Migration and refugee journeys - recommendations from the Comics Apero
Updated: Nov 18, 2020
While the European Refugee Crisis is a particularly contemporary and pressing topic, migration has been depicted in comic books since the beginning of the artform in the 1900s. Over the years, artists such as Art Spiegelman, José Munoz and Farid Boudjellal have been actively involved in the promotion of serious yet visually original, sometimes even groundbreaking stories. Younger avid comic readers had carefully been watching and around the year 2000, a whole new generation comprised of Marjane Satrapi, Zeina Abirached, Marguerite Abouet, among many others, started emerging. They also fled wars, military coups or simply are the children of parents who came to France for economical reasons. Childhood trauma, long - often painful - journeys, life in refugee camps, language, dual identity, ancient customs, and religion became and still are legitimate concerns. Comic books allow the artists to express the unfolding of historical facts with an emotional distance while instilling in the minds of the reader a great sense of compassion. The stories are autobiographical, historically accurate, funny, gripping, black and white or in colour. In other words particularly diverse and below, we have compiled a list of landmarks of the genre as well as a few of our personnal favourites.
Bringing up Father
Bringing up Father by George McManus, 1913
The Four immigrants
The Four immigrants by Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama, 1931
Maus
Maus by Art Spiegelman, 1980, Penguin
Sudor Sudaca: : Sueur de métèques
Sudor Sudaca: Sueur de métèques by José Muñoz, 1990, Futuropolis
Persepolis
Perseoplis by Marjane Satrapi, 2000, Penguin
available to borrow from the Médiathèque in French and English
Aya de Yopougon
Aya de Yopongo by Marguerite Abouet and Clément Oubrerie, 2007, Penguin
available to borrow from the Médiathèque in French
The Arab of the Future
The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf, 2014, Two Roads/Hachette UK
available to borrow from the Médiathèque in French and English
Alpha - Abidjan Gare du Nord
Alpha - Abidjan to Gare du Nord by Barroux and Bessoa, 2016, The Bucket List
available to borrow from the Médiathèque in French and English
L' Odyssée d'Hakim
L' Odyssée d'Hakim by Fabien Toulmé, 2018, Delcourt
available to borrow from the Médiathèque in French
Méditerranée
Méditerranée by Baudoin, 2016, Gallimard
available to borrow from the Médiathèque in French
Humains - la Roya est un fleuve
Humains - la Roya est un fleuve by Edmond Baudoin and Troubs, 2018, L'Association
available to borrow from the Médiathèque in French
Des nouvelles de la Jungle (de Calais)
Des nouvelles de la Jungle (de Calais) by Lisa Mandel and Yasmina Bouagga, 2017, Casterman
available to read on Culturethèque
Demain Demain
Demain, Demain by Laurent Maffre, 2012, Actes Sud BD
available to borrow from the médiathèque in French
CRA
CRA Centre de Rétention Administrative by Meybeck, 2014, Des ronds dans l'O
Droit d'asile
Droit d'asile by Etienne Gendrin, 2018, Des ronds dans l'O
Petit Polio
Petit Polio by Farid Boudjella, 2000, Soleil Productions
available to borrow from the Médiathèque in French
Couleur de peau: miel
Couleur de peau: miel by Jung, 2007, Soleil Productions
Prendre Refuge
Prendre Refuge by Zeina Abirached and Mathias Enard, 2018, Casterman
available to borrow from the Médiathèque in French
Tales from Lybia
Tales from Lybia by Asia Alfasi, Blog
Papers, please (video game)
Papers, please, Lucas Pope
Bury me, my love (video game)
Bury me, my love, Arte TV
