French cartoonist Emmanuel Guibert has won the Grand Prix (formally, Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême), a lifetime achievement award, at this year’s Angoulême International Comics Festival, with Robert Kirkman (“The Walking Dead”) being given the Fauve d’honneur award. This was the third time Guibert that has been one of the final three nominees for the award. This year he was nominated alongside Chris Ware and Catherine Meurisse.
Guibert was born in 1964 and is known in his home country for series such as “Sardine de l’espace” (“Space Sardine”), but has also received acclaim in the US after First Second published his books “Alan’s War” and “The Photographer.” “The Photographer” won Best U.S. Edition of International Material at the 2010 Eisner Awards. He also co-writes “Ariol,” which originated in children’s magazine J’aime lire, but has since been translated into English by Papercutz.
Kirkman was born in 1978 and is best known as the co-creator of series such as “The Walking Dead,” “Invincible” and “Oblivion Song.”
The Angoulême International Comics Festival have taken place in January every year since 1974 and is the second largest comic festival in Europe (after Italy’s Lucca Comics & Games). The winner of the Grand Prix becomes the subsequent year’s President of the prize jury, and tasked with illustrating the poster, while their work becomes subject of an exhibition.
