Recast

In the past three years, I have been invited to two French cartoon festivals on three occasions. These wonderful events are amazing celebrations that lure cartoonists from all over the world. Some are extended week-long parties that engulf the entire villages where they are held. People come to see the cartoons, meet the artists, and to watch us draw. I just returned from my latest adventure in France -- the RIDEP, or Rencontres Internationales du Dessin de Presse, in Carquefou. My favorite part is meeting the other cartoonists from around the world. This year, the festival gathered 26 artists from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mexico, Switzerland, Australia, Holland, Germany, Greece, Romania, the United States, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Spain, and France. The festival provides the unique opportunity for cartoonists to trade their original work with each other -- a longstanding tradition. I gave one of mine to my pal, Mohammed Amin Aghael, in exchange for one of his, featured here as a symbol that art, like friendship, knows no borders.

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