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| À Suivre | |
|---|---|
| Title | À Suivre |
| Editor | Francis Lacassin |
| Category | Comics |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Publisher | Casterman |
| Firstdate | 1978 |
| Finaldate | 1997 |
| Country | France |
| Language | French language |
À Suivre was a French monthly magazine published by Casterman from 1978 to 1997 that played a central role in promoting the graphic novel format and auteur-driven comics in France and Belgium. The magazine became a platform for serialized long-form narratives and innovative artistic experimentation, influencing creators associated with the Franco-Belgian bande dessinée tradition and international contributors. Its editorial stance brought together established figures and emerging talents, contributing to broader debates in periodicals, cultural institutions, and publishing houses about comics as a serious art form.
The magazine was launched in 1978 during a period of transformation for periodicals such as Pilote, Métal Hurlant, Charlie Hebdo, and Tintin. Spearheaded by editorial leadership connected to critics like Francis Lacassin and publishers including Casterman and contemporaries at Glénat and Dargaud, the magazine aimed to showcase serialized albums comparable to the format used by Spirou and Charlie Mensuel. Early years intersected with cultural debates around institutions like the Centre Pompidou and events such as the Angoulême International Comics Festival, positioning the magazine within networks of galleries, libraries, and academic salons. Through the 1980s and early 1990s it navigated transformations prompted by markets influenced by distributors such as Hachette and retailers in Paris and across Belgium and Switzerland.
The magazine adopted a large-format, high-production approach akin to predecessors like Métal Hurlant while prioritizing narrative continuity found in Pilote and Spirou. Each issue presented serialized episodes, complete short stories, and thematic portfolios that engaged with motifs explored by creators associated with movements around Nouvelle Bande Dessinée, ligne claire, and graphic novel pioneers influenced by Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, and Robert Crumb. Recurring themes included memory and identity as treated by artists linked to Le Monde cultural pages, urban modernity reminiscent of scenes from Paris, historical reconstruction in the manner of Victor Hugo adaptations, and political allegory resonant with debates from May 1968 and European intellectual circles. The publication foregrounded authorial signatures, crediting contributors in a manner similar to literary magazines such as Les Lettres Françaises.
Contributors ranged from auteurs rooted in Franco-Belgian tradition to international guests associated with American comics and British comics movements. Regular and serial contributors included figures with ties to influential albums published by Casterman: authors whose work appeared alongside names parallel to Hergé-era practitioners, contemporary peers linked to Enki Bilal, Moebius, Hugo Pratt, Jean Giraud, Félix Vallotton-inspired illustrators, and narrative innovators echoing Chris Ware, Frank Miller, and Daniel Clowes. Notable serialized series that defined the magazine's identity comprised long-form sagas, auteur-driven episodes, and experimental short cycles comparable to works later collected as albums by imprints such as Fluide Glacial and Les Humanoïdes Associés. The platform also featured guest projects by authors active in parallel venues like L'Association and contributors who later received honors at the Angoulême International Comics Festival and national cultural awards.
The magazine catalyzed debates across press outlets from Le Monde cultural sections to magazines like Libération and Télérama, helping to reposition comics within museum exhibitions at venues like the Centre Pompidou and academic curricula at institutions such as Université Paris-Sorbonne. Critics compared its effect to prior watershed moments associated with publications like Métal Hurlant and the rise of the graphic novel in the United States led by figures linked to Pantheon Books. Reception was mixed: while some commentators in Le Figaro and literary circles praised its ambition, others argued that serialization risked fragmenting readerships accustomed to album releases by publishers like Dupuis. Nonetheless, the magazine contributed materially to the visibility of comics in journalism, radio programs on France Culture, and broadcasts by networks like Antenne 2.
Published monthly by Casterman from 1978 until its closure in 1997, the magazine was distributed through national channels used by magazines such as Pilote and mainstream book distribution networks like Hachette Livre and independent comic shops concentrated in districts of Paris, Brussels, Lyon, and Marseille. Internationally it reached readers through exchanges with publishers in Belgium, translations brokered by houses similar to Fantagraphics Books and cross-licensing deals that mirrored practices between Dargaud and Anglo-American partners. Circulation trends reflected wider shifts in periodical markets during the 1980s and 1990s, impacted by competition from album-format publishers, changing retail spaces, and the consolidation of distributors.
The magazine's commitment to serializing long-form, artist-centered comics influenced subsequent ventures such as collectives and publishers including L'Association, Les Humanoïdes Associés, and editorial lines at Casterman and Fluide Glacial. Its role in elevating the status of authors contributed to institutional recognition for comic creators at events like the Angoulême International Comics Festival and archival efforts at museums and libraries across France and Belgium. The aesthetic and editorial precedents set by the magazine resonated with developments in graphic narrative internationally, echoing trajectories followed by creators showcased later by Pantheon Books, Fantagraphics Books, and academic studies at universities such as Université de Liège and Brown University that treat comics as a subject of scholarship.
Category:French comics magazines Category:Defunct magazines of France