frbd1-1, Exercise 1: "Comic" versus "bande dessinée"

Model answer (check the details):

"Comic" in English points to the comic, the funny, and the form grew up in Britain and America as cheap papers for children and, later, superhero magazines. The word carries the assumption that the material is light.

"Bande dessinée" describes the physical form (a drawn strip) and says nothing about content. It does not promise humour or childhood, so it was easier to claim for serious subjects, and the "ninth art" label (1960s, check) made the claim explicit.

What it might mean: a name that describes the form invites readers to ask what the form can do; a name that describes the effect (comic) invites them to expect that effect. The word is not the whole explanation, since the institutions (album format, festivals, museums, library stock) also helped build status.

Care: this is an argument about influence, not proof. The history of the term should be checked against the sources.