

Michelle Bumatay, "On Black Bandes Dessinées and Transcolonial Power" (Ohio State UP, 2025)
Oct 3, 2025
Michelle Bumatay, an Assistant Professor and author specializing in francophone comics, dives into the vibrant world of Black bandes dessinées. She discusses how Black cartoonists like Barly Baruti and Marguerite Abouet defy colonial narratives and reframe their stories. Bumatay explores the impact of works like 'Aya de Yopougon' and critiques the lingering influence of 'Tintin in the Congo' on contemporary art. She also connects themes of migration, necropolitics, and environmental issues, showcasing how comics serve as a powerful medium for reparative storytelling.
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Bande Dessinée As Cultural Force
- "Bande dessinée" is a French umbrella term meaning 'drawn strip' that anchors the book's focus in Franco-Belgian comics history.
- Michelle Bumatay argues the term's cultural weight (the 'ninth art') links comics to French soft power and colonial influence.
Why She Chooses 'Black' Deliberately
- Using the English word 'Black' lets scholars access Anglo-American racial discourse often denied in French colorblind rhetoric.
- Bumatay uses 'Black' to connect francophone comics to broader studies of racialized difference and Black thought.
Research Began With A Discovery
- Bumatay began research wanting to study African comics and discovered a rich, scattered archive she hadn't known existed.
- She shifted from a prescriptive project to contextual reading, tracking production, distribution, and readership across francophone networks.