My first Angouleme festival! Algesiras rulez!!!!
I am just back from Angouleme, where took place the international festival of comics.
It was the first time I went and up to the endm I was not sure we would go. It is known to be a huge festival with a majority of french-belgian comics, so I wondered if I would like it, or feel out of place... but then I thought that it was my last chance to experience it from that close, as I will be moving back to Paris soon. And I had noticed that Algesiras, author of the comics "Candelabres" (see among my Harajuku review) would be present so in the end, we went. By car from Poitiers, it was not that far. We found it pretty easily and discovered the editors' space. I went straight to Delcourt, spotted Algesiras booth and started the queue. We alternated queuing, with my BF, so it was not too long... plus I had bought the latest Yami no Matsuei (T5) so it kept me busy *wink* As we had arrived around 11am, we soon found out I would be the last to get a dedication so I was really happy, because I would be less pressed on by the fan behind me.
But in the end, I stressed myself out so much that I acted like a young silly fan TT___TT I kept blushing, when asking for the dedication, stuttered and blushed some more... I was very embarassed because I was the last, and I thought she was tired, and totally identified her with my own experience of dedication... it ended up like "Are you tired? Err... yes, the dedication? Is it ok to have 2 characters? Really? And can I give you details for what I want as a dedication?" I felt really really stupid #-____-# God knows I know how to request a dedication, as I have been requested quite some dedications since I started attending conventions, but here I was, idiotic and flushed like a brainless chick ^^;;;
So I had a lovely dedication of Paul and Julien, could ask a few questions, though I so would have loved to chat a bit more. Algesiras was very nice, very beautiful (she has lovely eyes!)... she was smiling all the time, never showing wether she was tired or hurried (she had a rendez-vous and was already late). Really, I wish I had known her earlier!
She told me how she had been welcomed by her editor, in spite of her misgivings about her story, which seemed so far from what usually sells. That she had her story done from end to end in the broad lines from the beginning, but how secondary characters, such as Aribal, and further details came to her along the way. That she didn't know manga when she set up her comics and only heard about it later. That she had many manga fans in her fandom, and mainly girls. That was funny, as in the queue, there was 50:50 of girl/boy XD
And I learned that she would finish her comics with the 5th volume, that she would be working on it next, as she just finished what she had to do, as the scenarist of another comics, "Les guerriers du silence" ("Warrior of Silence" in english).
I was so stressed out that I don't even remember if I thanked her as I wanted to!!!
After that, we wandered around, visited the "discovery space" containing the "manga space" where we listened to the end of a conference about manga in our comics environment. It was very interesting as JD Morvan, a french scenarist was talking about his experience of collaboration with Japanese people. He went there and worked with them, as his series was to be adapted in manga, and he had to gather information for his own french-belgian format comics set in Japan for one tome. Maybe that's because I am pro-manga, but I appreciated him saying that in spite of all the defaults one could find in manga (art, technics and so on) they were masters at getting you addicted to their stories.
I also discovered that one of the manga software I bought in Japan last time I went had been translated in french... however it is not the one I usually use so I did not buy it.
So in the end, I was very happy with my first visit, even though I only got one dedication (this convention is a kind of dedication race for many visitors) it was the one I really wanted and I did not want any other. However, I doubt I will go there often (or ever go again) as the audience is mostly for french-belgian fans and not my audience at all. But they were nice... even though I was stared at often and it made me squirm inwardly. I also got my first "waa- look, there are even little japanese girls coming here" since I left Montpellier (city where I went to university) *sigh* God, it is not funny qnymore. That is so tiring -___-
But well on the whole, I appreciate my trip there ♥
I will post Algesiras wonderful dedication in my next post and maybe also the very short movies I shoot of her sketching and inking it ;)
I also want to do a fanart of Paul x Julien!!!!!
It was the first time I went and up to the endm I was not sure we would go. It is known to be a huge festival with a majority of french-belgian comics, so I wondered if I would like it, or feel out of place... but then I thought that it was my last chance to experience it from that close, as I will be moving back to Paris soon. And I had noticed that Algesiras, author of the comics "Candelabres" (see among my Harajuku review) would be present so in the end, we went. By car from Poitiers, it was not that far. We found it pretty easily and discovered the editors' space. I went straight to Delcourt, spotted Algesiras booth and started the queue. We alternated queuing, with my BF, so it was not too long... plus I had bought the latest Yami no Matsuei (T5) so it kept me busy *wink* As we had arrived around 11am, we soon found out I would be the last to get a dedication so I was really happy, because I would be less pressed on by the fan behind me.
But in the end, I stressed myself out so much that I acted like a young silly fan TT___TT I kept blushing, when asking for the dedication, stuttered and blushed some more... I was very embarassed because I was the last, and I thought she was tired, and totally identified her with my own experience of dedication... it ended up like "Are you tired? Err... yes, the dedication? Is it ok to have 2 characters? Really? And can I give you details for what I want as a dedication?" I felt really really stupid #-____-# God knows I know how to request a dedication, as I have been requested quite some dedications since I started attending conventions, but here I was, idiotic and flushed like a brainless chick ^^;;;
So I had a lovely dedication of Paul and Julien, could ask a few questions, though I so would have loved to chat a bit more. Algesiras was very nice, very beautiful (she has lovely eyes!)... she was smiling all the time, never showing wether she was tired or hurried (she had a rendez-vous and was already late). Really, I wish I had known her earlier!
She told me how she had been welcomed by her editor, in spite of her misgivings about her story, which seemed so far from what usually sells. That she had her story done from end to end in the broad lines from the beginning, but how secondary characters, such as Aribal, and further details came to her along the way. That she didn't know manga when she set up her comics and only heard about it later. That she had many manga fans in her fandom, and mainly girls. That was funny, as in the queue, there was 50:50 of girl/boy XD
And I learned that she would finish her comics with the 5th volume, that she would be working on it next, as she just finished what she had to do, as the scenarist of another comics, "Les guerriers du silence" ("Warrior of Silence" in english).
I was so stressed out that I don't even remember if I thanked her as I wanted to!!!
After that, we wandered around, visited the "discovery space" containing the "manga space" where we listened to the end of a conference about manga in our comics environment. It was very interesting as JD Morvan, a french scenarist was talking about his experience of collaboration with Japanese people. He went there and worked with them, as his series was to be adapted in manga, and he had to gather information for his own french-belgian format comics set in Japan for one tome. Maybe that's because I am pro-manga, but I appreciated him saying that in spite of all the defaults one could find in manga (art, technics and so on) they were masters at getting you addicted to their stories.
I also discovered that one of the manga software I bought in Japan last time I went had been translated in french... however it is not the one I usually use so I did not buy it.
So in the end, I was very happy with my first visit, even though I only got one dedication (this convention is a kind of dedication race for many visitors) it was the one I really wanted and I did not want any other. However, I doubt I will go there often (or ever go again) as the audience is mostly for french-belgian fans and not my audience at all. But they were nice... even though I was stared at often and it made me squirm inwardly. I also got my first "waa- look, there are even little japanese girls coming here" since I left Montpellier (city where I went to university) *sigh* God, it is not funny qnymore. That is so tiring -___-
But well on the whole, I appreciate my trip there ♥
I will post Algesiras wonderful dedication in my next post and maybe also the very short movies I shoot of her sketching and inking it ;)
I also want to do a fanart of Paul x Julien!!!!!