Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Angoulême, Comics, entertainment, france

What's More Alternative Than The Alternative Section Of Angoulême

Published Tue, 11 Feb 2014 09:00:26 -0600

Xavier Lancel writes for Bleeding Cool,

SCARCE held its usual booth in the Alternative/Small editors section of the FIBD (International Bandes Dessinées Festival) in Angoulême, France, during the four days of this event. While feeling the wholeness of the event and how it litterally invades this medieval city is something to experience, if your goal is really to discover new people, meet comics creators and, more importantly, talk extensively to them, then a deep exploration of the Alternative section should be your goal.

Contrary to the last previous years, the number of guests at our booth was rather small. Manga artist Yuko Koyama was here, signing the mini-comics adventures of Yocchi, a japanese girl, and her cute cat Nya-Nya. .

David Boller – penciller for Marvel in the 90's on titles such as Night Trasher, then creator of Kaos Moon – stopped by a few hours on Saturday to promote the long-awaited release of Un Ciel Infini (Endless Sky), a poignant 280p autobiographical story of David experience in the US. An English version is scheduled to be released before Summer 2014.

In the alternative section of the FIBD, I had the pleasure to meet the amazing Scott C. I remembered him from his amazing funny strips published in the anthology Hickee, in the 2000's. He was especially proud to present the french version of The Great Showdowns, a mute collection of one shot drawings behind which are hidden famous movies. He proved as kind as talented.

Also worth of notice, the release in French of Pompeii, the doomed romance of Frank Santoro.

What is more alternative than the alternative section? Answer: the FOFF (for Festival OFF), a hidden counterpart of the FIBD, for young peoples who could not afford/have a booth. On the 3 different levels of an associative bar, you would find mostly mini-comics and counterculture products.

That's where I found out Koostella Lds, a clever Brazilian artist. His Gefangene comics (completely mute, making it an international product) is an impressive reading : behind the simplicity of strips in a 9 panel grid, the rage, the loneliness and the despair of the live of innmates make it a magnificent and strongful work of art. The book can be ordered online but it clearly needs an American distributor.

Finally, for the first time, an extensive conference – done by Xavier Fournier (editor of Comic Box magazine)- was devoted to a US comics artist mostly unknown by the casual french reader. This year, it was Carmine Infantino. The door is now open…

Also worth a notice, was the release during the festival of the first volume (400 pages on the 1917-1965 period) of a giant biography on Jack Kirby by Jean Depelley, probably THE definitive book on Jack Kirby.

Even if it's the 8^th time you're going to the FIBD, the vivacity and the variety of the Alternative sections of the FIBD (and the FOFF) will always make it an experience worth the trip.

Xavier Lancel is the editor of french magazine SCARCE on US comics. The magazine will released its 79^th issue, devoted to Crossgen, at the end of February.

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