Authors union Syndicat des Travailleur.euses Artistes-Auteurs (Union of Working Artists and Authors, STAA) vows to press ahead with its boycott of the 2026 Angoulême Festival. This comes despite recent moves by festival owner Association FIBD to open the bidding process for alternative event organisers and news that unpopular General Delegate Franck Bondoux will retire after the 2027 event.
In April, the STAA caught headlines in France with its 2,000-strong petition with MeTooBD against the Association calling for change in the wake of a surprise closed doors declaration that the non-profit association was going to form a joint company with Bondoux’s, 9e Art+. The petition demanded the discontinuation of its contract with 9e Art+ and an open call for alternative tenders. Among its signataries were Chris Ware, Posy Simmonds, Art Spiegelman, Joe Sacco, and Alison Bechdel. All signed up to boycott the next edition of the festival, set to take place January 29 to February 1, 2026.
In the past few weeks Bondoux announced his plan to depart his role as General Delegate after 2027, and the Association opened a call for alternative event organisers – with Bondoux’s company 9e Art+ allowed to bid for renewal. The joint-venture idea was quietly dropped. There is little clarity about how the decision-making process for bidders will be conducted but the application window closes October 17 and the next contract holder will be declared November 8. A press release from the festival claimed that key industry syndicates/unions were satisfied with the move.
In its first statement since the announcement of their boycott, the STAA said its exclusion from discussions, the lack of transparency in proceedings, plus the possibility of Bondoux’s continued involvement via 9e Art+ (he is majority shareholder) have yet to give them confidence to call things off.
In a message delivered August 8, the STAA said:
“…Neither the [Angouleme Festival] nor the Association for the Development of Comics in Angoulême (ADBDA) contacted us to hear the demands of the 400 authors who signed the call for boycott. The only reaction from the Angoulême association was through the press, in which we were told that if we were not satisfied with the festival, we should simply submit a proposal to the call for projects. A call for projects whose terms are only accessible after sending an application letter to [Association FIBD president] Delphine Groux.
“This implies, among other things, that 9eArt+ can be represented, with or without Franck Bondoux, which is more or less stated in their press release…[A]s Franck Bondoux is the main shareholder of 9eArt+, it is difficult to see how he would not remain involved in some way in the management of the festival. Will his daughter, Johanna Bondoux, take his place?”
They conclude:
“So we repeat emphatically: no, we have not all confirmed our participation, and yes, the boycott is still in effect. This call has been welcomed with relief by many of us, and it remains the only means of pressure available for the profession to demand changes in the organization of the Angoulême Festival. This festival, which is largely funded by the community, is central to the [Francophone] comic book world, and it is unacceptable that the way it is organised remains the privilege of one small group who hold a monopoly over it.”
The STAA is a labour union formed in 2020 to address the precarious position of creative freelancers in France. As freelancers they are not able to access unemployment insurance nor paid leave as they are not able to make national contributions via an employer.
The Angoulême Festival is one of the largest comics events in the world. While owned by a non-profit association, since 2007 it has contracted a private company to put together the event. The current contract holder 9e Art+ has been in place throughout that time and its founder, Franck Bondoux, has weathered a number of scandals and complaints over the commercialisation of a treasured cultural event. 2025 is when the contract is up for renewal and many in the industry are keen to break this perceived toxic relationship.
For more information on the Angoulême crisis, check out our overview.
FULL TEXT – [translation merging the STAA-provided English text with additional translation from the original STAA French text for clarity]
THE FIBD ASSOCIATION IS BLUFFING: Transparency or a red herring?
Since the last Angoulême Festival and our petition calling for a boycott of the next edition, there has been a lot of activity surrounding the organization of the event. The contract between the association and 9eArt+ was terminated, and Association FIBD president Delphine Groux subsequently launched a call for proposals. The various twists and turns related to the numerous behind-the-scenes meetings between the festival association and the Association for the Development of Comics in Angoulême (ADBDA) have been reported in numerous press articles: the arbitrary timing for the call for proposals, the mistrust of the Alternative Publishers Syndicate (SEA), and the lack of transparency surrounding the association’s financial statements.
The various developments related to the multiple closed-door meetings between the festival association and the ADBDA have been reported in numerous press articles: the arbitrary timing of the call for projects, the mistrust of the SEA and the National Publishers Syndicate (SNE), and then pressure from public funders. Franck Bondoux is even said to be leaving. We heard that we had won.
And so, we indirectly learned that the “profession” had lifted the boycott. But who are we talking about when there are no professional representative elections in the comic book industry and the meetings between the various festival stakeholders under the auspices of the ADBDA are not subject to public reporting? And that the association has been stuck in the same structure since 2017?
Neither the SNE nor the SEA, and even less so the National Union of Authors and Composers – Comics Branch (SNAC BD), called for a boycott. Nor did they sign our petition. It is therefore rather surprising to read in the latest press release from the FIBD’s public funders that “representatives of the various national union organizations representing publishers and authors have confirmed their participation in the 2026 edition.”
Neither the FIBD nor the ADBDA contacted us to hear the demands of the 400 authors who signed the call for boycott. The only reaction from the Angoulême association was through the press, in which we were told that if we were not satisfied with the festival, we should simply submit a proposal to the call for projects. A call for projects whose terms are only accessible after sending an application letter to Delphine Groux, and reserved for a “[…] structure [which] must be single-purpose, dedicated to the event, and not allow the distribution of profits, thus meeting the criteria necessary to apply for and benefit from public subsidies.” This implies, among other things, that 9eArt+ can be represented, with or without Franck Bondoux, which is more or less stated in their press release “9eArt+ and the future of the Festival.” Furthermore, as Franck Bondoux is the main shareholder of 9eArt+, it is difficult to see how he would not remain involved in some way in the management of the festival. Will his daughter, Johanna Bondoux, take his place?
So we repeat emphatically: no, we have not all confirmed our participation, and yes, the boycott is still in effect. This call has been welcomed with relief by many of us, and it remains the only means of pressure available for the profession to demand changes in the organization of the Angoulême Festival. This festival, which is largely funded by the community, is central to the comic book world, and it is unacceptable that the way it is organized remains the privilege of one small group who hold a monopoly over it.
Publishing unions are committed to defending the economic interests of the sector, and it is difficult to expect them to freeze their participation in the 2026 edition so late in the day [hotel and booth bookings usually made in summer months]. The same cannot be said for authors: without us, there would be no exhibitions, no meetings, no book signings, and therefore no festival. While we cannot count on a national call from SNAC BD to carry out large-scale actions, we can rely on other collectives or unions not represented within ADBDA, such as the Authors and Artists Workers Union (STAA CNT-SO), MetooBD, the National Artists Union (SNAP CGT), the Collectif des créatrices de BD contre le sexisme (Collective of Women Comic Book Creators Against Sexism), the Professional Comics and Illustration Authors Federation (ABDIL), the Association of Comics Critics and Journalists (ACBD), the National Union of Art and Design Schools (SNÉAD-CGT), the micropublishing festival-fringe event Future Off, and the Spanish comics author collective (Colectivo de Autoras de Cómic).
Boycotts are a powerful tool. Collective action is another. And it is only by organizing together that we will be strong enough to ensure that our point of view, that of workers in the comic book industry, is finally heard and taken into account.
If you come to Angoulême in January 2026, are you ready to boycott book signings? Are you ready to engage in protest? We are. Let’s keep in touch.
