Comic book festival - April 18 and 19

About the author:

Script - Art - Colors

Born in 1977, Simon Hureau, after completing a scientific baccalaureate, attended the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts. In 2001, he received the 2nd Young Talent Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, and in 2012 won the SNCF Crime Fiction Award for his graphic novel "Intrus à l'étrange" (La Boîte à Bulles).

He is the author of a dozen graphic novels and travelogues, including "Palaces" (Ego comme X, 2003), "L'Empire des hauts murs" (Delcourt, 2006), "Hautes oeuvres" (La Boîte à bulles, 2008), "Crève saucisse," with Pascal Rabaté (Futuropolis, 2013), and "L'Oasis" (Dargaud, April 2020), for which he won the Centre-Val-de-Loire Region Prize.

In 2022, "Sermilik - Là où naissent les glaces," the biography of a Westerner who fell in love with Greenland, was published by Dargaud.

Graphic novel summary:

Somewhere between Jean-Henri Fabre's "Entomological Memories" and the French television program "Silence, ça pousse!" (Quiet, it's growing!), Simon Hureau recounts in detail how he gradually brought his garden back to life after it had been abandoned by its former owner. Without any prior knowledge of the subject, the author, through extensive research, passion, and sheer hard work, manages to recreate a veritable oasis of biodiversity from a wasteland, thus demonstrating nature's resilience when given a helping hand. A book by a learned, passionate, and captivating self-taught man.

"The Oasis" won the Centre-Val de Loire Region Prize at the 2020 Blois Festival.

About the author:

Julien Revenu began his career as a press cartoonist for Mediapart before dedicating himself to graphic novels. In 2015, he received the Best Album Award at the Algiers International Comics Festival for his graphic novel Ligne B, published by Casterman. He also provides graphic facilitation services to institutions and associations working on environmental issues and the fight against discrimination. His latest graphic novel, Zone Défensive, features ultra football fans and environmental activists battling a multinational concrete company.

Graphic novel summary:

It begins on a self-sufficient farm. To feed themselves, hard work is essential. It is through this work that, at a very young age, the author accumulates practical knowledge in agriculture and market gardening. Throughout his life, as he puts it, the land will be his constant companion. His studies in agronomy, while undoubtedly a grueling experience, prove liberating thanks to the vast amount of scientific knowledge he acquires. Observe. Understand. Try. This knowledge is put to the test in Chad, Niger, and Namibia. Confronting harsh realities, with the goal of improving local subsistence farming without inputs, machinery, or fuel, provides him with further food for thought… A systemic approach: understanding a system as a whole… One day, a heart attack shakes everything up, and that's when the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The vision that leads him to think about his actions according to the logic of life takes shape. What he calls "being BIO-logical." His vegetable garden, known as the "Lazy Gardener's Garden," is a concrete example of this, right behind his house.

About the author:

Didier Helmstetter was born in 1953 in Alsace, France. His roots? A family of small farmers and a father who was also a lumberjack and vegetable seedling producer. An agricultural engineer, Didier worked in agricultural development in France and Africa, where he led action-research programs with the participation of farmers. Today, he dedicates his time to developing his Lazy Gardener's Garden. He has produced numerous videos and gives lectures. His three books are bestsellers.

Graphic novel summary:

Climate change and the vegetable garden: adapting and seizing opportunities. Publication of the IPCC's 6th report, more alarming than previous ones... A constant stream of increasingly dramatic images on our screens... Who still denies global warming and its effects? Unfortunately, when we carefully analyze the climate changes at the gates of the Lazy Gardener's Garden between 1946 and 2021, we get a nasty surprise: the situation is much worse! And, from the perspective of an "agronomist who gardens," it's also much more complex!

About the author:

Inspired by nature and femininity, I illustrate landscapes, characters, and animals for publishing (books, DIY projects), wall decor (patterns, decorations), packaging, and communication (press, marketing).

In a vibrant style supported by a rich color palette, my illustrations combine poetry and realism to stimulate the imagination and observation skills of both children and adults.

Education
Charpentier Academy Paris: Preparatory year
EPSAA (Paris Higher Professional School of Art and Architecture): State Diploma in Visual Communication Design, specializing in Illustration
TOSA Adobe Illustrator Level A Certification

Publishing Collaborations:
Hatier Jeunesse, Didier Jeunesse, Janod, Deux-Coqs d’Or, Gautier-Languereau, Fleurus, Gründ, Guy Tredaniel / Vega, Nathan DME, Flammarion Jeunesse / Père Castor, Bordas, Nature & Découvertes, Playbac, Papersong, Sycomore…

Brand and Local Institution Collaborations:
Le Comptoir de Mathilde, Blachère Illuminations, Bonpoint, Decathlon/Tribord, Nîmes Métropole…

Comic Strip Summary:

5 short segments (90 seconds each) to discover five traditional nursery rhymes on the theme of the garden: Fly, Fly, Butterfly, Reinette Apple and Api Apple, There's a Magpie in The Pear Tree, My Little Rabbit, Ladybug.

This sound book invites toddlers to observe the nature around them and sing at the top of their lungs, with their feet in the fresh grass!
The five tracks are Didier Jeunesse productions. The nursery rhymes are performed by Fremo, Natalie Tual, and especially by absolutely adorable children's choirs that will delight babies and melt their parents' hearts…

About the author:

Romane Armand imagines stories where non-humans have a voice and seek new ways of existing. In 2016, she published *Le jour à mains nues* (The Day with Bare Hands), an autofiction novel by Marinette Marchal. Working between storytelling and creating artist's books, she is developing several publishing projects with recurring themes of ghosts, archives, robots, and UFOs. In 2017, she and her narrative and graphic exploration partner, Eléonore Scardoni, created the Forgeries project. Forgeries is a graphic novel influenced by science fiction. It tells a multi-voiced story about the creation of a fictional astro-micronation in Antarctica.

Graphic novel summary:

Anouk and Nelle, two teenage girls, are exploring the mountains for the first time.

They join the Calcaire encampment, which is organizing a memorial march for a glacier that has disappeared in the high Alps.

Between breathtaking landscapes discovered at a walking pace and a powerful narrative, The Sorrow of the Cairn offers a glimpse into a human struggle, set to the rhythm of the mountains. This story is a poetic respite, a parenthesis in a troubled world, where it is essential to recount acts of solidarity and to stop condemning those who fight for life.

About the author:

Mathieu Flammarion works at the National Library of France (BnF) and, in parallel, pursues artistic projects in comics,
paintings, and collages. He has already created several fanzines in which he examines the rural world
and its transformations, the environment, and evokes collective struggles. The Ash Tree Alley, set in
the countryside of northeastern France, between Lorraine and Champagne, his region of origin,
is his first full-length docu-fiction.

This graphic novel stems from his meeting in 2018 with Chantal Pradines, general delegate of the association
ALLÉES-AVENUES / allées d’avenir /, who wrote the introductory text at the end of the book.

Graphic novel summary:

In the village of Mahaut, an independent market gardener, the century-old ash trees lining the road are about to be cut down. Refusing this decision by the department, the residents are rediscovering the history of these trees and fighting to have the ash tree avenue reconsidered as a cultural, natural, and landscape heritage site. Mahaut, accompanied by Xavier, an enthusiastic member of the movement, will have no other option than to climb an ash tree and chain herself to it for several days to resist, in the branches...

About the author:

Head in the stars, feet firmly planted
I blend poetry and dreamlike imagery with clear-sightedness.

In black and white or color, with words, musical notes, and flavors
A wandering soul
I draw and sing about what humanity and nature inspire in me.

Graphic novel summary:

What impact does climate have on agriculture?

What will we eat tomorrow in the cafeteria, at restaurants, at home?
A graphic novel to cultivate, with humor, critical thinking about the consequences of climate change on our food, while nurturing hope for accessible and healthy alternatives.

About the author:

In black and white comic strips, humor and sensitivity intertwine in the encounter between an expansive mushroom, eager for understanding, and a burlap doll, incapable of uttering a single word.

In an apparent void, two characters who don't know where they come from, don't know where they're going, and nothing is certain about who they are.

Book summary:

I chose to draw the character of Ana Dess from a photograph based on your suggestions: a natural element, an action, in one of these two places. Throughout the 70 pages, you'll find 16 interpretations of your ideas. A journey accompanied by the poems of Tarissables Ocres et Cyans, singer-songwriter.

About the Author:

Richard Rasa (aka Ritchi): An Eclectic Storyteller
Comic book artist, screenwriter, novelist, and painter, Richard Rasa explores all realms of imagination. While he has mastered time travel, today he engages us through vibrant illustrations and figurative paintings.

Book Summary:

His collection of illustrated poems, "The Cries and Sorrows of the Traveling Penguin," is a poetic and visual cry from the heart to awaken consciences.

About the author:

Originally from Metz, France.
Writing is both my passion and a way to express my commitment to protecting life. For the past few years, I have dedicated myself entirely to creating graphic novels as a screenwriter (after having written novels and plays).

Graphic novel summary:

An ecological coming-of-age tale set in the heart of the Drôme Valley! Juliette is a 35-year-old advertising executive who lives in Paris with her partner, Thomas. For some time now, she has been feeling depressed by the emptiness of her job and anxious about the approaching ecological disaster. Her life takes a dramatic turn when her father dies. While clearing out the family home, Juliette stumbles upon a journal written in her father's handwriting and discovers that he was hiding secrets. Determined to unravel the mystery, she leaves the capital and conducts her investigation in the town of Die, in the heart of the Drôme Valley. A territory focused on ecology, which will offer him another way of understanding the world and resolutely change his life.

About the author:

Born in 1963 in the Ardennes region of France, Daniel Casanave, after graduating from the Reims School of Fine Arts, divides his time between illustration, set design, and comics. He also works as a graphic designer for television. A children's book illustrator and press illustrator, he also found time to co-found Traverses publishing house. Since 2001, he has been exploring the world of comics, focusing on adapting literary masterpieces.

Comic book summary:

A great classic of literature, an ode to nature that has traveled the world, is brought to life here by the paintings of Olivier Desvaux.

During one of his walks in Haute-Provence, Jean Giono once met an extraordinary character: a solitary and peaceful shepherd who planted trees, thousands of trees.

This is the story of Elzéard Bouffier, the silent, the obstinate, who reconciles man and nature.

About the author:

For as long as she can remember, Émilie Angebault has always been surrounded by pencils, paper, scissors, fabric, and books. After five years at the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts, she became a visual artist and illustrator, working for Lito, Le buveur d'encre, Hachette, Feuilles de menthe, and now Glénat Jeunesse.

She lives in Strasbourg.

Graphic novel summary:

This is not yet a tree. This is a building. This is a restaurant. This is a school. This is a shelter… This is not just a tree. The word "tree" encompasses many others, and we discover those who inhabit it, what it makes possible, what it brings into being.

A play on the different ways we perceive a tree: first a seed, then a school when birds use it as a launchpad, a shelter in the rain, or even a vacuum cleaner when it absorbs air pollution. It plays on the idea of ​​the coming together of fauna, flora, and the ecosystem at work.

An album that straddles the line between graphic novel and documentary. Luminous and detailed illustrations by Émilie Angebault, realistic, almost botanical.

Sully-sur-Loire Castle is transformed into a temple of comics!

In exceptional partnership with the International City of Comics and Images in Angoulême and the Loiret Departmental Library, we invite you to explore this fascinating world through an exhibition displayed in the main lower hall on the ground floor of the keep and in the Hall of Honor on the first floor.

Two rooms, two atmospheres to understand everything:

The Main Lower Hall: A Historical Journey
Immerse yourself in the history of comics. From its origins to the present day, discover how this genre has become a major and essential art form in our culture.

The Hall of Honor: The Secrets of Creation
Go behind the scenes of the creative process. From the original idea to the final page, this exhibition reveals the technical and artistic steps that bring your favorite heroes to life.

You will discover original comic strips and figurines from the world of comics.

A reading break steeped in history:

To extend your experience, a cozy reading corner has been set up within the castle. Settle in comfortably in this historic setting and enjoy a selection of books available for your reading pleasure.

Exhibition: included with castle admission.

Meet and Greets and Workshops: April 18 and 19, 2026
Special price on April 18 and 19: reduced admission ticket for everyone at €5 per person, including access to authors, book signings, the bookshop, activities, and the entire site (19 rooms to visit) for self-guided tours.

Location: Château de Sully-sur-Loire.

Your admission ticket grants you access to the comics events and the castle.

Whether you're a seasoned collector or simply curious, come experience comics like never before!

This event was made possible thanks to our various partners:

The Loiret Departmental Media Library / Loirétek

Avenue du Parc Floral, 45100 Orléans
Telephone: +33 2 38 25 68 68

The International City of Comics

Quai de la Charente, 16000 Angoulême
Telephone: +33 5 45 38 65 65

The "Au temps des livres" bookstore in Sully-sur-Loire

5 Rue Porte de Sologne, 45600 Sully-sur-Loire
Telephone: +33 2 38 05 58 39

The Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel Media Library

1 Avenue de la Tête Verte, 45550 Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel
Telephone: +33 2 38 59 04 10

The Val de Loire Community of Municipalities Sully

28 Route des Bordes, 45460 Bonnée
Phone: +33 2 38 35 05 58

Sully-sur-Loire Recycling Center

Route d'Isdes, 45600 Sully-sur-Loire
Phone: +33 7 61 71 31 13