Superman and Spanish artists lead the charge at Angoulême Comics Festival

Ollia Horton with RFI

1 February 2025 at 9:08 am·1-min read

Visitors look at placards as part of an exhibition during the 52nd Angouleme International Comics Festival in Angouleme, on 30 January, 2025.

The Angoulême International Comics Festival is in full swing, with a major Superman exhibition, a spotlight on Spanish women cartoonists and three dedicated manga showcases.

Now in its 52nd year, the four-day event celebrates the "ninth art" with nine major exhibitions, special guests, dozens of talks and a bustling publishing marketplace.

The festival officially kicked off on Wednesday with the Grand Prize going to French author Anouk Ricard.

The 54-year-old is only the fifth woman to receive the award since it was created in 1974. It is also the second consecutive year a female artist has won, following British writer Posy Simmonds in 2024.

"I’m definitely seeing more women authors and that’s a good thing," Ricard told the press, adding that she was "overjoyed" and "proud" to be chosen by her fellow cartoonists.

Ricard, who first made herself known in children's publishing with her series Anna and Froga, was in the running against fellow French author Catherine Meurisse and the American Alison Bechdel, a key LGBTQ figure.

Britain's Posy Simmonds wins top prize at Angoulême Comics Festival

The super power of comics

One of this year’s biggest draws is Superman: The Hero with a Thousand and One Lives, running until 10 March. Created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster at the height of the rise of Nazism, the superhero's story reflects decades of social and political change in the United States.

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