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Despite an attempt to liven things up with a more actually influential cartoonist winning the Grand Prix at Angoulême, 72 year old Dutch cartoonist Willem has won. Lambiek tells us of him

Born and bred in de Veluwe, one of the most conservative regions of Holland, Willem has become one of the world's most unpredictable and sardonic cartoonists.

and based on the art shown above, that may well be true.

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This year’s selection of the winner—who will be President of next year’s festival—came amidst controversy over a new selection process which offered a short list of potential winners, including for the first time authors. Lewis Trondheim was on the voting committee and, violating the sanctty of the papal voting released the following blockbuster tweet which revealed that the short list included Willem, Alan Moore, Katsohiro Otomo, Akira Toriyama and Chris Ware, with the following caustic (google translated) caption

The majority of the Academy reaches its threshold of competence by electing the only known author (excellent nonetheless) by it pic.twitter.com/vPvvT5hP.

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While I’m in no position to judge the tastes and history of Franco-Belgian cartoonists, I do think it’s a safe bet that Moore, Ware, Otomo and Toriyama are a bit better known world wide. So Trondheim may have been onto something.

CORRECTION: Toriyama (creator of Dragonball Z and Dr. Slump) was given some kind of “Grand Prix Jr.” prize, but Willem was still the choice of the Academy for the “real” prize.

More, doubtless to come.

Via the Comics Reporter who has a list of the other winners — can we just say that SelfMadeHero and NoBrow are killing it. Are the Brits to take over superiority in literary comics just as they have in brooding leading men, advertising, chocolate and pop music?

Prix du meilleur album
* Quai d’Orsay Volume Two: Chroniques diplomatiques, Christophe Blain and Abel Lanzac (Dargaud)

Prix spécial du jury
* Le Nao de Brown, Glyn Dillon (Akileos)

Prix de la Série
* Aama, Vol. 2, Frederik Peeters (Gallimard)

Prix Révélation
* Automne, Jon McNaught (Nobrow)

Prix Patrimoine
* Krazy Kat (1925-1929), George Herriman (Les reveurs)

Fauve Polar SNCF
* Castilla Drive, Anthony Pastor (Actes Sud/L’an 2)

3 COMMENTS

  1. If nothing else, I’m certainly going to have to look up Willem’s stuff. That’s a mighty fine list to be on.

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