Invisible Presence: The Representation of Women in French-Language Comics

This book explores the representation of female characters in French comics from their first appearance in 1905, focusing on female characters, both primary and secondary, in the francophone comic or bande dessinée, and the work of female bande dessinée creators more generally. It is the first book to study the representation of women in the French-language drawn strip and employs a cultural and gender studies approach to analyze these representations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 17 September 2021
Publisher: Intellect Books

This comprehensive book delves into the portrayal of female characters in French comics, spanning from their initial appearance in 1905. It is organized into three sections, each exploring different aspects of their representation. The first section examines the portrayal of women as main characters created by men, while the second section focuses on secondary characters created by men. The third section explores the work of female bande dessinée creators, highlighting their contributions to the francophone comic or bande dessinée.

Until now, these characters and creators have received relatively limited scholarly attention, which this new book aims to rectify. By employing feminist scholarship, particularly from renowned film and literary theorists, the book explores the challenges and complexities of drawing women within a phallocentric, male-dominated paradigm. It also examines how the medium of bande dessinée, with its unique form and history, has shaped dominant representations of women.

This is the first book dedicated to studying the representation of women in the French-language drawn strip. While there have been works that examine women in Franco-Belgian comics or the drawn representation of women by men, this book offers a unique perspective on the topic. Its focus on the French-language comics adds to the existing body of research on women's comics, which primarily focuses on comics created by women.

The cultural and gender studies approach adopted in this text makes it of interest not only to an Anglo-American audience but also to a Franco-Belgian audience. The theoretical frameworks employed provide a fresh perspective on the bande dessinée, which is still not widely recognized in non-Anglophone studies.

With its focus on an art form that inspires a significant public, this book offers valuable insights into the representation of women in comics and their impact on society. It is a must-read for scholars, students, and enthusiasts of comics and gender studies alike.

Weight: 618g
Dimension: 176 x 252 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789383904
Edition number: New ed