Tout Bec Doux: The Complete Cajun Comics of Ken Meaux and Earl Comeaux

The Bec Doux et ses amis series constitutes a rare example of weekly newspaper comics written in Cajun French and dedicated to the self-representation of an often overlooked and stereotyped ethnic minority. Co-written by two Cajun authors, Ken Meaux (art) and Earl Comeaux (text), it was published for the first time in The Kaplan Herald in August 1969 and ran on a weekly basis for over twenty years until July 1992, appearing in other southwestern Louisiana newspapers as well. It depicts, in the style of caricature, daily situations of Cajun life, staging the (mis)adventures and social commentary of the main character, Bec Doux, and his sidekick, Zirable, with regular appearances from a cast of other Cajun protagonists, including Ch re (Bec Doux’s overweight and combative wife), Pas Belle (Zirable’s unattractive wife) and their many children. Tout Bec Doux is the first complete collection of the comics and includes critical introductions by Fabrice Leroy and Barry Ancelet, two of Ken Me