American Daniel Clowes won the Golden Wildcat for the best comic book of the year with Monica at the International Comics Festival in Angoulême, central-western France, the jury announced on Saturday.
Clowes' Monica was published in October 2023 by Delcourt, and narrates the life of an ordinary American woman through a variety of stories.
Its success at the Angoulême Festival marks the rising recognition of American comics in Europe. The festival traditionally championed Franco-Belgian comic strips but has since broadened significantly to embrace Japanese manga.
The 62-year-old Clowes, a resident of Oakland, California, was unable to attend the festival in Angoulême. Despite his absence, the event drew a large audience.
The Special Jury Wildcat was awarded to French artist Sophie Darq for Hanbok. Meanwhile, Alvaro Martinez Bueno of Spain and American James Tynion IV received the Wildcat for the series for The Nice House on the Lake. And the Discovery Wildcat went to Frenchman Matthieu Chiara for The Embarrassed Man.
The Honour Wildcat was bestowed upon Japanese mangaka Moto Hogio for her entire body of work.
Earlier in the week, British artist Posy Simmonds was awarded the prestigious Grand Prix of the City of Angoulême. The graphic novel pioneer’s biggest successes are Gemma Bovery (1999) and Tamara Drewe (2007).
