A prestigious comic book award has no women on its 30-strong shortlist for the lifetime achievement award because it claims "there are few women in the history of comics art".

Up to 10 shortlisted artists have boycotted the Grand Prix award as a result. The Angoulême comics festival has only ever awarded one woman the prize in 43 years, the French artist Florence Cestac. Others who have been nominated in the past include Marjane Sartapi, the French-Iranian artist behind the Perspolis series, and British artist Posy Simmonds, known for Gemma Bovery and Tamara Drewe, both of which have inspired film adaptations.

Daniel Clowes, who received an Oscar nomination for the screenplay of Ghost World, which was based on his graphic novels, was among the artists withdrawing from the shortlist. He said: "I am withdrawing my name from any consideration from what is now a totally meaningless 'honour'. What a ridiculous, embarrassing debacle."

Joann Sfar, French graphic novelist and withdrawing nominee, said: "I simply don't want to be part of a ceremony that is so disconnected from the current reality of comics art."

Milo Manara, an Italian comic book artist, posted in protest on his Facebook page, saying: "Given the importance that women have had in my artistic life (and in my life itself) and the fact that I have always tried to be respectful of their role as subject and not object in my work, I wish to remove my name from this list."

Compte tenu de l'importance que les femmes ont eu dans ma vie artistique (et dans ma vie tout court) et du fait que j'ai... Posted by Milo Manara on Wednesday, 6 January 2016

Groups have rallied against the shortlist. Women in Comics Collective Against Sexism called for a boycott of the Grand Prix, writing: "It all comes back to the disastrous glass ceiling: we're tolerated, but never allowed top billing."

Comic Book Women, a group of 250 comic book professionals, wrote in support of Women in Comics Collective Against Sexism: "We protest this obvious discrimination, this total negation in a medium practiced by more women every year."

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The boycott has been supported by several French government ministers, including Fleur Pellerin, culture minister, who called the lack of women in the shortlist "a little perturbing".

In response, Frank Bondoux from the festival told French newspaper Le Mounde: "Unfortunately, there are few women in the history of comics art. It's a reality. If you go to the Louvre, you'll equally find very few women artists."

Artists have taken to posting drawings in protest of the award on social media. British artist and children's book writer Sarah McIntyre wrote a blog post, saying "I know we tend to look up to the French comics culture because it's so much more developed and generally popular than in Britain, but the prize revealed a real core where it's still a very old-fashioned men's club."

Cartoonist Iron Spike, who runs Chicago's largest comics publishing house, posted this illustration:

“There are few women in the history of comics... we cannot rewrite the history of comics." REALLY, Angouleme? pic.twitter.com/iuI8KLRiaq — Iron Spike (@Iron_Spike) January 6, 2016

While others showed which prominent female cartoonists the award had overlooked, such as Moomins creator Tove Jansson:

Angouleme has done exhibitions of Tove Jansson's work as recently as 2015, but never nominated her for the award. pic.twitter.com/ZVYsybnTOz — Minovsky (@MinovskyArticle) January 6, 2016

London-based comics artist posted the names of 30 women who could have been nominated:

My full #30femmes list. Just as easy to think up as 30 great male comic contributors @actudufauve #Angouleme pic.twitter.com/DFj3QVgram — Nora Goldberg (@ExLibrisNora) January 6, 2016

While the # WomenDoBD hashtag encouraged members of the comic books community to share names of female artists who have contributed to the art during their lives.

The amended shortlist is yet to be announced.