An hours drive from home is Angouleme, the capital of the
Charente department and also the comic book
capital of France. As well as hosting a very popular annual comic festival, Festival
International de la Bande Dessinée, it has
some fantastically decorated buildings and is home to the museum of
the comic book.
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| Street art in Angouleme |
This weekend Angouleme is celebrating the 40th Festival
from 31st January to 3rd February and should you wish to
see more information on tickets and what’s going on see here http://www.bdangouleme.com Much as we love Angouleme as day trip location, and think the
huge pieces of street art are fantastic, we won’t be attending the festival as
we are not comic people and I wonder is it because we are English?
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| Angouleme street art |
French children of all ages love
to read comic books and even our small village library has a huge selection that are very popular, especially the rather 'grown-up' images in the ones not designed for small children. Despite receiving many of the kids favourites as birthday presents from friends they have never grabbed Ed’s imagination the way a reading book has. This
probably explains why it took us over eight years to get to visit the museum in
Angouleme, despite it being free to enter on the first Sunday of the month (except July and August).
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| The beautiful buildings that house the museum in Angouleme |
The museum is home to many
examples of original artwork, detailed pencil sketches plus old editions of
childhood favourites that would probably give my parents a stab of nostalgia.
Far more exciting and fun for Ed and his friend was the many different and
funky seating areas dotted around the museum, each with their own collection of
books, the perfect place for a spot of quiet reading. Except they weren’t
really interested in the reading, and I can’t say I can blame them. Give me a
real book with words and I hungrily gobble them off the page, however, lots of
squares, noisy illustrations with large ‘Ker-pow’ and ‘Bang’ over the top and
the odd word bubble dotted around and I glaze over, sorry, but that is me!
Whether it is a cultural thing or an age thing, or a bit of both I don’t know,
but I think we will leave the festival to the fans. Angouleme, we will be back to see you and your street art soon.
I found your blog thanks to Susie Kelly and I am loving reading my way through past and present offerings.
ReplyDeleteI now find that we are kindred spirits as far as comics are concerned.
I always thought I was the odd one out in not liking Beano, Dandy, Eagle et al.
Like you, give me the written word and my own imagination and I'm in heaven.
Looking forward to visiting here more.
Thanks Pip, it is always nice to feel that you are not alone isn't it! Glad you are enjoying my ramblings!
DeleteI love the pictures of the street art.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kerry, I'd rather look at them than the books and I there is so much detail I don't get bored of going back to see them again.
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