Pénélope Bagieu presents the first programme dedicated to comic books

Known for her comic books Culottées, Sacrées sorcières and Joséphine, Pénélope Bagieu, a former art student at the Atelier de Sèvres, is taking the helm of a programme entirely dedicated to comic books. Let's take a closer look at her career.

PÉNÉLOPE BAGIEU'S CAREER

Translated into dozens of languages, adapted for the cinema and winner of the Eisner Award, Pénélope Bagieu is an iconic figure in French comics.

In a profile written for the 40th anniversary of the Atelier de Sèvres, she told us that she had been drawing since childhood but didn't dare to pursue a career in the field after graduating from high school. And yet, what a waste it would have been if she hadn't walked through the school's doors.

After graduating from the Arts Décos (which she joined after completing her art studies at the Atelier de Sèvres), Pénélope Bagieu landed her first contracts as an illustrator in the publishing and advertising sectors. But it was thanks to her blog, where she shared her daily life with humour, that she made a name for herself. In 2008, at the request of Femina magazine, she created a weekly comic strip: Joséphine.

‘It was with Joséphine that I learned the ropes of comic books. When I think of this character (...) I always remember something a teacher at the Atelier de Sèvres said to me when looking at my drawings: ‘You really like drawing funny little stories.’’

She continued her career and works such as Culottées and Sacrées sorcières established her as a leading figure in the world of comic strips and led to her being named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the Minister of Culture and Communication in 2013, during the Angoulême International Comics Festival.

WHAT SHE'S UP TO NOW

Since 30 January, Pénélope Bagieu has been hosting Conciliabule on Culturebox and France.tv, the first French programme entirely devoted to comics.

Each episode will feature a new comic book author, with whom she will sit down for a one-on-one interview to discuss their career. The dialogue between the two artists will offer a new perspective on their work, mainly that of the guest, but not exclusively.

HER MEMORIES OF THE ART PREPARATORY COURSE AT THE ATELIER DE SÈVRES

‘I thought I was going to improve my drawing skills, but I learned so much more than that! At the time, I had hardly ever been to a museum and knew nothing about colour or perspective. It was at school that I first came into contact with art history and tried my hand at watercolour painting. In the preparatory class, we were exposed to all kinds of techniques, which is a rare opportunity that you don't often get later on! More importantly, the Atelier de Sèvres shattered my certainties. Like many other students, I thought I was a good artist and that I already had my own style. But everyone here was a good artist, some even better than me. Discovering this was a lesson in humility; it's by letting go of your preconceptions that you can learn. I remember, for example, the analytical drawing classes where we were asked to draw the same object for four hours. I realised that it took that long to see what you couldn't see at first. The work was hard, but I threw myself into it with passion. It was the first time in my life that I loved what I was doing, even though I had hated school. That year was a turning point, because that's when I realised that this was really what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.’

© Antoine Monégier du Sorbier / France Télévisions