We must "strengthen public policies to support artist-authors" suggests the report by Bruno Racine, eagerly awaited by the authors, in particular the cartoonists and scriptwriters of comics, which was handed over to the Minister of Culture on Wednesday evening. In this 141-page report, the former president of the Center Pompidou and the National Library of France draws up a series of 23 recommendations with a view to improving the situation of artist-authors a few days before the opening of the BD comics festival. Angouleme.
As it stands, this report is "a contribution" underlined the Ministry of Culture. Franck Riester will speak the first fortnight of February, that is to say after Angoulême, to present "the measures he chooses, the action plan and the timetable".
53% of comic strip authors live on less than the minimum wage
“The deterioration of the economic and social situation of artist-authors is reflected in an erosion of their income, despite the general increase in the value created. Low-paid on average, the creative trades are affected by a strong social bias, while among the artist-authors, young people and women are particularly exposed to socio-economic difficulties ”, recognizes Bruno Racine straight away.
Regarding comics, one of the leading sectors of publishing, the situation of the authors is far from reflecting the dynamism of the sector. According to the League of Professional Authors, 53% of comic book authors live on less than the minimum wage. Women are even worse off: 50% of women authors live below the poverty line. Authors' access to social rights is not always guaranteed. 88% of comic strip authors have never benefited from sick leave.
For "a policy of authors"
Bruno Racine's report acknowledges this by stressing that “artist-authors, whose working time is not remunerated as such, suffer from the imbalance in relations with downstream actors (publishers, producers, broadcasters , etc) ". To remedy this, he pleads for "a policy of authors". The State must "assert itself in its triple role of regulator and guarantor of balances, promoter of excellence, diversity and risk-taking, while showing itself an exemplary actor", underlines the report.
Bruno Racine is favorable "to the remuneration of certain categories of authors in fairs and festivals". This claim is notably brought by comic book authors and youth authors. The former president of the BnF also wishes to "strengthen the artist-authors collectively, by the rapid organization of professional elections" with a view to the creation of a "National Council of artist-authors" responsible for conducting collective negotiations, in particular with publishers.
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