The Institut français du Royaume-Uni in London has announced an event to mark the launch of the English publication of Comics (1964-2024) by Thames & Hudson next month, the catalogue of the exhibition, Bande dessinée, 1964 – 2024, currently being held at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
The exhibition continues until November and you can read James Bacon’s review here on downthetubes.
Artists and experts from both sides of the Channel will explore the history and evolution of comics over the past sixty years at the Institut français on Wednesday 11th September.
Posy Simmonds (who won the Grand Prix this year at the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d’Angoulême), Pénélope Bagieu, Charlie Adlard and Emmanuel Guibert will be in “spirited discussion about the Ninth Art”, hosted by Paul Gravett. A book signing will follow.
Posy Simmonds is an English illustrator, comic artist, and graphic novelist based in London. A graduate in graphic design from the Central School of Art, her earliest works date from 1969 when she began contributing illustrations to The Times and Cosmopolitan, earning her first daily cartoon feature, Bear. In 1972, she joined The Guardian where she wrote and illustrated Mrs. Weber’s Diary, a cartoon strip about a middle-class couple. She is the creator of several graphic novels and children’s books, including Gemma Bovery (1999) and Fred (1987), the latter being adapted into an Oscar-nominated film. In 2024, she won the Angoulême International Comics Festival’s Grand prix – the fourth woman and first British artist to do so.
Pénélope Bagieu studied multimedia and animation in France. She gained fame through her blog My Quite Fascinating Life, showcasing her daily experiences with humour. Her work spans advertising campaigns, book covers, and press publications. Bagieu’s internationally acclaimed graphic novels have garnered numerous awards, including the Prix SNCF at the Angoulême Festival, the Harvey Award for Best European Book, and the Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material with her comic Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World.
Charlie Adlard is a British comic book artist renowned in the UK for his work published in the magazine 2000 AD (including Judge Dredd, Savage, etc.) He has contributed to independent series such as X-files and Astronauts in Trouble. For major publishers, his credits include titles like Batman, Green Arrow and Green Lantern. He gained significant acclaim when he took over as the artist for the bestselling series The Walking Dead, written by Robert Kirkman, succeeding Tony Moore.
Emmanuel Guibert is a comic book artist and writer, known for his work Alan’s War and collaborations with Joann Sfar on The Black Olives series and the album The Professor’s Daughter, which won the Alph-Art award for Best Album at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 1998. His acclaimed work The Photographer, created in collaboration with photographer Didier Lefèvre, chronicles the experiences of Médecins Sans Frontières in Afghanistan.
Paul Gravett (chair) is a writer, critic, editor, and broadcaster, active in the comic book industry since 1981. He authored several books on comics, including Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics, Graphic Novels: Stories to Change Your Life, and Comics Art. Gravett served as the general editor of 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die and co-directs Comica, the London International Comics Festival.
• 60 Years of Comics 7.00pm Wednesday 11th September 2024, Institut français du Royaume-Uni, 17 Queensberry Place, South Kensington, London SW7 2DT| Price: £10, conc. £8, student £5 | Details and to book tickets here
• Comics 1964 – 2024 runs until 4th November 2024 at the Centre Pompidou, Paris
Comics (1964–2024)
• Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
A brilliantly illustrated survey of the international comic book landscape over the past sixty years. Published to accompany the major exhibition at Centre Pompidou, Paris in May 2024, this is a timely reframing of the international comics landscape over the past six decades.
From the mid-1960s, the world of comics rapidly evolved into a highly creative art form for a sophisticated readership: in France, the magazine Hara-Kiri provided new terrains for graphical humour, while the adventures of Jean-Claude Forest’s Barbarella were published in albums by Éric Losfeld; the launch in Japan of Garo in 1964, an avant-garde monthly, presented the concept of auteur comics; and the release of Robert Crumb’s Zap Comix in 1968 established his reputation as the leader of the underground comics movement in the United States.
For the first time, this major historical survey of the ninth art establishes a dialogue between the three leading regions of comic book culture – Europe, Asia and America – and offers an immersive odyssey of the medium through its development over six decades ranging from the explosion of the twentieth-century counterculture scene to the most abstract contemporary styles.
Built around twelve themes encompassing the many worlds of the comics imagination, Comics: 1964–2024 features artists including André Franquin, Gotlib, Claire Bretécher, Osamu Tezuka, Moebius, Edmond Baudoin, Alison Bechdel, Ulli Lust, Art Spiegelman, Marjane Satrapi and Chris Ware, as well as introductions on each theme by leading authorities of the form, a brand new interview with renowned cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco, and a foreword by Paul Gravett.
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, Comic Art, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, US Comics
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