French critics organisation ACBD has announced its shortlist of titles in the running for the sixth edition of its annual Prix Comics, an award promoting French-translated work from English. The winner will be announced at the Quai des Bulles festival in Saint-Malo, France (October 25-27) following a member vote between August 18 to September 7, 2024.
Eligible titles were published in French between August 2023 and July 2024, the final five to enter contention were picked by a selection committee of five ACBD members: Arthur Bayon, Yaneck Chareyre, Frédéric Grivaud, Bernard Launois, Valentin Paquot, Florian Rubis, and Arnaud Tomasini.
Here is the shortlist:
- In [Au-dedans], by Will McPhail; translated into French by Basile Béguerie (404 Graphic) — English publisher Mariner Books (2021)
- Creepy Presents Alex Toth [Eerie & Creepy présentent Alex Toth], by Alex Toth; translated into French by Doug Headline (Delirium) — English publisher Dark Horse (2015)
- Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise, by Tradd Moore; translated into French by Benjamin Viette (Panini Comics) — English publisher Marvel (2023)
- It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, by Zoe Thorogood; translated into French by Maxime Le Dain (Hi Comics) — English publisher Image (2022)
- Victory Parade, by Leela Corman; translated into French by Jean-Paul Jennequin (Çà et là) — Pantheon (2024)
As expected, the finalists are a pretty broad mix of mainstream, indie and alternative works. One interesting thing to note is this is the second consecutive year that Zoe Thorogood has been Prix Comics nominated – following the French edition of The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott (published in French with Bubble Éditions), this year it is the turn for autobio graphic novel It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth (with Hi Comics).
The honourable mentions list is quite formidable too:
- Howard the Duck 1973-1977 [Howard le canard 1973-1977], by Steve Gerber, Gene Colan, et al; translated by Benjamin Viette/Quentin Belmekki (Panini Comics) — closest version in English is Howard the Duck: The Complete Collection Vol 1 (Marvel, 2015)
- Kroma, by Lorenzo De Felici; translated by Benjamin Rivière (Delcourt) — published in English by Image/Skybound (2023)
- Odin’s Eye [L’œil d’Odinn], by Joshua Dysart, Tomas Giorello, Diego Rodriguez; translated by Loup Salles (Bliss Editions) — published in English in single issues by Bad Idea (2021)
- Love Everlasting vol. 1, by Tom King, Elsa Charretier, Matt Hollingsworth; translated by Arnaud Tomasini (Urban Comics) — published in English by Image (2023)
- Wildful [Murmures des sous-bois], by Kengo Kurimoto; translated by Fanny Soubiran (Rue de Sèvres) — published in English by Groundwood Books (2024)
- Heaven, No Hell [Le paradis, pas l’enfer], by Michael Deforge (Atrabile) — published in English by Drawn & Quarterly (2021)
- The Giver [Le passeur], by Philip Craig Russell, adapted from the novel by Lois Lowry; translated by Patrick Marcel (Phileas) — English edition published by Clarion Books (2020)
- The Sacrificers [Sacrifice] Vol. 1, by Rick Remender, Max Fiumara, Dave McCaig; translated by Benjamin Rivière (Urban Comics) — published in English by Image (2024)
- Scorchy Smith and the Genius of Noel Sickles [Scorchy Smith et le génie de Noel Sickles], by Noel Sickles; translated by Marie Renier (Galerie Barbier) — this appears to be a new edition repackaging elements of IDW’s out of print 2008 collection Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles
- Shaolin Cowboy: Cruel to be Kin [The Shaolin Cowboy tome 4], by Geoff Darrow, Dave Stewart; translated by Lorraine Darrow (Futuropolis) — published in English by Dark Horse (2023)
- Wonder Woman Historia, by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Phil Jimenez, Gene Ha, Nicola Scott; translated by Thomas Davier (Urban Comics) — English edition DC Black Label (2023)
Last year’s prize winner was the French edition of J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman’s Echolands published by Panini Comics, originally published by Image Comics.
The Association des Critiques et Journalistes de Bande Dessinée (or Association of Comics Critics and Journalists) – ACBD – is a French-language collective of those who cover comics in the media (print, online, TV, radio etc). Now in its fortieth year of existence, it has over a hundred members worldwide – predominantly from France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada. Annually it hands out five awards celebrating the medium – including their kids market award (Prix Jeunesse), work from French-Canada (Prix Québécoise), translated work from the English-language (Prix Comics), translated work from across Asia (Prix Asie). Its highest honour is the Grand Prix de la Critique (Grand Critics Prize) which is as old as the organisation itself.
In French the word “Comics” is akin to the word “Manga” in denoting a comics category of foreign origin. The normal term for comics in French is “bande dessinée”. Thus the Prix Comics broadly refers to all work translated from the English language.