About

Écrit et dessiné is an online magazine devoted to the ninth art. We write about bande dessinée, comics, graphic novels, manga, and illustration: what is written, what is drawn, and what happens between the two. Art, creativity, storytelling.

Our editorial approach

This project is not about following the news. We may of course respond to current events, but above all we want to explore our interests, enthusiasms, and questions in ways that help us understand how simple panels and speech bubbles can have such power. We look at the many ways words and images come together, as well as at symbolic forms that draw on the visual language of comics—whether directly or by borrowing from it—without necessarily using sequential storytelling. Our aim is to offer modest reflections and perspectives that may resonate with readers or invite debate.

We also want to introduce readers to titles and creators they may not know. Even people who are curious about visual and literary art may still think comics are only for children and teenagers, something to move on from when they are ready for more serious reading.

After all, as art journalist Roger Sabin puts it: “Technically speaking, there is no reason why comics should be confined to any particular age group. They can cover as wide a range of subjects as novels, films, or any other medium, and achieve the same depth of artistic and literary expression. At least in theory, comics, as a means of communication, have the potential to speak to adults as well as children.”

So our aim is to be clear but not simplistic, well-informed but concise, selective but relevant.

This magazine is for anyone curious about art in general, from those less familiar with the ninth art to its most devoted admirers. And, in a rather self-indulgent way, it is also a place to put our own thoughts into words.

This online magazine is written in French, and the entire publication is also available in an English translation. Some of the material comes, highly reworked, from previous online publications on the now closed ecrit-et-dessine.org and echoavenue.net websites.

Sources

Publishing histories in comics can sometimes be complex. Many works first appear in periodicals and are later collected into volumes. Whenever possible, we follow these principles:

1. we give the title of the story whenever possible (in italics in the body text, in quotation marks elsewhere), as well as the periodical and issue number when available. (A specific issue number is set in roman type; otherwise, the same rules as for story titles apply.)
2. if that information is unavailable, we give the title of the collection or work, following the same rules as for story titles.
3. we keep titles in their original language when they are in French or English; titles in other languages are translated.
4. the publication year given is generally that of the first original collected edition (unless a specific edition is discussed). We may sometimes also mention the periodical publication dates or the year of publication in France.

All the works mentioned should generally be available in France, either in their original language or in translation (though some may require a specialist shop or an online order). We name the original publisher when a work is available in its original edition, and the French publisher if a translation exists. Otherwise, we give the French publisher first.

Sources for quotations are generally listed in footnotes.