Of 30 finalists in major French comics fest, not a single one was a woman.

[pnwmom]

("The more things change, the more they remain the same.&quot

Nine of the finalists then asked to be removed from consideration -- good for them.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2016/01/06/angouleme-fest-to-add-female-finalists-after-comics-legends-threaten-boycott/


On one hand, this is not a complete surprise, given that 41 of the 42 Grand Prix winners/presidents have been male. (The American winners, for the sake of noting the degree of stardom, have been Will Eisner, Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman and Bill Watterson.) It’s also worth noting that the judging process had been criticized in the past for being clubby and insular, as well as old-fashioned and obsolete.

On the other hand, given the wealth of great women comics creators, how do you manage to go for 0-for-30 in 2016?

Although the long list is replete with legends and A-listers, the shoddiness of the oversight was met with swift derision and backlash, and talk of boycotting spread like social-media wildfire. Nearly one-third of the 30 Grand Prix nominees have insisted that they be removed from the list and/or said they join a boycott.

(Those nine, according to cartoonist Matt Madden, are: Christophe Blain, Charles Burns, Pierre Christin, Dan Clowes, Etienne Davodeau, Milo Manars, Riad Sattouf, Joann Sfar and Chris Ware.)

[FBaggins]

1. I'm unaware of a single French female comic artist of note

OTOH... I don't know any male ones either.

[pnwmom]

3. They include comics from many countries. Americans have won several times in the past.

[kentauros]

5. I like this French artist:

Béatrice Tillier - http://beatricetillier.blogspot.com/

Although I've never bought any of her work. I don't know if there are translations to English.

[Octafish]

6. You sound proud.

NEXT!
...IT'S COMING ALONG WELL...A VERY NICE SCAR...YOU CAN PUT YOUR CAP BACK ON...

I SEE YOU SIGNED ALL THE DOCUMENTS YOU WERE GIVEN...NO REGRETS?
N...NO...SSS...SI...SIR...NO REGRETS...

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE GOVERNMENT?
I...I...APPROVE...OF IT...
COMPLETELY?
YES...COM...COMPLETELY...
GOOD! NO FIGHTS WITH THE OTHER INMATES OR GUARDS?

OH!...NO S...S...SIR...NO...NO...FIGHTS!



GOOD!...DO YOU STILL FEEL WE WERE WRONG TO MAKE YOU SUBMIT TO THIS OPERATION?
OH!...N...NO...S...S...SIR...I DON'T THINK THAT NO MO...MORE...

GOOD...YOU'RE FINE!...HOLD ON TO YOUR RELEASE SLIP...YOU ARE NOW READY TO FIND YOUR PLACE IN SOCIETY...

NEXT!

WWARE UY GOWIN? LEEVIN?

YES...I I HAVE...MY...SLIP!...

LEE MEEYULONE! YU GOD NO RIDE!

AWRIDE! SHADAB!





SIGN: CENTER FOR IDEOLOGICAL REEDUCATION - MINISTRY OF HEALTH

...MY...MY PLACE...IN SOCIETY...

MY PLACE...

Details on the artist: http://www.montellier.org /

[kentauros]

9. I've been trying for a while to remember who did "1996"

and there it is on her site! Thanks for the link!

[Octafish]

10. Chantal Montellier

Her talent, for decades, has eclipsed what passes for championship cartooning. More on the future of work, from her post-nuclear war (Fukushima!) "1996" ( or "Social Fiction" in the original French):



THREE MINUTES PAUSE - ATTENTION: KEEP YOU
MASK ON - THREE MINUTES PAUSE... ATTENTION...

SHEEYIT!

THADZ ID!



AA

AAARRGG!

I'M BOININ.

WADZ AMADA? WUDZ GODINDA IM? DUNNO. GOP SIGGA IZ OUDFID. AINDA FIRZ... AND ID WOWNBEYA LAZZ...WUDA MEZZ! YUCK! HEREZA BOZ!

WUZ HABENIN? WUDA FUG?

...GUY TOOGOVIZ MAZG. WONUVA TEEM...

OH. SOWUDUYA UGGIN AD? GOWAN! GED BAGA WORG STEDA STAIRINAD THIZ AZHOL!



KMIN KONTROL: TEEM 101 CHEEF HERE. GODA NEGZIBIJUNISD INEER. GUY TOOGOV IZ MASG...IYL GED RIDOV IM... RIDE... THANGZ.

GODA NOBENIN ZLOD 5 TEEM 101...

[kentauros]

11. That also reminds me about how much trouble I had

deciphering the messed-up phonetics
I think I miss at least a quarter of it.

[Octafish]

12. MOZT EVREE BODEEZ EERAYDEEYADED.

BRAINZ FRIED, EGZEPT EELEET.



As you know, she drew these in the early 1970s for Metal Hurlant. Certainly more profound than anything coming out of Madison Avenue in those days, with the exception of Gahan Wilson, Vaughn Bode and their friends, of course.

[kentauros]

14. I remember 1996 was very popular in Heavy Metal.

I never got to see any issues of Metal Hurlant (plus, I don't know the French language.) Still, Heavy Metal was great. I got to be exposed to so many wonderful artists and storytellers. "So Beautiful and So Dangerous" is still one of my favorites

[Octafish]

15. You're in luck!

This guy just happened to have ranked his Top 16 MH artists:

http://compujer.com/jerome/?p=952

Don't agree with most of the selections or order, as I think Moebius was tops,
but he does have examples and names names which is what GOOGLE is for.

Personally, I really enjoy the SF work of Enki Bilal, a Serbian cartoonist.



For story and artwork to match, his Exterminator 17 can't be beat.
Written by Jean-Pierre Dionnett, the work's available in English.
The story ran in serialized form in Heavy Metal's early years.
I might be imaging it, but I thought the mag itself once was available on CD -- can't find it now.

[kentauros]

16. I know I have one or two Bilal TPBs

but can't remember which ones (or I just remember his work from HM.) I haven't looked at my comics collection in years. Once my apartment is better de-cluttered and organized, I'll probably get out the boxes and go through things again. Plus, I will need to get rid of some I'm not likely to ever read again...

[smirkymonkey]

2. Then again, you said they were FRENCH comics?

That would explain a lot. Seriously humor impaired. Remember, they thought Jerry Lewis was hysterical.

[pnwmom]

4. American comics have been the top winner several times in the past.

The American winners, for the sake of noting the degree of stardom, have been Will Eisner, Robert Crumb, Art Spiegelman and Bill Watterson.

[kentauros]

8. Humor-impaired?

You should take a look at Métal Hurlant or "Heavy Metal" in the US.




Also, rent "Delicatessen" and "MicMacs à tire-larigot" for some great French humor

[Starry Messenger]

7. I'm proud of Clowes, Burns and Ware, been a fan for years.

I hope more artists withdraw too.

[Brickbat]

13. Good for those nine. This is embarrassing.