“Satirical drawing criticizes ideologies, but does not attack people”, meeting with Coco, the Charlie Hebdo cartoonist

The press cartoonist, survivor of the Charlie Hebdo attack, was signing a book on Saturday January 11, 2024, at the Bulle bookstore in Le Mans. She presented her latest work “Pauvres Bête”, about the animal condition.

It’s quite a symbol. Seated, at the back of the Bulles du Mans bookseller, Coco dedication ofThese books for children by Frédéric Martin. In other words, she, the survivor of the attack on Charlie Hebdo, signed her works to the RAID negotiator during the deadly hostage-taking at HyperCacher.

These tragedies took place two days apart. January 7 and 9, 2015, two dates now anchored in collective memory. Ten years later, this Saturday January 11, Coco and Frédéric Martin then had a lot to say to himself.

In the queue, Gilles holds the book “Dessiner encore” in his hands. This work is not Coco’s last. “I took it with me because it talks about the attacks”underlines Manceau. Published in 2021, this comic strip (BD) is a moving graphic story. Coco recounts her January 7, 2015 and the long road to her reconstruction.

“That day, I was in Paris. It happened not very far from where I worked”confides Gilles whose emotion has remained intact.

All the dedicates assure us, they are still Charlie. As were millions of French people following the attacks. On January 11, 2015, the streets of France were indeed the scene of demonstrations in tribute to the satirical weekly. Huge crowds, united under the same slogan: “I am Charlie”.

But what remains of the Charlie spirit? According to an analysis by political scientist Jérôme Fourquet, the country would have divided itself on this subject. The fault, for some, is some caricatures that are too provocative, even shocking.

A bad reason for Pascal. The Sarthois, himself a designer, is waiting to have his book signed. “Those who think we can’t laugh at everything don’t interest me,” he judges. Further on, Maryse, a loyal reader of Charlie Hebdo, repeats that we must continue to defend freedom. “It’s vital”she stares.

People value free speech, but not everyone has to be Charlie

Coco

Press cartoonist

For his part, Coco maintains that France is perhaps not as “less Charlie” as he thinks. “No survey published this week counters this little music that we have been hearing for several months”she supports.

The designer thus refers to the figures published by the satirical newspaper on January 7. According to them, 76% of French people consider that freedom of expression, including freedom of caricature, is a fundamental right. That is 18% more compared to 2012.

“Not everyone has to like the drawings. They are of course offensive, outrageous, but that’s what they’re there for.satirical drawing criticizes all ideologies, but he does not attack human beings”explains Coco.

Defender of freedom of expression on the one hand, Coco is also a great defender of the animal cause. This is also the whole purpose of his latest work. Poor beasts! Journey to the heart of the animal condition (editions Les Échappées).

“Animal protection is one of the subjects that I defended in Charlie Hebdo, which was one of the first newspapers to include a section on this subject in its pages”assures Coco.

So, she constructed this new comic strip in the form of committed journalistic work, putting reports into images.

All of this forms a plea, denouncing the exploitation and mistreatment of animals in our society. But to go further than criticism, the designer also shows the concrete actions of those who fight on a daily basis for the animal cause.

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