OMG, I almost died thinking you were gonna be at the angouleme festival... and then i read the end of the news... *sigh*
I was about to sell a kidney to buy a train ticket but that's not gonna happen this year then. I hope you'll go sometimes in the future so i'll get a chance to see you for real :)
I won't be in Angoulême this year, much to my chagrin, but I highly recommend it to any and all that can make it. There's a wonderful celebration of the art of "La bd" ("La bande dessinée ", the comic strip), at Angoulême. And if, like me, you're used to cartoons and comics being looked at as "low art" or "something for kids," Angoulême puts it in a whole new perspective. The festival is an amazing forum of comics, fans, signings, art shows, critical forums and in-depth presentations, and some of the most amazing comics collections you've never seen in the English-speaking world.
So if you can, check out Angoulême Comics Fest.