Similar to alternative comics in North America at the time, L’Association focused published works based on reality-based, and exclusively in black and white.

[2] L’Association (à la Pulpe) was founded in May 1990 by seven young cartoonists struggling to find an outlet for their work: Jean-Christophe Menu, Lewis Trondheim, David B., Mattt Konture, Patrice Killoffer, Stanislas, and Mokeït[3][1] (who left soon afterwards to follow a fine art career, returning in 2009[2]).

In addition to L'Association's founders, notable contributors to Comix 2000 included Jessica Abel, Edmond Baudoin, Nick Bertozzi, Émile Bravo, Mike Diana, Julie Doucet, Renée French, Tom Hart, Dylan Horrocks, Megan Kelso, James Kochalka, Étienne Lécroart, Brian Ralph, Ron Regé, Jr., Joann Sfar, R. Sikoryak, Chris Ware, Skip Williamson, and Aleksandar Zograf.

[citation needed] Other creators published by L'Association included Dupuy and Berberian, Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar, Blutch, Anke Feuchtenberger, Emmanuel Guibert, François Ayroles, Jochen Gerner, and Guy Delisle.

Literally meaning "flowerbeds", the title is a pun involving part of the word for comics ("bande dessinée," or "drawn strip"), a concern that independent comics are headed for blandness and platitude ("plat," literally flat or insipid), and a gauntlet thrown down to mainstream publishers for encroaching on indie territory (the colloquial expression "trampling someone's flowerbeds" means to step on someone's toes).

It was managed by Menu and a board of directors who had been in place since 1993: Patricia Perdrizet as president, Isabelle “Zab” Chipot as secretary, and Laetitia Zuccarelli as treasurer.

[6] A new editorial committee was created, comprising Konture, David B., Killoffer, François Ayroles, Jochen Gerner, Étienne Lécroart, Lisa Mandel et Jérome Mulot, with Céline Merrien as president.