After a blank year, the Comic Strip Festival, postponed to March because of the Covid, found beautiful colors, during its 49th edition, despite the international context, not conducive to celebrations. Awarded on Saturday March 19, the prize list, balanced between small publishers and large houses, is also attentive to these difficult times.
The Fauve d’or for best album was awarded to Listen, pretty Márcia (here and there), by the Brazilian Marcello Quintanilha, on the strength of filial love in a favela in Rio. At the risk of her life and that of her companion, Márcia never ceases to rescue her “bad girl” from the clutches of traffickers, to save her from her self-destructive tendencies. An album which appeared in the favorites of The cross.
With an extreme realism in the subject, the breathless and perfectly controlled story of the Brazilian Marcello Quintanilha is staged in a snapping whirlwind of frank and dazzling colors. Bright and violent, lively and delicate, his graphic novel takes the reader on the heels of the imposing and courageous Márcia, between social criticism and committed thriller.
Full box for comics on the Resistance
Another “star” on the list: the Resistance. In these warlike times, did the jury of the Angoulême Comics Festival wish to send a strong political message? It is permissible to think so. After multiplying the signs of solidarity with the Ukrainian people during its 49th edition, with a hastily improvised drawn concert at the opening of the Angoumois event, the festival rewards the three albums of the official selection evoking the Resistance during the Second World War.
→ Analysis: When the Resistance enters comics
The Special Jury Prize is awarded to of the living, signed Louise Moaty and Raphaël Meltz (Éditions 2024), with Simon Roussin drawing, which retraces, in a somewhat disembodied way, the true story of the Musée de l’homme network, drawing all the texts and dialogues from the documentation history of the time. A comic strip that has already won numerous awards.
The Fauve revelation returns to Underground Lifeby Camille Lavaud Benito (The hammerhead sharks), album leaning in a (too) deconstructed way on the attack of the Banque de France train in 1944.
Finally, the Fauve of the series is attributed to the excellent third volume of Émile Bravo’s ambitious tetralogy, Spirou, hope despite everything (Dupuis), in which the famous groom discovers the Resistance.
→ Read the review: The discovery of the secret army
Dystopias, the other winners
If we add to this, the René-Goscinny Prize for best screenplay and that of Christian comics, respectively awarded on the sidelines of the festival, to Madeleine, resistantby Madeleine Riffaud, Jean-David Morvan and Dominique Bertail (Dupuis), and Têtes de mule, by Etienne Gendrin (The bubble box), no less than five albums on the subject have won awards!
Latest trend, the dystopia evoking the excesses of technology: A familiar faceby Michel Deforge (Atrabile), Fauve of audacity, and, above all, the great voidby Léa Murawiec, public prize, and another favorite of The cross.
The full list
Fauve d’or
Listen pretty Márcia, by Marcello Quintanilha (Editions here and there)
Fauve Special Jury Prize
of the livingby Raphaël Meltz, Louise Moaty, Simon Roussin (2024 editions)
beast of audacity
A familiar faceby Michel Deforge (Atrabile)
Fawn Revelation
underground lifeby Camille Lavaud Benito (The hammerhead sharks)
Fawn of the Series
Spirou, hope despite everything, third partby Emile Bravo (Dupuis)
Fauve Heritage
Stick Rubber Babyd’Howard Cruse (Casterman)
Fauve Polar SNCF
The notch, by Antoine Maillard (Cornelius)
Eco-Fauve Raja Award
Mégantic, a train in the night, by Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny and Christian Quesnel (Ecosociety)
Fauve Audience Award France Televisions
The big voidby Léa Murawiec (2024 editions)
Fawn of the High School Students
Yojimbot t.1by Sylvain Repos (Dargaud)
Fauve Alternative Comics Prize
Bentode Radio as Paper (France)
Fauve Youth 8-12 years old
warrior shepherdesses, by Jonathan Garnier and Amélie Fléchais (Glénat)
Fauve Youth 13-16 years old
Snapdragon, de Kat Leyh (Kinaye)