Top French comic creator Boulet has created this poster for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2015 featuring their mascot characters, Poblin and Gang, created by Jonathan Edwards.
Following up on the popularity of several Continental guests in 2014, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival has just announced the appearance of its first four French artists coming to this year’s weekend-long event in Kendal, backed by support from the Institut Francais the Wallonie Brussels International.
Winshluss
Winshluss (Vincent Paronnaud) is the successful author of Pinocchio, which won the Fauve d’Or prize in Angouleme in 2009, and the recently-released In God We Trust, both published in the UK by Knockabout Comics. He also works as an award-winning director in France with such films as Persepolis (2007 Cannes Jury Prize) and Chicken with Plums.
In God We Trust is a multi-levelled retelling of The Bible which revises the founding myths of the holy book. An absurd epic with a startling range of drawing styles on display, it includes some surprise guest appearances from a muscle-bound Conan and Gotham city’s own protector!
Benoît Peeters
Benoît Peeters published his first novel, Omnibus in 1976, followed by his second, La Bibliothèque de Villers, in 1980. Since then, he has published over sixty works on a wide variety of subjects.
An expert on Hergé, he brought out Tintin and the World of Hergé and Hergé‚ Son of Tintin (Johns Hopkins University Press), he has also written essays on Alfred Hitchcock, Paul Valéry, Rodolphe Töpffer, Jirô Taniguchi, Chris Ware…
He recently published the first biography of Jacques Derrida. The book has been translated into English (Polity Press) and six other languages.
Antoine Cossé – Self Portrait
Published in the UK by Breakdown Press, Antoine Cossé grew up in the Paris suburbs but, aged 20, moved to London to study at Camberwell College of Art.
After graduation, he published and distributed his own comics and has previously published two short graphic novels with Records Records Records as well as J.1137 with Breakdown Press, which received great critical acclaim on its launch at Comic Arts Brooklyn in 2013.
Mutiny Bay – also published in French – is his most ambitious and substantial work to date.
Boulet
Top French artist Boulet – recently announced as a new patron for the Festival along with Stephen L. Holland, owner of the Page 45 comic ship in Nottingham – has over 25 graphic novels in print in his native country including the Raghnarok and Chez La boîte à bulles series for Glenat. Two books in the Donjon (Dungeon) series, created with Lewis Trondheim and Joann Sfar, are available in English.
These four French creators, each at varying stages in their careers, are just some of the international guests heading to Kendal this year alongside British creators such as Bryan Talbot and Sean Phillips, and the award-winning Canadian comic book writer, artist, cartoonist and animator Darwyn Cooke.
This year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival (16th – 18th October 2015) will feature a huge number of international comic creators – possibly more than any other comics event of its kind in the UK – and also include numerous programming strands. These include appearances by top shoujo manga creators from Japan, Canadian creators, British comic writers and artists, along with the return of many popular events including the children-friendly Family Zone and eye-catching Windows Trail involving over 50 local businesses keen to support the Festival’s aim to be the “Angouleme of the North”.
Creator Web Links
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics - Current British Publishers, downthetubes Comics News, Events
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