Aude: The giants of comics gather at Gruissant from April 10 to 14

“The idea is to organize a comic week in Gruissan.” In its 18th edition, the comic conventions are more long-running than ever, aiming to revive multi-day art nine and establish it as a key component of the region. It must be said that for nearly 20 years, the event has become a real reference for any enthusiast of this leisure activity, attracting in each edition nearly 6,000 visitors also coming from Toulouse, Perpignan and even Montpellier. The elements of this popular success have not changed: free entry, a friendly and family atmosphere… and very big names that can be signed and discussed with visitors.
The poster for the 2024 edition is signed by Pierre Allary, honorary president of 2024, author of Silas Corneille, Don Vega or Gone with the Wind: “He actually acquired the rights to Gone with the Wind, in order to ‘adapt it into comics,’ says Eric Mattei , President of the Bulles d’Oc Association and the symbolic figure of these meetings. joli come-back, in the image of Gaston’s slip.

The art of adaptation

The encounter will go further, and will not hesitate to cross the border between comics and cinema several times. That’s why this new edition starts on Wednesday (April 10). On that day, audiences will discover a preview (theatrical release date has not yet been announced) of Belle Enfant, directed by Jim. “He is a designer himself, explains Eric Mattei. The proposed complementary exhibition at the Gruissant Center for the Arts will also reveal Jim’s work in the context of creating a comic strip, and what he did to create his film.” Works that also share the same sensibility as their author’s, namely “a lot of kindness, love, and self-questioning.” The organization has done what is necessary to make the session free for all: meet on April 10 at 8 p.m.
The issue of narrative support will also be at the heart of the meeting scheduled for the following day, Thursday, April 11, at 6:30 pm at the Le Grand Soleil restaurant, located on the beach of the chalets. The theme of the meeting will be “From Novel to Comics”, that is, adaptation mechanisms addressed by one of the masters of the genre. “Philippe Bellis, in my view, is on the verge of becoming one of the greatest comic book screenwriters in France, believes Eric Mattei. He also has a very impressive cinematic culture and great production: no less than ten comic books will be released in 2024 with whom he has collaborated.” The man has also experimented with more diverse registers and achieved greater success than ever before, from science fiction to western films including the story of a soldier returning to Algeria.

Families and “Fools of Devotion”

Friday 12 April will be the setting for a double opening: Jim’s “Comics and Cinema” exhibition at 6pm, and then, at 6:30pm, the opening of the festival itself at the Palais des Congrès in Gruissant. The latter will also host an exhibition dedicated to the new comic book “Something Cool”. Or the art of copying a pure thriller using bubbles and boxes: Adaptation, here again.
Next will come the meeting weekend: two days (April 13 and 14) where pure enthusiasts and family audiences will gather. “Those eager for the dedication are there on Saturday morning even before the opening, and stay until Saturday afternoon. Families arrive at that time, and are especially present on Sundays.” Once again, there must be something for everyone: the joint work of a group of organizers who have never been found wanting. For nearly two decades, Gruissan’s Bulles d’Oc Cultural Services and Tourism Office has worked together to oversee an event whose “aura” is now indisputable. 18 volumes under the clock… and the saga is far from over.

New authors and organizers

This is the hallmark of Gruissan Comics meetings: the gathering in one place of the stars of Franco-Belgian comics, who make themselves available to visitors to sign but also to discuss. And so the great family of the Ninth Art gathers for a weekend in Narbonnet: if the Bulles d’Oc undoubtedly had an address book, the association now also capitalizes on the festival’s reputation to attract new arrivals or persuade the faithful to return. He is perhaps best known for his friendly, family-friendly personality, also known to comic book actors. It is no coincidence that the organizers always refuse to award prizes: we do not put excellence in competition, nor do friends. However, the list of big names making the trip again this year is enough to cross the eyes of any self-respecting comic book fan.

Preview albums

We have already mentioned the honorary president, Pierre Allary, and we also mention Virginie Augustin (Little Theater of Operations), Jean Bastide (Paul and Belle, Dogmatics and the Irreducible), Serge Carrière (Leo Loden, The Invisible Look), and Casado (Six, which follows the protagonist of the saga XIII), Benoït Dellag (Pentagron, Hawkmoon) or even Claude Guth and Jean-Louis Mourrier (Stainless Trolls of Troy). Without forgetting Olivier Chandro, who signed the comic book dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the port of Gruissant, Garera (OM Droit au But), a true local of the theater, or first-class artists who, so to speak, are part of the furniture as it has been linked to this event since its beginnings. , such as Hughes Lapiano (the man behind Something Cool, a comic strip dedicated to his gallery).

Manga too

Building on the partnership with the famous publisher Glénat for the manga department, these meetings will also welcome three or four French mangaka artists. This is a significant number: “There are only about ten in the entire country.” The event will also include its share of workshops (figurine modeling, comic book page creation, manga, glass painting, etc.), and will also allow you to discover specific works in a distinctive way: “We will present four albums that are in preview, not yet released in bookstores; In addition to six new editions that have just been published. The opportunity to walk out with new creations under your arm, enhanced by the unique dedication of those who imagined them.