Meet Linda Torfs, one of the creative brains behind the Angoulême International Comics Festival and co-owner of Antwerp’s Mekanik Strip, a European comic book epicentre. Chairwoman of the comics commission at the Flemish Literature Fund, she helped lay the foundation for the Flemish comics exhibition from 29 January to 1 February at the yearly festival in the southwest of France.

“In Belgium, comic books aren’t always taken seriously within the literary scene, whereas in France, BD [bande dessinée, French for “comic”] is also a creative adult medium. The festival in Angoulême has distinguished itself since the beginning by inviting excellent publishers and settling itself away from Paris, so they wouldn’t drown in the overexposure of the big city.”

With funding from the French government, the festival has grown and grown over the last 36 years, inviting the best international artists, as well as founding a comic book academy and centre. “Flanders is trying to set up something similar in Turnhout, where a bi-annual comic book festival is held,” explains Torfs. “It’d be great if it could turn into a major professional event, too.”

In Angoulême, the Flemish presence was all over town last week. A “Hall of Fame” showed the history of Flemish comic books with an overview of original artworks by founding fathers Willy Vandersteen (Suske en Wiske), Marc Sleen (The Adventures of Nero), Bob De Moor (Barelli and the number one Tintin collaborator) and Jef Nys (Jommeke).

This lays the ground for the evolution seen in the work on view at “Ceci n’est pas la BD flamande”, or “This is Not the Flemish Comic”, in the courtyard of the town’s city hall. Twenty contemporary artists allow us a glimpse into their worlds in full-blown installation spaces. Serge Baeken, for example, constructed a bus stop, complete with a bench, and decorated his own posters with graffiti.

Meanwhile, Pieter De Poortere’s main character, naive farmer Dickie, shyly studies a woman in a mini-brothel, where comic books are shown behind the striptease curtain. Among the others in the line-up are Luc Cromheecke, Brecht Evens, Reinhart, Olivier Schrauwen, Simon Spruyt, Gerolf Van de Perre, Maarten Vande Wiele and Judith Vanistendael. An accompanying documentary features six of the artists in their personal and professional lives, focusing on the dynamics of the contemporary Flemish art scene.

The gigantic publishers’ area at nearby Place New York is also impressive: the main setting is a typical brown cafe called Chez les Flamands, bartended by none other than Torfs. The scene was inspired by the stereotypical perception of our region by the French. The site only sells books by Flemish authors, hosts signing sessions and is a meeting space for artists and their audiences.

But what exactly sets Flemish comics off in this international festival where famous people autograph tons of books ever day? Torfs says it’s a question of individual potential. “Young Flemish artists are individualists; they work on an international level,” she explains. “The common denominator is that they tell stories in their own style, which fans and critics really notice. More than ever before, books are being translated into other languages and young Flemish authors are nominated for international awards, which only adds to the buzz.”

Comics authors have also been given a boost by the creation in 2002 of the comics division within the Flemish Literature Fund. The non-profit organisation supports the development of new talent and provides funds for small-press publishers to print less commercial projects. “Since the fund was founded, the number of alternative publications has grown immensely,” says Torfs.

Despite being such an important venue for comics authors and publishers, the atmosphere at Angoulême is very relaxed. The townspeople of the picturesque city of about 45,000 are so much a part of the annual event that the whole city bathes in the light of comic books. Exhibitions, meetings and discussions are held in every public space, and the festival is the talk of the town. Students are selling their drawings, trying to find a publisher or asking passers-by for some feedback.

Even on the streets, everywhere sings the tune of visual culture. The festival is embraced here by locals with such authenticity that the city itself is helping comic books to be accepted and nurtured as a serious medium for literary communication. And this year, they put Flanders on the map of international comic acclaim.

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The exhibition “Ceci n’est pas la BD flamande” will be on show from 13 February to 19 April in Leuven at the Tweebronnen library, Rijschoolstraat 4

Eva Cardon is an illustrator who works under the pseudonym Ephameron. Her second book Found+Lost has just been released by Bries publishers