Expressions of nationalism and national identity in Québécois bande dessinée

Whilst there exists research in English into French and Belgian Bande Dessinée, little has been written in English about those produced in Québec. This analysis and exploration of Québécois Bande Dessinée raises questions about national identity and about manifestations of nationalism within cultural forms. From the first appearance of Capitaine Kébec, to the surge in underground comics in the 1980s that reflected the economic and social unrest of the period, right up to the resurgence in Québécois publishing houses that has marked the first decade of the 21st century, national identity has manifested itself throughout the Bande Dessinée of Québec. This dissertation first gives an historical overview of the form in Québec, before considering specific authors and events from the 1960’s. It explores not only the impact of nationalism since the Quiet Revolution on the Bande Dessinée produced in Québec, but also how nationalist feeling and ideology is manifested within the genre and the specific ways in which this manifestation occurs. Due to the position that Bande Dessinée holds as a cultural form, it is a unique way in which to access contemporary and relevant social and political ideas. Major events or concerns are manifested in Bande Dessinée far faster than in other cultural forms and with less preoccupation with public acceptance. Despite this the Bande Dessinée of Québec has not been addressed as an access point to the political realities of life in francophone Canada. The dissertation explores the potential of BDQ to shed new light on the Québécois sense of self and national identity as well as demonstrating that as a French speaking state on the North American continent it is in Quebec that two of the major comic book cultures collide, combine and contrast to fascinating effect. This analysis of the history of Bande Dessinée in Québec and its relationship to nationalism allows access to not only questions of national identity but also of cultural change and proves that Québécois Bande Dessinée is an underexplored incarnation of this fascinating medium