Pénélope Bagieu, comic book author and illustrator, is the creator of the new À la Mère de Famille Advent calendar.
For eight years, Paris’s oldest chocolate shop has given free rein to artists who are as passionate as they are talented (such as Sempé, Zeina Abirached, and Chris Ware) to take over its Advent calendar.
This year, the shop is brought to life by Parisian artist Pénélope Bagieu, whose childhood was filled with memories of the shop in the Faubourg Montmartre. A happy coincidence!
Pénélope Bagieu has established herself on the international stage as a major figure in comics, notably with her series Les Culottées, which won her the prestigious Eisner Award at San Diego Comic-Con, and her adaptation of Sacrées Sorcières, the legendary children’s book by Roald Dahl.
Designed like a book, this ninth Advent calendar reflects Pénélope Bagieu’s personality and sensibility. The À la Mère de Famille shop, a setting for projections and dreams during her youth, comes alive through her drawings, and the magic begins! Here, young and old are invited to take their time and discover every detail of its story: a family decorating its Christmas tree, a cat strolling across the roof, a glance exchanged between neighbors, a candid expression…
Through its 24 windows, this Advent calendar offers a joyful, dreamlike glimpse into neighborhood life. Pénélope Bagieu, giving free rein to her imagination, provides a warm, lively, and deeply personal interpretation of this delightful shop.
Artist’s note
Pénélope Bagieu’s advice on opening the windows: “There’s no obligation to stick to the rule of opening one window every day. If you want to enjoy the chocolates three at a time or open all 24 windows on the first day, go ahead! That’s the beauty of the Advent calendar. Do as you please.”
Filled with 24 chocolates and confectionery items (approx. 280 g): €39
Available from November 1, 2021, in the thirteen À la Mère de Famille shops, and from October 15 for pre-order on the online store https://limeredefamille.com/ (shipping to France and Europe)
Pénélope Bagieu
Pénélope Bagieu was born in Paris in 1982. After studying at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and then at Central Saint Martins in London, she created “Ma vie est tout à fait fascinante” in 2007, a drawn blog in which she shared the daily life of a young Parisian woman with a distinctive humor and grace. Her success quickly extended to bookstores. She created the adventures of Joséphine, and drew for the press and advertising. In 2010, she published her first graphic novel, Cadavre exquis, followed by her first biography, California Dreamin’ (Harvey Award 2018). In 2016, the feminist dimension of her work took on new significance with the publication of portraits of women under the title Culottées. The success was resounding. Translated into 20 languages and awarded an Eisner Award in 2019, the two volumes of Culottées were also adapted into an animated series by France TV. In 2020, the author spoke to children by brilliantly reimagining Roald Dahl’s novel, Sacrées Sorcières.
