It's best just to laugh.
This morning, at ground control in Paris, the 48th edition of the Angoulême comic strip festival was presented, marked by the health crisis.
Decked out in a candy-pink jumpsuit, the two new artistic directors, journalist and author Sonia Déchamps and Frédéric Felder alias Franky Baloney, comic book author and actor, seemed to be having a great time.
Read also: Coronavirus: a fragmented edition for the Angoulême comic book festival
“
The 2021 festival will not be like the others, but is that a reason to panic?
Certainly not and thousands of authors worldwide are in agreement with us, do not panic, read comics
"
,
began the drills joyful.
Before giving the floor to Emil Ferris, Lorenzo Mattotti, Posy Simmonds, Zep, and so many others who, in unison, wanted to support the festival which, like all the others, has seen better days.
Recalling that the forty-eighth edition would be split into two parts, the organizers presented an official selection comprising 44 works in the running for the Fauve d'or for best album.
A reward that will be awarded on the last weekend of January.
Without an audience, covid obliges.
The bulk of the events will take place at the end of June, a first for 47 years.
Initiate young people
Among the titles selected, we are delighted with the magnificent Aldobrando by Italians Gipi and Luigi Critone, the tasty adaptation of Anaïs Nin's early years by Léonie Bischoff, or the first graphic novel by the young and promising Lucie Quéméner,
Le Baume du tigre
.
Without losing its good habits, the festival gives pride of place to independent houses with titles such as
Meanwhile,
the social story tinged with melancholy and black humor by Swedish Pelle Forshed or the new part of
Paul,
the semi-series. autobiographical and moving by Quebecer Michel Rabagliati
.
For their big comeback in comics, the Albin Michel editions can be proud of the presence of the first volume of
Sapiens, The birth of humanity,
the bestseller of the Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari, adapted in comics by David Vandermeulen and Daniel Casanave.
The jury responsible for awarding the Fauve d'Or will be chaired by Benoît Peeters, the screenwriter of the
Les Cités Obscures
saga
.
Among the novelties, in order to introduce young people to the virtues of the ninth art, the organizers have announced the creation of the Fauve des lycéens.
These will have to decide between fifteen titles from the official selection.
"Each participating class registers a delegate on the platform to participate in the draw, which makes it possible to appoint the 10 members of the national jury who will represent all geographic sectors and take parity into account
", specifies the festival on the festival site which intends, with this operation, to ensure a bright future.