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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Festival International de la Bande Desinee Angouleme


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. 
Angouleme street art French Village Diaries
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?

Angouleme street art French Village Diaries
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).

Museum Bande Dessinee Angouleme French Village Diaries
The beautiful buildings that house the museum in Angouleme

Museum Bande Dessinee Angouleme French Village DiariesThe 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.

Angouleme street art comic books French Village Diaries


4 comments:

  1. I found your blog thanks to Susie Kelly and I am loving reading my way through past and present offerings.
    I 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.

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    1. Thanks Pip, it is always nice to feel that you are not alone isn't it! Glad you are enjoying my ramblings!

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  2. I love the pictures of the street art.

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    1. Thanks 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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