"The comic strip, whether its origins lie in cave art, the Biblia pauperum or the work of Rodolphe Töpffer, no longer needs defending. Its worldwide distribution, its constant dialogue with literature, painting and cinema, its extraordinary power of narration and expression, and the richness and variety of the creative talents who bring it to life, have long since made it clear that comics are a major art form.

The Year of Comics at the Collège de France, in partnership with the Centre national du livre, will feature an exceptional series of lectures and interviews with authors who have agreed to come and illustrate the profusion of contemporary creation, under the benevolent patronage of Guillaume Budé and the more mischievous Alfred the penguin.

Free and open to all, like all the Collège de France's lectures, we hope that this cycle will, if need be, shed light on and raise awareness of the "genius of the comic strip", according to the fine title given by Benoît Peeters to his inaugural lecture."

Thomas Römer, Administrator of the Collège de France