AfricaBD

African comics at the Angoulême International Festival 2018

The Africa e Mediterraneo association and Lai-momo social cooperative, both pioneers in the field of the study and promotion of cartoon comics from African countries, return to the work started in 1999 by organising AfricaBD Angoulême 2018, involving some of the best authors from different generations.

Alongisde with Simon Mbumbo, a Cameroon comics author operating in France and founder of the youth editions of ToomComics, and other dynamic editors and cultural promoters in both the diaspora and as well as those who are not, Africa e Mediterraneo and Lai-momo will be present with a stand at the FIBD of Angoulême 2018- the well-known festival for comics at a European level- and enliven a round table at the Espace Nouveau Monde.

On the 26th January, with Sandra Federici acting as chair, the speakers will discuss the work of both past and contemporary African authors, as well as various other aspects relating to the world of comics produced in Africa: diffusion, distribution, author’s rights, adaptation rights, censorship and self-censorship, asking what the outlook for African authors is.

The multi award-winning Congolese dean Barly Baruti, who at Angoulême will present his third graphic novel published by Glénat, called Singe Jaune, and his conational Al’Mata, well-known author for his successful ironic short stories recalling the migratory ups and downs called Alphonse Madiba dit Daudet, together compare their artistic journeys with other authors from the next generation.

The Cameroon author Elyon’s represents a unique case for Africa, with her great success achieved with a very geographically varied audience with her series La vie d’Ebène Duta, which was self-published through crowdfunding; Adjum Danngar, Chadian author and refugee in France, who- thanks to an interesting stylistic evolution and his collaboration with the Franco-Cameroon screenwriter Christophe Edimo- was able to publish an original book like Mamie Denis evadée de la maison de retraite; Fati Kabuika, a young Congolese who has already had work published by Les enfants rouges and Toom comics, and who is now in France to produce his second collection called La vie d’Andolo.

The second part of the round table session will bring together editors and associations working in the field of comics produced by African authors: Simon Mbumbo, from Toom Éditions; Christophe Edimo, president of the historic L’Afrique desinnée Association; Paulin Assem, Togolese editor (Ado Média); Raphaël Thierry, academic in the field of African books; Dalia Nadjem from the Algerian Editions Dalimen.

Andrea Marchesini Reggiani will present the Africacomics archive, stored in Sasso Marconi (Bo), which is a collection of more than 2500 comic strips and publications by African comic authors, collected by the Lai-momo social cooperative and the Africa e Mediterraneo Association over the course of several projects starting in 1999. An extensive research and archive endeavour which has finally been made available online, accessible for free for those interested in or responsible for the works.

Below is the full programme of the two meetings on 26th January.

Round table session, Friday 26th January 2018

Forum du Nouveau Monde, FIBD Angoulême

13-14 : African comics authors; both from the European field and African context

  • Barly Baruti, The graphic novel experience
  • Elyon’s, Self-publishing and social networks
  • Adjim Danngar, Thematic and graphic evolutions: drawing Paris
  • Fati KabuIka, Emergence and innovation of a young author between mobility and local presence
  • Al’Mata, Migration and African cartoonists: a thematic obligation?

Chair: Sandra Federici (Africa e Mediterraneo)

1630-1730: Acteurs économiques et associatifs de La B.D. d’auteur africain

  • Simon Mbumbo (Toom Éditions), Editorial Initiative of authors in the European field of B.D. and in Africa
  • Christophe Edimo (Association L’Afrique Dessinée), The possibilities offered by small and medium-size publishers
  • Paulin Assem (Ago Média, Togo), Production, Market, Distribution
  • Raphaël Thierry (Author of the book ‘The African book market and its literary dynamics: the case of Cameroon’), What is the market for B.d. in Africa?
  • Andrea Marchesini Reggini (Lai-momo), The role of the voluntary sector: the africacomics.net database
  • Dalila Nadjem (Dalimen Edition), The B.D. edition in Algeria

Chair: Emile Moselly Batamack (Canal Meroë)

Information:
Simon Mbumbo: smbumbo@yahoo.fr
Marta Meloni: m.meloni@africaemediterraneo.it
www.africacomics.net