Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Angoulême, france

Angoulême Comics Festival Suffering A "Slow Death" After Boycotts

Angoulême Comic Art Festival, one of the biggest comics events in the world, is suffering a "slow death" after boycotts and accusations

Angoulême, or the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée (FIBD) is the second largest comic book convention in Europe, the third largest in the World and one of the most influential. And it is facing an existential crisis just weeks before its 53rd edition in January 2026, with boycotts from major publishers, writers, artists, and its own Grand Prix laureates, described by Le Figaro as suffering a "slow death."

Bleeding Cool previously reported how hundreds of comic book creators had signed a petition to boycott next year's Angoulême festival, which denounced the "toxic" contract held between the owners, FIBD, and the outsourced organisers 9e Art+ for nearly 20 years, noting that it had its "management practices" questioned in the press, including accounting opacity. Le Monde detailed in a January investigation that these issues have snowballed, amplified by a history book of the show by former artistic director Nicolas Finet and Philippe Capart.

Suspicions of nepotism and commercial excess, as well as the treatment of a previous employee's sexual assault as a reason for the boycott, much of which came out of a long investigation by L'Humanité Magazine alleging corruption and poor management. They also revealed the existence of a plan to make a permanent deal for the festival with 9eArt+'s director Franck Bondoux, "between his company and the association that delegates the festival to him," rather than the current renewed contracts. After this, the managers of 9ᵉ Art+ decided to let go of the festival's former communications manager, who had filed a complaint after being sexually assaulted during last year's festival. This led to "Chloé, we believe you" posters placed across Angoulême this year.

FIBD stated that new consultations would be held regarding the festival's organisation from 2028 onwards. Decisions about the future direction would be made by a jury composed of FIBD members. And that FIBD would remain the owner of Angoulême. Directly afterwards, funders, including governmental bodies, announced that the organisation of the 2028 event would be put out to tender, and that Franck Bondoux would resign from 9eArt+ at the end of 2027, coinciding with the end of his contract. But it seemed that this was not enough. Basically, it looks like what happened when Boris Johnson was replaced by Liz Truss.

Anouk Ricard, the 2025 Grand Prix winner, announced her boycott on Instagram, refusing the traditional honorific exhibition planned for her, translated: "Being elected Grand Prix of Angoulême 2025 by my peers, the comic book authors, is an immense honour. It is the most beautiful recognition for me. But… in the current context around the festival's organisation, I have decided not to participate in the 2026 edition, nor in the exhibition that was to be dedicated to me". She framed her stance as "a gesture of coherence, solidarity, and not rejection of comics or its public". Creators Pénélope Bagieu and Florence Cestac joined the chorus, and Cestac, a past Grand Prix recipient, lamented on France Inter in November that the festival was dying, echoing an open letter in November in L'Humanité signed by over 20 former laureates declaring that "The Festival of Comics in Angoulême is in mortal danger." The next day, Libération reported that heavyweight publishers Dargaud, Dupuis, Le Lombard, Kana, and Urban Comics – representing a significant chunk of the French BD market – voted to boycott the 2026 edition during an emergency meeting convened by regional culture advisor Frédéric Vilcocq and Angoulême's mayor, Xavier Bonnefont. "The point of no return seems to have been reached" warning of a "generalised collapse" without intervention. These firms cited not only ethical concerns but also practical ones, recognising a diminished appeal for authors and fans amid the scandals. LeFigaro described the scene as "compromised by the boycott of numerous publishers and authors" and questioned outright if the January event would even occur, highlighting how "year after year, the festival has accustomed us to its share of polemics, outbursts, big words, and small scandals – but this time, it feels terminal. The Association of Critics and Comics Journalists (ACBD) warned that, "in view of the chaotic situation" and without rapid and radical governance change, they would not hand out awards at the show.

In response, the FIBD association has scrambled to salvage the situation. First, it called for 9e Art+, its rival bidder for the event, the Cité Internationale de la Bande Dessinée et de l'Image (CIBDI), and the local comics museum to forge a "common project" by the 20th of November, This came after a controversial tender process that appeared to favor 9e Art+, despite the firm's July announcement removing embattled director Franck Bondoux. The move backfired, and three days ago, France Info summarised the uproar, saying that major voices described the show as one that "accumulates scandals, communication errors, and lack of ambition, all in total opacity of management." Two days ago, the association reversed course, launching a fresh selection process and sidelining 9e Art+ entirely. FIBD president Delphine Groux vowed to consult "all main actors in comics" for a "consensual project," aligning with Bonnefont's call to "listen to everyone in the coming months." The FIBD acknowledged that "this choice has manifestly not won the assent of the festival's stakeholders," and therefore annulled the contested results and launched a new, broader selection process (translated). That statement was aimed at calming the revolt by signalling that the association had heard authors and publishers — but it also highlighted how badly the relationship between the festival's owner and its operator had frayed.

Public funders of the show, including DRAC, Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Charente Department, and Angoulême City, are to convene with FIBD president Delphine Groux for crisis talks this month, with a major decision expected from tomorrow. Angouleme continues to sell admission to the show. Say, maybe Thought Bubble should take over? It all seems to be going rather well this weekend…

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