Ebook: Comics in French: The European Bande Dessinée in Context

Whereas in English-speaking countries comics are for children or adults 'who should know better', in France and Belgium the form is recognized as the 'Ninth Art' and follows in the path of poetry, architecture, painting and cinema. The bande dessinée [comic strip] has its own national institutions, regularly obtains front-page coverage and has received the accolades of statesmen from De Gaulle onwards. On the way to providing a comprehensive introduction to the most francophone of cultural phenomena, this book considers national specificity as relevant to an anglophone reader, whilst exploring related issues such as tect/image expression, historical precedents and sociological implication.;Introduction : French strippers viewed from afar -- Definitions and component parts : how a BD works -- Formal specificity : novel novel or nouvelle nouvelle vague? -- Pre-history : from Bayeux's tapestry to Töpffer's teachings -- The nineteenth century : photos, funnies and films -- The twentieth century : the rise, fall and rise of the BD -- Contemporary BD : innovators, best-sellers and prize-winners -- Pop art or business park? : Barthes-ering for the market -- Consecration of the ninth art : meaningful ecos or circus clones -- Cultural studies and beyond : cases in point and further reading -- Conclusion : Dick Turpin rides again.