Lakes International Comics Art Festival: Don't miss out on French guests!
The 4th edition of the Lakes International Comic Arts Festival is fast approaching! Taking place in Kendal, Cumbria, during the weekend of the 14-16 October, the LICAF is one of the big moments for the British comics scene. Amongst the dozens of guests are a few Frenchmen illustrators whom the Book Office is very excited to see: illustrators Edmond Baudoin and Riff Reb’s, as well as Pascal Mériaux, co-founder of the Amiens comics festival On a Marché sur la Bulle.
“The festival features comic artists from around the world, as well as performance, film, exhibitions, comic trails, workshops, master classes, live drawing and independent retailers and publishers. The events programme is bursting with opportunities to get up close and personal with some of the leading comic artists and writers from across the world – see them draw, talk about their work and bring comics to life. A free Family Zone provides drop-in activities for all ages, alongside a series of fantastic workshops for kids and teenagers.”
There will also be a couple of attractive events for Francophiles: ASTERIX VS TINTIN : CLASH OF THE TOON TITANS, in which Pascal Mériaux will join other illustrators and comics experts in discussing who should have the title of greatest Francophone comics protagonist (I love both, but for me Tintin wins - even though he’s Belgian and Asterix is French!). The highly celebrated Baudoin and Craig Thompson will be drawing on stage, at the same time as they’ll be discussing their work with Paul Gravett. For those interested in French history, Bryan and Mary Talbot will be discussing their latest joint project, The Red Virgin, a graphic biography of French revolutionary Louise Michel.
This blog will also be giving you short presentations of each of the French guests at the LICAF, starting this week with the well-regarded Edmond Baudoin:
Born in Nice in 1942, Baudoin returned to his childhood passion of drawing in his thirties after a career as an accountant, because he “could not bear the thought of dying without having drawn every day of his living life”. Baudoin, despite the trauma of dreadful school grades in grammar and spelling, developed a taste for writing through his work on comics. The graphic novels he has produced since then have been well received, as he has been awarded prizes at the prestigious Angouleme Festival on three separate occasions: fo the best French comic book, and twice for the best scenario . A versatile and open-minded artist, Baudoin has written his own scenarios or worked with other famous Francophone writers (Le Clezio, Ben Jelloun, Vargas…), has performed with live musicians, and has also helped stage contemporary dance shows. He has recently created a graphic biography of the great Spanish surrealist painter Dalì, which will be published in October by SelfMadeHero.