Fatunla, Others Relish 6th Cocobulles Festival of Cartoons.
One of Fatunla's works.
Yinka Olatunbosun
The bi-annual Cocobulles International festival of Press Cartoons has been one of the largest gatherings of cartoonists from around the world that offer three days of exhibitions, workshop sessions, conferences, meetings and signing sessions. This year’s edition was marked in the centre of Treichville, a town known as one of the liveliest neighbourhoods in Abidjan.
There were 12 artists from Africa and Europe and invitees to the festival included Tayo Fatunla (Nigeria) a member of Cartoonists Association of Nigeria CARTAN, Marguerite Abouet (Ivory Coast), KAK (France), Christian Arnaud Bassole (Burkina Faso), Odia (Senegal), Willy Zekid (Congo Brazzaville), Sylvain Platevoet (France), Lars (Denmark) and Oscar (France).
The Cocobulles festival has been around for 20 years and has attracted the best African and European professionals and gives an opportunity for sharing between the cartoonists and members of the public. This year’s was held in partnership with Cartooning for Peace and the European Union and was held from 11 to 14 November at the Rond Point de la Rue 12, in Treichville.
An initiative of the Association Tâche d’Encre, bringing together press and comic strip cartoonists from Côte d’Ivoire, Cocobulles 2021 had as theme this year “Drawing as a tool for conflict prevention,” a contribution to the reconciliation process in Côte d’Ivoire. Tache d’Encre is the Ivorian cartooning and comic books association (Association des dessinateurs de presse et de bande dessinée de Côte d’ivoire). Lassane is President and Mendozza Secretary-General.
Cartoonist, Lassane Zohoré, President of the organizing committee of the event reiterated that Cocobulles benefited from the support of the municipality of Treichville with Mayor Albert François Amichia at its head.
The Cocobulles festival is a forum for meetings and exchanges between professionals and amateurs of press cartoons and comics, but also an opportunity for sharing between authors and the public. It is held in partnership with Cartooning for Peace, the European Union, amongst others.
Exhibitions, frescoes, sale of books, conferences debates, training workshops, children’s area all made for a rewarding festival.
