American Bande Dessinée Society at ICAF 2011
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The American Bande Dessinée Society (ABDS) is dedicated to the scholarly study of French-language comics [bandes dessinées], which have a long and distinguished history. They are increasingly being translated into English and published in the United States: older works by cartoonists such as Goscinny and Uderzo (Astérix), Hergé (Tintin) and Morris (Lucky Luke), but also more recent comics by Abouet, Appollodorus, Berberian, David B., Dupuy, Larcenet, Oubrerie, Satrapi, Sfar, Stassen and Trondheim.
The ABDS was founded at an international conference at Miami University (Ohio) in 2004, which brought together comics scholars from Australia, Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. French cartoonist Baru, who drew Road to America (Drawn and Quarterly, 2002), was the guest of honor. Selected papers from the conference were published in History and Politics in French-Language Comics and Graphic Novels (UP Mississippi, 2008), edited by Mark McKinney. Since 2004 the organization has continued to exist informally, through panel presentations by its members at several conferences, including the Kentucky Foreign Language Conference (2008), "Graphic Engagement: The Politics of Comics and Animation" (2010) and the Popular Culture Association conferences (2010, 2011). Its better established and very supportive sister organization for the study of bande dessinée is the International Bande Dessinée Society, which holds conferences every two years in the United Kingdom (most recently at Manchester Metropolitan University, July 2011).
Members of the ABDS have also received great support and inspiration from ICAF over the years. ABDS members are honored to be invited by the ICAF organizing committee to this year's commemorative conference, and grateful for the opportunity to discuss French-language comics, among other topics, with the other conference participants in Vermont. ABDS membership is open to scholars interested in the study of French-language comics. For more information, please contact Mark McKinney.
The ABDS was founded at an international conference at Miami University (Ohio) in 2004, which brought together comics scholars from Australia, Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. French cartoonist Baru, who drew Road to America (Drawn and Quarterly, 2002), was the guest of honor. Selected papers from the conference were published in History and Politics in French-Language Comics and Graphic Novels (UP Mississippi, 2008), edited by Mark McKinney. Since 2004 the organization has continued to exist informally, through panel presentations by its members at several conferences, including the Kentucky Foreign Language Conference (2008), "Graphic Engagement: The Politics of Comics and Animation" (2010) and the Popular Culture Association conferences (2010, 2011). Its better established and very supportive sister organization for the study of bande dessinée is the International Bande Dessinée Society, which holds conferences every two years in the United Kingdom (most recently at Manchester Metropolitan University, July 2011).
Members of the ABDS have also received great support and inspiration from ICAF over the years. ABDS members are honored to be invited by the ICAF organizing committee to this year's commemorative conference, and grateful for the opportunity to discuss French-language comics, among other topics, with the other conference participants in Vermont. ABDS membership is open to scholars interested in the study of French-language comics. For more information, please contact Mark McKinney.
