS
BOOTH #1558
ARTIST ALLEY
ARTISTS APPEARANCES
Pénélope Bagieu
Olivier Balez
François Boucq
Barbara Canepa
Stéphane Créty
Étienne Davodeau
Arthur de Pins
Asaf Hanuka
Matz
Jean-Claude Mézières
Nicolas Otero
Jean Marc Rochette
Anne Simon
Illustration © Pénélope Bagieu 2016
OTHER EVENTS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 7pm ($15; STUDENT PRICE $10)
CONVERSATION WITH ASAF HANUKA
Asaf Hanuka just won an Eisner Award for The Realist at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.
He will discuss with Tomer Hanuka their opposing approaches to storytelling, presenting
The Divine and their recent works.
The Society of Illustrators, 128 East 63 rd St., NY 10065
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 7pm
FRENCH COMICS ON SCREEN: FILM ADAPTATIONS OF FRANCO-BELGIAN GRAPHIC NARRATIVES
Featuring Etienne Davodeau, Matz, Jean-Claude Mézières, Arthur de Pins and
Jean-Marc Rochette
Moderated by Alex Dueben (comics critic)
J.-C. Mézières, creator of the classic series Valerian and Laureline, will discuss his role in
Luc Besson’s 2017 film adaptation, and J.-M. Rochette will detail his involvement in the
Snowpiercer movie (with Chris Evans). Matz will explain how The Warriors director Walter
Hill’s unproduced screenplays became comics, and Arthur de Pins and Etienne Davodeau
will speak about indie adaptations.
The School of Visual Arts, 209 East 23rd St., NY 10010, 3rd floor
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 6:30pm
DRAWING LIFE: WHO IS THE PARISIAN ROZ CHAST?
Featuring Olivier Balez, Etienne Davodeau, Asaf Hanuka, Nicolas Otero and Anne Simon
Moderated by Heidi Macdonald (The Comics Beat)
Accompanying the current exhibition Roz Chast: Cartoon Memoirs, this discussion will focus
on the ever-lively and inventive world of French cartooning. Who is the Parisian Roz Chast
(if there is one)? What are the major themes and latest projects coming out of France?
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue, NY 10029
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 7pm
RECONSTRUCTING COMIX: THE “ARCHITECTURE” OF FRANCO-BELGIAN GRAPHIC
NARRATIVES, FROM TINTIN TO TODAY
Featuring Matz, Philippe Ostermann, Nicolas Otero, Anne Simon
In this panel, leading comic artists from France discuss the ways in which disruptive formal
and thematic conventions have influenced their work and pushed the genre forward into its
groundbreaking present form.
The Great Hall of The Cooper Union, The Foundation Building, 7 East 7th St., NY 10003
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1—7pm
DRAWING THE UNSPEAKABLE
Kerascoët, Pénélope Bagieu and Catherine Meurisse discuss how drawing express feelings.
Columbia University, Butler Library, (room 523), 535 West 114 th St., NY 10027
THE ARTISTS
New York-based PÉNÉLOPE BAGIEU’s hit graphic novels include Exquisite Corpse
(First Second Books, 2015). Her illustrations appear in numerous French and
foreign publications. First Second Books will release her graphic biography of Cass
Elliot, California Dreamin’ in the U.S. in 2017.
OLIVIER BALEZ has worked with Pierre Christin on the acclaimed graphic novel
about New York’s master builder Robert Moses (Nobrow, 2014). He also wrote
and illustrated La Cordée du Mont Rose (XXI, Les Arènes, 2011) and has illustrated
for Le Monde for over a decade.
FRANÇOIS BOUCQ is known for his Jérôme Moucherot comics, Westerns and
literary adaptations. He received the Angoulême Comics Festival Grand Prix for
his extensive body of work. With novelist Jerome Charyn, he has recently released
Little Tulip (Dover Graphic Novels, 2016).
BARBARA CANEPA is the co-creator, with Alessandro Barbucci, of the
internationally acclaimed sci-fi saga Sky Doll, and the W.I.T.C.H. series for young
readers. Canepa has designed characters for Disney and edits for French publisher
Soleil. Titan released Sky Doll: Decade in the U.S. in March.
In addition to three successful French comics series, STÉPHANE CRÉTY has
illustrated for Marvel’s Star Wars series and released the first volume of his and
Serge Lehman’s superhero-noir Masked in the U.S. (Titan, 2015). Titan will publish
the series’ next volumes in 2017.
ETIENNE DAVODEAU’s graphic novel The Initiates (NBM) received praise from
Publishers Weekly and was nominated for a Slate/Center for Cartoon Studies
prize. Lulu Anew (NBM), recipient of the Angoulême Festival “Essential” prize, was
adapted into a film in 2013. NBM will release Le Chien qui louche in the U.S. in 2017.
ARTHUR DE PINS’ series include Péchés Mignons and Zombillenium (NBM,
2014-16), which he is adapting into a feature film. His animal fable The March of
the Crabs (BOOM! Studios, 2016) was shortlisted for a 2016 Eisner Award and
his animated short film The Crab Revolution received international praise.
JACQUES FERRANDEZ debuted the acclaimed Carnets d’Orient, a graphic epic
on the French occupation of Algeria, in 1987. He has adapted Camus’s The Host
and The Stranger (Pegasus Books, August 2016) and exhibited his work at Paris’s
Hôtel des Invalides for the 50th anniversary of the end of the Algerian War.
ASAF HANUKA is the creator of the autobiographical comics The Realist (Archaia,
2015), which won a 2016 Eisner Award. He was previously nominated for Ignatz
and Eisner awards for co-creating the Bipolar series with his brother Tomer and
contributed to the Oscar-nominated Waltz with Bashir. With Tomer and Boaz
Lavie, he released The Divine (First Second Books, 2015).
KERASCOËT are Marie Pommepuy and Sébastien Cosset, recipients of Ignatz
and Eisner nominations for the graphic novels Beauty (NBM, 2014) and Beautiful
Darkness (Drawn & Quarterly, 2014), respectively. Enchanted Lions Books releases
their children’s book Paul & Antoinette in the U.S. in September.
Comic book writer MATZ’s (Alexis Nolent) work includes The Killer, which was
optioned by Netflix. He adapted The Black Dahlia into graphic form with director
David Fincher and Miles Hyman and created Bullet To The Head with Colin Wilson.
He based Triggerman (Titan, October 2016) on a script by director Walter Hill
(The Warriors).
CATHERINE MEURISSE is a graphic novelist whose poignant memoir La Légèreté
(Dargaud, 2016) chronicles her return to life and art after the Charlie Hebdo
attack. Meurisse illustrates children’s books and has contributed to many French
publications.
JEAN-CLAUDE MÉZIÈRES created the sci-fi duo Valérian and Laureline with
Pierre Christin in the 1960s. The series counts 20 titles and won Mézières the
Angoulême Festival Grand Prix and the San Diego Comic Con Inkpot Award.
Europe Comics released The Circles of Power, the series’ final installment, in the
U.S. this year.
MEZZO is known for graphic crime novels including the cult classic King of the
Flies, which was published in the U.S. by Fantagraphics. Faber will release Love in
Vain, Mezzo and Jean-Michel Dupont’s acclaimed graphic biography of bluesman
Robert Johnson, in November.
NICOLAS OTERO’s graphic novel series include the ambitious debut Amerikkka
and the dark Western Bonecreek. His acclaimed graphic biography Le Roman de
Boddah took a fresh perspective on the life and death of Kurt Cobain, and will be
published in English as Who Killed Kurt Cobain? by IDW this October.
CLÉMENT OUBRERIE illustrated the acclaimed Aya of Yop City (Drawn & Quarterly,
2007) by Marguerite Abouet. His literary adaptations include Pullman’s Golden
Compass trilogy (Knopf, 2015-2016) with Stéphane Melchior and Queneau’s Zazie
dans le Métro (Gallimard BD). With Sfar, he cofounded the animation studio
Autochenille. SelfMadeHero just published Pablo, his and Julie Birmant’s graphic
biography of Picasso, in the U.S..
JEAN-MARC ROCHETTE is best known for his thriller Snowpiercer, created with
Jacques Lob (Titan, 2014-2016), which was adapted into a 2013 film. Rochette has
illustrated for science-fiction comics, children’s cartoons and literary adaptations.
His many honors include two major Angoulême Festival prizes.
A recipient of the Angoulême New Talent prize, ANNE SIMON illustrated
the graphic novel Persephone in the Underworld and has collaborated with
psychoanalyst Corinne Maier on popular graphic biographies of 20th-century
figures Marx, Freud and Einstein (Nobrow, 2015-16). She has exhibited work
at Paris’s Salon du Livre.
EXCLUSIVE READINGS
Want to be ahead of the trends? Visit our website to discover original comics just released in France.
Vote for your favorite excerpt and rate new comics art to help spotlight the stars of tomorrow’s comics
industry. From humor, fantasy and kids’ comics to crime and science fiction, our site offers great strips
for every reader!
www.frenchcomicsassociation.com
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PRESENTS
PÉNÉLOPE BAGIEU
OLIVIER BALEZ
FRANÇOIS BOUCQ
BARBARA CANEPA
STÉPHANE CRÉTY
ÉTIENNE DAVODEAU
ARTHUR DE PINS
JACQUES FERRANDEZ
ASAF HANUKA
KERASCOËT
MATZ
CATHERINE MEURISSE
JEAN-CLAUDE MÉZIÈRES
NICOLAS OTERO
CLÉMENT OUBRERIE
JEAN-MARC ROCHETTE
ANNE SIMON
Cover illustration © Kerascoët 2016
Design : Nicolas Kerembellec