Resources for Further Exploration

Museums and Centers

Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image (Angoulême) - World's premier BD museum and research center - Extensive exhibitions, library, and archives - Website: www.citebd.org

Belgian Comic Strip Museum (Brussels) - Focuses on Belgian BD heritage - Beautiful Art Nouveau building - Website: www.comicscenter.net

Musée de la Bande Dessinée (Lyon) - Regional museum with rotating exhibitions - Strong educational programs

Festivals

Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême (January) - The essential BD event - Professional days, exhibitions, and awards

Lyon BD Festival (June) - More intimate than Angoulême - Strong independent publisher presence

Formula Bula (Paris, December) - Focus on small publishers and fanzines

Online Resources

BDGest (www.bdgest.com) - Comprehensive BD database - Reviews and creator information

ActuaBD (www.actuabd.com) - BD news and criticism - Interview archives

Du9 (www.du9.org) - In-depth BD criticism and analysis - Focus on artistic aspects

Publishers to Watch

Major Publishers: - Dargaud - Dupuis - Casterman - Glénat - Delcourt

Independent Publishers: - L'Association - Cornelius - Actes Sud-BD - Futuropolis - Cambourakis

International Focus: - Fantagraphics (US translations) - Drawn & Quarterly (Canadian translations) - Reprodukt (German translations)

Academic Resources

Books on BD Theory: - "The System of Comics" by Thierry Groensteen - "Understanding Comics" by Scott McCloud (though American, widely applicable) - "La Bande dessinée: Une littérature graphique" by Jacques Dürrenmatt

Journals: - "9e Art" - Academic BD studies journal - "Comicalités" - Online BD research

Learning to Create BD

Schools: - École Européenne Supérieure de l'Image (Angoulême) - Saint-Luc (Brussels) - École Émile Cohl (Lyon)

Online Courses: - Various MOOCs on BD creation - YouTube tutorials by BD professionals - Masterclasses at major festivals

BD for Different Age Groups

For Young Children (6-10): - "Ariol" series - "Petit Poilu" (wordless) - "Anatole Latuile"

For Teenagers: - "Seuls" series - "Lou!" series - "Les Carnets de Cerise"

For Adults New to BD: - Start with genres you enjoy in other media - Look for "roman graphique" (graphic novel) sections - Ask for recommendations based on favorite books/films