Bandes dessinées, abbreviated BDs and also referred to as Franco-Belgian comics, are comics that are usually originally in French and created for readership in France and Belgium. These countries have a long tradition in comics, separate from that of English-language comics. Belgium is a bilingual country, and comics originally in Dutch are culturally a part of the world of bandes dessinées; these are translated to French and concurrently sold to the French-reading audience.
Quebec comics are French language comics produced primarily in the Canadian province of Quebec, and read both within and outside Canada, particularly in French-speaking Europe.
Joseph Gillain, better known by his pen name Jijé, was a Belgian comics artist, best known for being a seminal artist on the Spirou et Fantasio strip and the creator of one of the first major European western strips, Jerry Spring.
Luciano Bottaro was an Italian comic book artist.
Les Humanoïdes Associés ("Humanoïdes") is a Franco-American publishing house specializing in comics and graphic novels. Founded in December 1974 by comic artists Mœbius, Jean-Pierre Dionnet, Philippe Druillet, and financial director Bernard Farkas in order to publish Métal Hurlant, it quickly expanded to include a variety of science fiction works, featuring mature themes that were not commonplace in the Franco-Belgian comic world. Considered revolutionary in the comic book form at the time, chiefly due to its focus on the science fiction genre, the work found in Humanoïdes inspired many generations of authors and filmmakers.
Éditions Dupuis S.A. is a Belgian publisher of comic albums and magazines.
Sergio Toppi was an Italian illustrator and comics author.
Éric Thériault is a Canadian comics artist, writer, illustrator and blogger living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Steve Requin is a Canadian cartoonist from Beloeil, Quebec, Canada.
Maurice De Bevere, better known as Morris, was a Belgian cartoonist, comics artist, illustrator and the creator of Lucky Luke, a bestselling comic series about a gunslinger in the American Wild West. He was inspired by the adventures of the historic Dalton Gang and other outlaws. It was a bestselling series for more than 50 years that was translated into 23 languages and published internationally. He collaborated for two decades with French writer René Goscinny on the series. Morris's pen name is an Anglicized version of his first name.
Jean-Christophe Menu is a French underground cartoonist, graphic designer, comics scholar and publisher, son of the Egyptologist Bernadette Menu. He is best known for being one of the founders of L'Association, an influential comic book and art book publishing company from France often regarded as one of the key figures in the independent comic movement around the world.
Louis Paradis is a Canadian comics artist, writer and illustrator from Montmagny, Quebec, Canada.
Croc was a French-language humour magazine published monthly in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1979 until 1995.
Safarir is a defunct Canadian French-language humour magazine. The name is derived from "safari" and French "ça fait rire", "it makes you laugh". It was in circulation between 1987 and 2016
Francis Masse, known as Masse, is a French artist. In the early 1970s, he first became acquainted with his sculptures, then turned to animation and cartoon.
Jacques Hurtubise was a Canadian cartoonist and publisher. He was one of the founders of Croc magazine and is considered one of the most prominent figures in Quebec comics of the 1970s and 1980s.
Blondin et Cirage is a Belgian humoristic adventure comic strip by Jijé created in 1939 for the Catholic children's magazine Petits Belges. The comic was also published in its Flemish counterpart Zonneland, initially under the name Wietje en Krol, later as Blondie en Blinkie. It stars two boys, Blondin – who is white – and Cirage – who is black.
Webcomics in France are usually referred to as either blog BD or BD numérique. Early webcomics in the late 1990s and early 2000s primarily took on the form of personal blogs, where amateur artists told stories through their drawings. The medium rose in popularity in economic viability in the country in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The Turbomedia format, where a webcomic is presented more alike a slideshow, was popularized in France in the early 2010s.
Mira Falardeau is a French Canadian historian, professor, and author of comic strips. Falardeau has devoted works to Québec animated films, Québec comic strips and caricatures in Québec, focusing on visual humour in all its forms. She taught as a professor of cinema and communication at Laval University and the University of Ottawa. Falardeau has also curated exhibitions in the visual arts and operated a small publishing house.
Stelio Fenzo was an Italian comic book artist.
