Museé de la Bande Dessinée

Another of Angoulême’s intriguing crafts has been rendered on that abundant homegrown paper, as well as on the walls of the city. There’s something special about strolling past ancient monuments, only to turn the corner to find a giant comic strip mural, or a pair of vending machines that offer both a soda and a story.

At the beginning of the 1970s, a decade that saw an explosion of new comic strips throughout Europe, a handful of avid comics fans organized an exhibition in Angoulême. That celebration has grown into a widely anticipated annual festival, ranking alongside such iconic events as Comic-Con.

Those curious about comics are best served by visiting the Musée de la Bande Dessinée (Comic Strip Museum). Its collection includes more than 110,000 magazines and comic books, placing it among the largest museums of its kind in the world.

For more than half a century, the city has remained a hub for those interested in the “ninth art,” and the Angoulême government with the French minister of culture has designated January as comic strip month. The comics festival is a defining feature of life here, part of the trajectory that landed this ancient city in the colorful panel of modern graphic arts.

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