Angoulême International Comics Festival 2018: Arab Comics Take Center Stage

The 2018 Angoulême International Comics Festival, Europe's most important comics fair, eschewed cosplay in favor of a serious focus on comics as literature. The festival featured a major exhibition, 'La bande dessinée arabe aujourd’hui', dedicated to contemporary Arab comics, curated with a remarkable catalog. The show highlighted the work of collectives like Samandal (Lebanon) and Toktok (Egypt), and artists such as Lena Merhej. Simona Gabrieli, editorial director of Marseille-based publisher Alifbata, was instrumental in bringing Arab talent to France. The exhibition was visited by Jack Lang, director of the Institut du Monde Arabe, and French Minister of Culture Françoise Nyssen, who stated, 'We must do more for comics in France.' The festival also featured a strong Italian presence, with many publishers from the Lazio region supported by the regional government. Professional accreditation reached 6,600 from 23 countries. The festival also commemorated the 1968 protests with reproduced posters throughout the city.