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. r d The Society of Illustrators, 128 East 63 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 23 rd 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. th The Great Hall of The Cooper Union, The Foundation Building, 7 East 7 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.