Comics Unite for Charity: French Artists Donate work to Support the Needy
As the year draws to a close, French charitable organizations are turning to the vibrant world of comics to raise funds for those most in need. Building on the success of similar initiatives, associations like secours populaire and the Foundation for Housing the Disadvantaged are now offering specially created comic albums, with all proceeds going directly to support their vital work.
The movement was inspired by the annual release of short story collections, 13 at the table, which have benefitted Restos du coeur for the past decade. This year, tho, the call for support has resonated with a wider range of artists and publishers.
Catherine Meurisse, a celebrated cartoonist, lent her talent to create the cover for Hope makes you laugh, a comic published by Glénat to benefit Secours populaire. “We are very honored,” explained Abdeslam Ghazi, director of the Paris branch of the association. “She is very busy and she still gave her time.That she was able to do it is indeed very crucial for us.” the project gained momentum thanks to Camille Besse, a designer and long-time volunteer who initially proposed the idea to the association.
The Foundation for Housing the Disadvantaged approached Emmanuel Reuzé, the creator of the popular Don’t take idiots for people series, who readily agreed to contribute. Christophe Robert, the foundation’s general delegate, noted that the comics community’s willingness to participate is no surprise. “I believe in any case that there is a culture which is not insensitive to the fights against exclusions.” He emphasized the collaborative spirit,stating,”There was a real desire from Emmanuel and the publishers to ensure that what they produced also had a social utility.”
Reuzé’s contribution, a collection of his signature gags, was published on November 13 by Fluide Glacial. The humor, while dark, tackles the realities of poverty with effectiveness and sensitivity, avoiding any risk of offense to those the foundation serves. According to robert, “It is not the people in difficulty, the homeless people, the poor people who are singled out. It is rather what society does, how it steps over homeless people to the point of almost no longer seeing them.”
secours populaire adopted a similar approach, granting complete creative freedom to the twenty artists involved in their project. “We have to keep this slightly satirical side,” Ghazi stated. “We laugh about it but mainly to denounce and we said to ourselves that laughter could also be a way of conveying positive values ​​to get involved, as it is indeed also a call to people to get involved, that is to say that everyone must take their part.”
All profits from the Secours populaire album will be donated to the organization, while the Housing foundation will receive two euros for each album sold. Robert highlighted the cumulative impact of these donations: “Small rivers make big rivers, thanks to these donations, we can also contribute to the construction of housing, create day care centers for homeless people. It’s really useful, especially when you only act with donations, as is the case wi
Why did this happen? French charitable organizations sought new fundraising avenues as the year ended, inspired by the success of the annual 13 at the table comic collections benefiting Restos du coeur. The broader comics community responded to a call for support, offering their talents to raise funds for those in need.
Who was involved? Key players included French charitable organizations Secours populaire and the Foundation for Housing the Disadvantaged. cartoonist Catherine Meurisse created cover art for Secours populaire, while Emmanuel Reuzé, creator of don’t take idiots for people, contributed to the Housing Foundation’s project. Camille Besse,a designer and volunteer,also played a crucial role
