Brussels is Comic(s)
September is almost here and with it one of the most interesting and cool celebrations in town: the Comic Festival! Brussels will light up with a great festival dedicated to one of its most important elements: comics.
The city, in fact, is the hometown of some worldly know characters and stories, like Tintin or the Smurfs, and has been the meeting point and inspiring place for many authors, as Uderzo and Goscinny, the creators of the Asterix saga, who met for the first time in Brussels and who decided to set one of their stories in Belgium, to honor their collaboration.
The celebrations will take place from the 1st to the 3rd of September and will invade the whole city. The visitors will have the opportunity of participating to workshops, conferences, performances, book signing, fairs and exhibitions, while strolling around the city centre and enjoying the comic-inspired murals scattered around Brussels.
Brussels Parc and Bozar will host film projections, meetings with editors and artists to find out more about your favorite strips; they will host concerts, conferences about humor, drawing shows and talks with authors. Atelier 24 will give some tips on how to create comics and stories, such as how to develop a plot and how to define the characters in it. At the venues, kids will be able to approach the comics world through workshops, coloring ateliers and comic-inspired makeup stands.
Plenty of space will be given to discover more about the “geek culture”: cosplays, quizzes, blind-tests, debates, demonstrations and expositions will guide you through the drawn world, or will give you some nice hints on the next comic you’ll purchase. Are you dreaming about meeting your favorite author? Check the list of those who will be at brussels Park for autographs and seize your occasion! Tintin fans will also have the occasion of seeing all the epic cars that appeared in the Tintin and Spirou comics rallying around the city and meeting at place des Palais at 13:00 on the 3rd.
The last, suggestive show will be on the 3rd of September: a great balloon parade will cross the city, from 15:00 to 18:00, starting at Place des Palais and ending at Boulevards du Centre. The spectacular show features balloons that participate every year with well-known characters like Spirou, Tintin, Le Chat, Boule, le Blork de Kid Paddle and Lucky Luke and some new entries like Gaston, that will celebrate its 60 years.
The event represents a consistent part of the Belgian heritage and culture; it gives an insight on the country’s mentality and traditions, while introducing the visitor to new ideas and creative influences. Absolutely not to miss!
