Amphithéâtre Marguerite de Navarre, Site Marcelin Berthelot
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Abstract of Pierre Nocérino's speech

This talk will look at the various professional problems faced by comic book authors, from job insecurity and sexism to the difficulty of forming a genuine professional group capable of collectively defending their interests. Particular attention will be paid to the conditions that enable (or, on the contrary, hinder) comic book authors to express criticism of their difficulties, whether these are individual or shared by the entire professional community.

Pierre Nocérino

Pierre Nocérino
©Alessia Smaniotto.

Pierre Nocérino is a sociologist and postdoctoral researcher at Lier-Fyt (UMR 8065 - CNRS/EHESS). His thesis, defended in 2020 under the supervision of C. Lemieux, was devoted to the work and mobilizations of comic strip authors in France. His research focuses more generally on politicization processes in professional milieus, particularly within the cultural industries. Alongside this work, he has also been involved in the graphic writing of sociology, producing a number of comic strips on his own and in collaboration with Léa Mazé.

Abstract from Loo Hui Phang's presentation

Writing is a profession : the casualization of authors and the changes needed to improve their working conditions.

Loo Hui Phang

Loo Hui Phang

Loo Hui Phang was born in Laos in 1974. Through comics, theater, film, novels, installations and performances, she explores the question of narrative. Through her many collaborations (with Rodolphe Burger, Moriarty, Bertrand Belin, Barbara Carlotti, Philippe Dupuy, Frederik Peeters...), she has built up a career that traverses diverse artistic fields, but is haunted by recurring obsessions : identity, desire, strangeness.
Her first novel, L'Imprudence (Actes Sud 2019) won the Léopold Senghor prize in 2020. With Black-out, drawn by Hugues Micol(Futuropolis, 2020), Loo Hui Phang receives the René Goscinny 2021 prize, which honors a screenwriter for lifetime achievement.

Abstract from Denis Bajram's presentation

Ever since I entered the profession of comic book author, I've seen the working conditions of most of my colleagues, less fortunate than me, deteriorate. In 2015, our survey for the États Généraux de la Bande Dessinée revealed the extent of their casualization. We are witnessing the deprofessionalization of a publishing sector that has historically been highly professionalized. But writing and drawing comics takes time, a lot of time. What about the future of our ninth art form if most authors can no longer devote themselves to it full-time ?

Denis Bajram

Drawing by Denis Bajram

Born in 1970, Denis Bajram has been drawing small comic books since the age of nine . He is best known for the Universal War series, a benchmark in science fiction, which he has been producing on his own since 1998. He also collaborates with his wife, screenwriter Valérie Mangin, on concept books and SF series. They are also socially committed, founding with others the SNAC-BD authors' union, the États Généraux de la Bande Dessinée and the Ligue des auteurs professionnels. Finally, in 2021, Denis and four colleagues will produce a comic book sequel to the adventures of the famous Goldorak.

Speaker(s)

Pierre Nocérino

postdoctoral researcher at Lier-Fyt (UMR 8065, CNRS/EHESS)

Loo Hui Phang

comic book writer

Denis Bajram

comic book artist