Wednesday Wrap Up – Everywhere Around the World
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From the United Kingdom we have Modesty Blaise and Philip Sidney Woodford, from the USA West Coast we have new museums in Portland and Los Angeles, in Washington D.C. we have rumors of a Jake Tapper graphic novel, but we start with an update on the troubled Angouleme International Comics Festival in France.
Angouleme Update
France 24 has an update on the Angouleme International Comics Festival:
“Given this large-scale (boycott) movement which they understand, publishers believe that the 2026 edition can no longer take place,” the French National Publishing Union (SNE), which represents 24 major publishers, said in a statement.
On Tuesday, the French government withdrew 200,000 euros ($231,000) of public subsidies for next year’s event, putting a major hole its finances before the scheduled start on January 29.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati said she wanted to avoid the festival “becoming a disaster starting with the 2026 edition.”
The 9eArt+ director, Franck Bondoux, was the subject of an investigation by left-wing magazine l’Humanite before this year’s event which accused him of mismanagement and an increasingly contested style.
It also reported that the company had dismissed an employee shortly after she reported being raped at the 2024 event.
A Jake Tapper Graphic Novel?
Rich Johnston at Bleeding Cool reports on a rumor:
But what I heard repeatedly at Thought Bubble this weekend, and something that Dan Berry gave me a swift “no comment” over when asked, is that he is working with Jake Tapper on creating a new graphic novel. Jake Tapper is the lead Washington anchor for CNN, hosts the weekday television news show The Lead with Jake Tapper, and co-hosts the Sunday morning public affairs program State of the Union. With Emmy Awards, Presidential debates, and many books to his name, it looks like he may be branching out into graphic novels now. And he has form in this regard, in the eighth grade, he made a comic strip for a local free weekly paper, his comic strip Capitol Hell appeared in Roll Call from 1994 to 2003, and he has also contributed cartoons to American Spectator, Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer…
Comic Art Museums
Samantha Swindler at The Oregonian reports on a new Comic Art Museum:
The Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts opened last week in Portland’s North Park blocks. Inside the 5,000-square-foot space, visitors can see more than three dozen cartoon artists’ work – from sketches and inked drafts to final pieces of color art.
“We have more comic professionals per capita than any other city in the world,” said Mike Rosen, board chair for the museum. “It’s time for the community to understand that and celebrate that.”
Far more expansive (and expensive) is the new (George) Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
From Sonja Anderson at Smithsonian magazine:
Filmmaker George Lucas, the mind behind the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, has been working to build the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles for more than a decade. But while the project was supposed to be completed by 2021, the pandemic pushed back the timeline.
Now, four years later, the museum finally has an opening date. According to a statement, its 35 galleries—filled with comic art, illustrations, murals and movie posters—will debut on September 22, 2026 [emphasis added].
The more than 40,000 items in the museum’s permanent collection include 20th- and 21st-century murals, illustrations from children’s books and science fiction, film artifacts, and comic art, “of which the museum has deep and extensive holdings,” per the statement.
Philip Sidney Woodford – RIP
Tom Curphey of Isle of Man Today reports the death of cartoonist Philip Sidney Woodford.
Tributes have been paid to respected Manx cartoonist Philip Sidney Woodford who has died at the age of 88.
Mr Woodford, of Port St Mary, was widely known across the island for his long-running career as a cartoonist and satirist, producing humorous illustrations that accompanied local news stories for many years.
His work featured prominently in Media Isle of Man titles, where his weekly cartoons offered a light-hearted look at Manx life, often capturing the quirks, characters and headlines that defined the island’s community.
A Modesty Blaise Special Project
From John Freeman at downthetubes:
Following hot on the heels of Special Projects Dan Dare – Pilot of the Future, an in-depth look at the history and creators of Eagle comic’s Dan Dare, past, present and future, the dedicated Italian team of writers at Fumettomania Factory APS have announced a new undertaking.
Starting next month they will be charting the story of Peter O’Donnell’s international avenger, Modesty Blaise – and contributions in the form of articles, interviews, analyses, and new stories or illustrations are very much welcomed.
Fumettomania’s Special Project Modesty Blaise aims to introduce and captivate you to a classic comic book spy adventure, discussing: the personality and world of Modesty Blaise; the life of its creator and sole writer, Peter O’Donnell; the style of its five artists; the various adventures told in the comic strips; the short stories and novels; the English editions and Italian publications; the film adaptation, and more.
As always, Fumettomania offers the opportunity for all artists, both professional and amateur, to submit a contribution, consisting of a colour illustration or a comic strip, as well as for writers who wish to try their hand at writing a short story.
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