Since it was founded in 2010, the Comic Strip Festival has evolved into an unmissable event for all comic fans. Whether you’re old, young, an enthusiast or a comics expert, everyone has the same passion and comes together each year to get an autograph or enjoy the many activities on offer.

As there are no borders for comics, the International Pavilion will be showcasing gems from far-flung corners of the world to the most adventurous visitors. And, as is traditional, on Sunday 15 September, the Balloon’s Day Parade will take over the streets of the capital and take you on a journey into the world of famous comic characters. You won’t be able to escape it by the middle of the afternoon.

Balloon’s Day Parade

On Sunday 15 September, the Balloon’s Day Parade will process through the streets of Brussels for nearly three hours. As part of this year’s parade, a new balloon featuring the design of Toto and the famous Citroën 2CV belonging to Boule’s parents will have the great honour of being part of the procession.

From 10 am, the amazing spectacle of the balloons being inflated on Place des Palais will begin. During the afternoon, the balloons will be inflated on Place des Palais and will depart from there. Spirou, Tintin, the Cat, the Smurf, Boule, Blurk, Gaston and their new friend will set off on their route along the main streets of Brussels.

Delights await comic fans in Brussels Park, where they will be able to enjoy many special events being put on for the Comic Strip Festival there.

If you are interested in being a balloon handler, the Balloon’s Day Parade is currently looking for volunteers to take part in the parade between 3 pm and 6 pm. Volunteers can send an email to white@beegroupe.be for more information.

The International Pavilion

While Belgium is particularly proud of its comics heritage, many other countries have an impressive track record too. Many foreign cultural representations from these countries are on display in the International Pavilion, giving visitors the opportunity to discover their works and enjoy a wonderful cultural exchange.

Algiers-Brussels- Havana-Moscow (Maison Autrique)

Maison Autrique is putting on an exhibition on the theme of its new publication “Kronikas 3” and signing sessions by Brussels, Algerian, Cuban and Russian authors (Etienne Schréder, Jeroen Janssen, Nawel Louerrad, Aleksei Kapninskii, Izquierdo, Lysbeth Daumont-Robles and more). The exhibition gives you an imaginary detailed picture of the heritage of the cities where the invited authors live.

The Kronikas experience is supported by the Brussels-Capital Region / Brussels International. This imaginary detailed picture of Brussels, Algiers, Havana and Moscow has been a great success. Maison Autrique brings you the third phase of this project, joined by a growing number of comic authors from far-flung countries for you to discover in the International Pavilion at the Comic Strip Festival.

Egypt (TokTok Mag)

The first edition of TokTok magazine was published in January 2011, during a time of social uprising. The quarterly magazine reflects everyday life in Egypt, from comic to tragic. TokTok Mag showcases original pictures, limited-edition posters, magazines in Arabic and “bests of” in French.

Colombia – (IFA LABORATORY-ARTS LAB BRUSSELS)

The Colombian-Belgian production brings together two groups of teenagers, one from Molenbeek-St-Jean in Belgium and another from Ciudad Bolivar in Colombia, as well as the illustrators Xavier Löwenthal and Sindy Elefante. These districts from both sides of the Atlantic have both similarities and differences, and both are affected by stigmatisation. They set out to encourage collective reflection on perception, new perspectives and a demand for a new narrative.

Italy (Lucca Comics & Games by LUCCA CREA srl & the Italian Institute of Culture)

Lucca Comics & Games returns to the Comic Strip Festival to bring you a range of talented Italian artists. Add some Italian comics to your collection too, with the collaboration with the Brussels bookshop Piola Libri.

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom

What’s the added value of the EU? What are the advantages of the European Union? These are the types of questions that the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom asks during the Animate Europe international comic competition. Come and discover the work of the five finalists, whose works are as diverse in their artistic style as they are in their approach and story.

South Korea (The Brussels Korean Cultural Centre)

Over the weekend, you will be able to enjoy an exhibition of Korean comics by the authors LEE Doo-Ho, KIM Hanjo, CHOI Jae-Hoon and LEE Yoon-Hee. These authors will be holding signing sessions. You will also be able to watch a video clip for the group BTS, made with illustrations by the author CHOI Jae-Hoon.

Webtoon workshops will also be put on for you. Webtoons (a portmanteau of the words ‘web’ and ‘cartoon’) are a new form of digital comic. Visitors will be able to make an episode of their own online comic at these webtoon workshops.

Alifbata (Arabic comic)

ALIFBATA is a Marseille-based publisher which specialises in translating and publishing comics from the Arab world. This year, it welcomes the author Barrack Rima and Art for Ness to its stand and displays original illustrations by artists from the Maghreb and the Middle East, which are available for sale signed and numbered.

Democratic Republic of Congo

A number of Congolese authors have made the journey to come and discuss Congolese comics and their evolution since the socio-political crisis. This is an opportunity to come and meet these artists, talk to them and discover their work.

Réunion Island (publications from Bulles dans l’Océan)

Bulles dans l’Océan is an independent publisher founded 9 years ago which is committed to promoting promising young authors from the Indian Ocean. Come and discover the works of these artists who have come straight from these little corners of paradise and meet them during signing sessions. Their series will also be available in Flemish for the first time.

Goethe-Institut Brüssel

For the 10th Comic Strip Festival, the Goethe-Institut Brüssel German language school brings you the German comic creator Flix, who is a big fan of Spirou, and his album Spirou in Berlin. He is the first German artist to draw an issue of this legendary Belgian series. He will make appearances in order to showcase Spirou in Berlin on Friday 13 September and Saturday 14 September.

Czech Republic (Brussels Czech Centre)

Visitors are invited to discover the history of Czech comics. Behind the Iron Curtain, authors spent a lot of time developing their own particular style there. In this exhibition, “A Century of Czech Comics”, the public will discover improbable sci-fi heroes, former presidents who have become carnivorous dinosaurs and even scouts in search of adventure.

Sterling Books

Sterling Books, the independent English bookshop in Brussels, brings you a selection of their wide range of English-language comics as part of the Comic Strip Festival, such as Daniel Clowes, Alan Moore, Joe Sacco and Posy Simmonds, The Walking Dead, DC, Marvel and more.

EUNIC (The European National Institutes for Culture) Brussels members: Portugal, Estonia, the Basque Country, Hungary, Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Israel

EUNIC member states invite the public to discover the comic heritage of their countries. In addition to a joint exhibition, talks and signing sessions, each country will put on workshops.

Camões, Portugal (The Institute of Cooperation and Language, I.P. – Portugal)

Meet Asisko Urmeneta, an incredibly talented and funny artist. Humour is at the heart of his work, which is written in Basque and its dialects.

Lithuania (The Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Kingdom of Belgium)

Lithuanian artist Akvilė Magicdust describes her work as a reflection of Northern Europe’s restrained mood with shades of tropical colours. She will be at the festival, just like Lina Itagaki and Jurga Vilé, who will come and exhibit their work. They have both collaborated, among others, on the graphic novel “Siberian Haiku”, which tells the story of Jurga Vilé’s father and his deportation to Siberia when he was a child.

Poland (The Polish Institute)

Discover the depth of talent found in Polish artists over the entire weekend by coming to meet as many as four different artists, whose work is just as varied as it is rich in content! One of them is Marek Oleksicki, who has worked on a number of video projects and story-boards, as well as adverts, magazine covers and posters.

Hungary (The Balassi Institute – Cultural Service of the Hungarian Embassy)

The Hungarian artists at the festival are real standard-bearers in their country. Between the work of Attila Futaki, the author of graphic novels which have become New-York Times bestsellers, and the appearance by Levente Németh, who will come to showcase his new historic comic, visitors will not be disappointed. Visitors will also be able to meet János Mészáros, winner of the Napút Publishing prize in 2018, or the multi-talented author Lajos Farkas.

Estonia (The Permanent Representation of Estonia to the EU)

Many Estonian artists will make appearances at the festival in order to showcase their work. Whether it’s an animated-film maker, a cartoonist, a blogger or someone else, they’ll have many things for you to discover.

The Basque Country (The Etxepare Basque Institute)

The public will be able to discover the work of the artist Asisko Urmeneta, which features comics, illustrations and caricature. This talented artist won the Basque Country Creativity Prize for the quality of his artwork, his commitment to the Basque Country and his work to promote culture.

Finland (The Finnish Cultural Institute for Benelux)

The Finnish artists H-P Lehkonen and Eelis « Nilukka » Torvinen will make appearances in order to showcase their projects and work. It’s a great excuse to immerse yourself in the world of these two talented professionals!

Israel (The Embassy of Israel in Belgium and Luxembourg)

Didier Pasamonik will be at the festival.. This Belgian editor, journalist and curator has also written a number of essays on caricature, comics and popular culture. In addition to all of his activities, he also teaches at the Shoah Memorial in Paris.

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Brussels Park will once again be home to the Brussels Comic Festival on 13, 14 and 15 September. In addition to the now staple giant-balloon parade, the Brussels festival will bring comic fans talks, exhibitions, shows, signing sessions and many other activities which everyone can enjoy.

The patron for the 2019 Prix Atomium is none other than Catherine Meurisse, a cartoonist at Charlie Hebdo for more than ten years and the author, most notably, of the graphic novels “La Légèreté” and “Les Grands Espaces”, published by Dargaud in 2015 and 2018, respectively. She will honour the Brussels Comic Festival with her presence during the Prix Atomium award ceremony on Saturday 14 September at BOZAR.

Here’s an overview of the exhibitions, talks and shows which span the festival weekend.

Exhibitions

“CHILDREN OF THE RESISTANCE”

It’s spring 1944, and an allied pilot is lost in occupied Belgium… Put yourselves in the shoes of a child from the Resistance so that you can help him get back to England so that he can get back to fighting!
This fun exhibition is based on the “Children of the Resistance” series by Benoît Ers and Vincent Dugomier. It has been put together especially for a young audience (8-12 years) and gives little ones an educational look at the main themes behind World War Two and the Resistance in France and Belgium, in order to help them understand them. A treasure hunt gives children the chance to step into the shoes of a member of the Resistance: throughout the exhibition, they must solve clues to help the allied pilot get back to England.

A co-production: Le Lombard and the Brussels Comic Festival (visit.brussels)

Venue: BELvue Museum

Dates: 7 August to 6 October 2019

Free

“THE SON OF TINTIN”

The “Son of Tintin” exhibition evokes the atmosphere of Doel and Rwanda, thanks to Jeroen Janssen’s original drawings.

This Belgian comic artist won the 2018 Adhemar Prize and, in this exhibition, he showcases his notebooks, which are both a real treasure and workshop. Inside them, he has written down the different stories that he has gathered during his investigations, along with sketches.

A co-production: the Brussels Comic Festival (visit.brussels) and Stripgids

Venue: BELvue Museum – Place des Palais, 7 – 1000 Brussels

Dates: 13 September to 22 September 2019

Free

“SPIROU AND BRUSSELS UNDER OCCUPATION”

This exhibition gives you the opportunity to venture into the world of Émile Bravo’s Spirou and the Second World War!

It creates a parallel between the “Hope Despite Everything” series and historical documents attesting acts of resistance from the Spirou Comic and from its editor-in-chief Jean Doisy. It gives you an opportunity to discover Émile Bravo’s most beautiful pages from albums from the “Hope Despite Everything” series, but also learn more about the Spirou Comic, which stopped being published during the Second World War for Resistance efforts. It’s also worth noting that the second volume of “Hope Despite Everything” will appear in the versions published by Dupois for the Brussels Comic Festival.

A co-production: the Brussels Comic Festival (visit.brussels), the Brussels Parliament and the Dupois and BIP publishers.

Venue: BIP (experience.brussels) – Rue Royale, 2-4 – 1000 Brussels

Dates: 13 September to 28 November 2019

Price: €4 adults / €3 seniors / €1 student / free under 6s – free from 13 to 15 September 2019

Talks

Authors, specialists, publishers and journalists put on a series of talks, meetings and round tables about the burning issues facing the world of comic books. Here’s an overview of what’s going on.

“BLAKE & MORTIMER” TALK

Meeting put on by the publisher Dargaud.

François Schuiten will take part in a special talk on the legendary duo, along the series’ various artists. It’s a unique opportunity to talk about Edgar P. Jacobs’ work and the influence that it still has today on comic strip artists. Questions will be answered on topics such as the original work, or the focus of this last chapter on Brussels. There will be a random audience-member draw and the winners will get to have an autograph from the authors after the talk.

Venue: STUDIO room at BOZAR

Date: Saturday 14 September at 2:00 pm

Free

“WOMEN’S VOICES” MEETING

Lili Sohn, Juliette Boutant, Thomas Mathieu and Aude Mermilliod provide a female account of the world. When women use comics as a platform to describe the world through their eyes.

Aude Mermilliod, working alongside the novelist Martin Winckler, will have the opportunity to break her silence on abortion, which is still a taboo subject and which she skilfully discusses in her album “I had to tell you about it.” Juliette Boutant and Thomas Mathieu will discuss the issue of sexism in our society, in light of the album “The Crocodiles”. Finally, Lili Sohn, author of “Vagin tonic”, will go into detail about how she deals with major female issues, as she humorously does in Mamas, a brief summary of deconstructing the maternal instinct. The meeting is put on by the publisher Casterman. It has been put together in collaboration with Ladyfest, Elle Belgique, Beabee and Touche Pas A Ma Pote.

Venue: STUDIO room at BOZAR

Date: Saturday 14 September at 4:30 pm.

Free

Show

“NOW THAT’S A COMIC!” – Bapt & Gaël, Baba

Show arranged in partnership with the publisher Lombard

A wild and really fun drawing battle featuring the famous Youtubers Youtubers Bapt & Gaël and Baba. Visitors will also be able to discover their new album “Now that’s a comic!” (published by Lombard), which will be available for the first time at the Brussels Comic Festival. But that is not all! A few lucky winners in a draw will be able to meet Bapt & Gaël and Baba, and enjoy a small snack with them after the show.

Venue: M Room at BOZAR

Date: Saturday 14 September at 3:00 pm.

Free

For more information 

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Belgium’s reporter may have won the title, but champion cyclist Eddy Merckx was not far behind. The fact that this year’s Tour de France started in Brussels undoubtedly affected the ranking, which placed singer Jacques Brel in third place.

An analysis of the results reveals that current events influence the collective unconscious. So it is only natural that the most frequently mentioned sportspeople include Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Nafissatou Thiam. Stromae and Angèle ousted Adamo and Annie Cordy in the field of entertainment. The list also included film stars such as Audrey Hepburn, Benoît Poelvoorde and François Damiens.

Of course, famous names such as Bruegel, Rubens, Adolphe Sax, Victor Horta and Magritte will always be associated with Belgium.

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Apart from being a great story of friendship and humour, Billy and Buddy is first of all a poetic theatre. The series was first released by the graphic artist Jean Roba in the comic magazine Spirou in 1959. With the help of some 1,500 gags and nigh on 40 beautiful hardback comic books, the series caught the imagination of three generations of children. The main ingredients of the success are the close bond between Billy, a little boy, and his dog and a tender sense of humour. The parents too soon became enthralled with the series, as they loved the way in which the author managed to perfectly translate the universal world of childhood, family, relationships with the surrounding world, into gags, starting with the pets. The latter actually seem to have a really good insight into the human mind…

The adventures of Billy and Buddy were translated into some 15 languages, and from 1969 onwards they were turned into several animated television series. They subsequently also became the subject of a feature film in French with the actor Frank Dubosc playing the part of Billy’s father (2013 and 2017). In 2003, Jean Roba put Laurent Verron in charge of the production of the comic books. Since 2017, the series has been in the capable hands of two new artists: Bastide (graphic artist) and Cazenove (scriptwriter). They now walk in the footsteps of this great Belgian master.

With an amusing glimpse into the human condition, an environment of love and tenderness that needs to be preserved, as well as a certain feeling of nostalgia for all those ingredients that make for a simple and happy life, the portrayal of a dog’s life surrounded by a pet tortoise and the birds in the trees; the exhibition reminds us, as Saint-Exupéry once wrote, that one is the product of one’s childhood as one is the product of one’s country. So, we all somewhat belong to the country of Billy and Buddy. Or at least, that is what we aspire to.

Jean Auquier, Belgian Comic Strip Center

The exhibition is open until 31.12.19

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The new issue of the magazine features a detailed overview of the contemporary Czech comic book scene, as well as a 32-page special report celebrating the life and work of the Flemish comic book artist Charel Cambré, author of the well-known “Amoras” and “Jump” comic strips.

Mr Cambré was present at the launch yesterday, where he offered a number of interesting remarks about the nature both of his own work and the Flemish comic book scene more generally. Joining him at the launch was the Czech comic book historian Pavel Kořínek, who offered an excellent history and overview of the current state of play of Czech comics.

During his talk, Mr Kořínek noted that in the 20th century, Czech comics were “predominantly aimed at children, not adults”, but that this began to change around the start of the 21st century, with the arrival on the Czech comic book scene of adult-catering artists such as Jaroslav Rudiš.

Mr Kořínek went on to remark that, unlike comics in other countries, there is no “hegemonic” Czech style; rather, he said, Czech comics exhibit an “eclectic mixture of different genres and drawing techniques”. Another peculiarity of Czech comics that Mr Kořínek highlighted is the fact that the “default” Czech comic publication format is the graphic novel – that is, a complete, autonomous piece of work of around 100-250 pages. This distinguishes the Czech comic scene from the Belgian and American ones, where the publication of much shorter comic strips – or edited collections thereof – is far more prevalent.

Mr Kořínek also noted that the genre landscape in the Czech Republic has become “increasingly diverse and interesting” over the last twenty years or so. Whereas the majority of Czech comics used to focus on medieval-themed tales involving knights, kings, and princesses (and, very occasionally, recent Czech history), now Czech comics exhibit a far more varied set of styles and genres. Intriguingly, Mr Kořínek noted that today the Czech comic book scene is building upon its own local traditions and customs – traditions and customs which, only a few decades ago, barely existed.

Finally, Mr Kořínek discussed the potential pedagogical uses of comic books, and how, in particular, they could be a “brilliant tool” for use in history lessons, and/or to help students to learn about important contemporary issues such as the treatment of mental illness. However, Mr Kořínek also emphasised that students “must be taught how to use and properly engage with [comic books]” before they could reasonably be appropriated for teaching purposes.

Mr Cambré then spoke briefly about his experience as a professional comic book artist in Belgium. Among the many interesting points he made, he emphasised the difficulty these days of getting young children interested in comics given the vigorous competition for their attention from video consoles, iPhones, and television.

In the ensuing panel discussion featuring both Mr Cambré and Mr Kořínek, the latter spoke about how Stripgids’ focus on Czech comics in its most recent issue “presents a great opportunity” for Czech comic artists and the Czech comic book scene more generally. However, he also emphasised that he “certainly doesn’t expect things to change overnight” for comic book artists in the Czech Republic. He also stressed the importance of “connecting national comic scenes” in order to “promote the ‘global republic of comics’”.

Mr Cambré, in turn, spoke about his love for his job, and the enjoyment he feels everyday in being able to draw varied styles and genres throughout the work week: “There’s not a day when I draw without pleasure,” he said.

More ominously, however, Mr Cambré emphasised that we are now possibly at a “turning point” in the global comic book industry:

“Sales are dropping,” he said. “Comic book editors are adopting the easy response by, for instance, printing comic book series about well-known characters, in order to seek some kind of recognition among consumers. But this won’t last forever.”

Mr Kořínek, by contrast, emphasised that “we are now living through the Golden Age of Czech comics – we’re in brilliant shape”. However, he too offered a word of warning:

“Despite what a lot of comic book artists say, I’m not sure if comics are the medium of the future,” he said. “I think – and fear – that it’s likely that mobile phones will be instead.”

In the subsequent Q&A, Mr Kořínek spoke about the decline of satirical newspaper cartoons as a direct consequence of such satire shifting to the internet where, he said, “media can respond virtually instantaneously to events as they occur” in the form of (e.g.) memes. He also noted that nearly all Czech comic artists only work as comic artists part-time, and are usually forced to work other jobs to make ends meet.

Mr Kořínek also discussed how the Slovak comic scene is “less developed” than the Czech one, and how the best Slovak artists can usually be found in Prague.

Finally, he spoke about how there was not a strong dissident comic book scene during the country’s Communist era due to the fact that (as mentioned previously) during this period comic books were predominantly aimed at children, and hence were not viewed as an artistic form “worthy of serious intellectual attention” or even as a medium that could potentially be used purely for satirical purposes.

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Thirty cartoon exhibits will evoke the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948 by the United Nations. Spirou will obviously be involved, but so will Blake and Mortimer, Lucky Luke, Marsupilami, Agent 212, Cubitus, and Philippe Geluck’s Cat.

The exhibition, which has already been presented at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, will also be celebrating a triple anniversary: first, ​​the 80th anniversary of the journal Spirou, which bears the name of a hero who, according to the UN, has always “protected the weak and fought against inequalities”, and who can therefore be considered as an appropriate ambassador for human rights; second, the 60th anniversary of the construction of the Atomium; and third, the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The exhibition will be open to the public every day from 10:00 to 18:00.

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Moulinsart, the company managing the rights of the work of Hergé, chose to highlight Tintin’s second adventure: « Tintin in Congo ».

The album appeared in color in its original version, released in 1931. The revised version will be available in digital from January 10th.

« The idea of ​Nick Rodwell (administrator of Moulinsart, Ed) is to release a re-colored version every two years, » said a spokesperson for Moulinsart.

« Tintin in the Soviet Land » in color has sold 300,000 copies since its release, a figure below expectations.

On Thursday 10, a debate will be organized in Brussels on the theme: « Congo Tintin » with speakers Daniel Couvreur, the lawyer Alain Berenboom, the Congolese cartoonist Barly Baruti or Philippe Goddin, author of the « Tribulations of Tintin in Congo », a work decrypting the album.

In Louvain-la-Neuve, the Hergé Museum will present « for the first time and exceptionally » a series of original prints in black and white of Tintin in Congo. These prints will be presented next to those that have been colored and reworked.

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It is no surprise that the Belgian Comic Strip Center (CBBD) broke its own record in 2018. Exactly 232,167 visitors discovered its exhibitions, which is an increase of 14% compared to the number of visitors from last year.

An accomplished attraction located in the heart of Brussels, the Comics Art Museum has been honouring the creators and heroes of the 9th Art for more than 25 years. The regularly renewed permanent exhibitions and a diversified programme of temporary exhibitions let visitors discover the countless aspects of comics art.

 

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This museum experience goes under the list of « actually enjoyed » museum. I have 4 categories for museums (so far) : learned a lot, learned somethingk, actually enjoyed and meh. Haha. #brussels #belgium #belgiancomicstripcenter

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Tintin and the Smurfs lead the way towards further adventures, an encounter with a world where creativity has no limits.

 

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“When I was a boy, I always saw myself as a hero in comic books and in movies. I grew up believing this dream.” Elvis Presley Apart from being the home of quite a few European institutions, Brussels is also the capital of beer, french fries, chocolate, waffles and comics. And these are just a few of the reasons why we love this city so much! Did you know that some of our most beloved comic heroes, like Tin Tin, Lucky Luke, Gaston and the Smurfs were actually created in Belgium? This is exactly why many tourists decide to follow the Comic Strip Route in order to discover Brussels and its comics heritage. The Belgian Comic Strip Centre was opened in 1989 but it wasn’t until 1991 that the project of the Comic Strip Route was started. It was an effort to embellish the empty city walls and pay tribute to some of the most famous Belgian comic artists. Nowadays, the trail features over 50 colorful mural paintings and is one of Brussels’ most visited landmarks. The project keeps growing everyday as new creations are added to the city walls and comic characters come alive in unexpected corners all around town. You can find the comic characters everywhere: on walls, building façades and museums. They are exhibited and sold in galleries and boutiques. They decorate restaurants and hotel rooms. They are celebrated and paraded in the streets. Comic book speech bubbles are on every corner. Check out these murals in our latest video of Brussels that’s live on Youtube A link to our channel is in our bio. www.youtube.com/GrowingUpWithoutBorders #Brussels #Bruxelles #Visitbrussels #Welovebrussels #Igersbelgium #EU #RoyalPalace #VisitBelgium #TinTin #LuckyLuke #Gaston #Smurfs #Elvis #BelgianComicStripCenter #Mannekenpis #Belgique #Belgium #GrowingUpWithoutBorders

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Enhanced by an exceptional Art Nouveau home designed by Victor Horta, the Comics Art Museum is just as much a tribute to the pioneers as a glimpse of contemporary comics art.

232,167 visitors in 2018 is the latest record in the history of CBBD in terms of attendance. What does the future hold?

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The Comic Book Route in Brussels is a path through the inner city, as well as the neighborhoods of Laeken and Auderghem, if you don’t mind leaving the city center. It consists of several murals painted on the walls of random buildings. The murals show panels of Belgian’s (should it be Belgium’s?) most famous and popular comics, such as Tintin, Lucky Luke and The Smurfs.

The project started as an initiative by the local authorities to embellish empty walls and gables of buildings, in collaboration with the Comic Strip Center. “It was originally a way to pay homage to famous Belgian comic artists. Fast forward a few years, the trail now has over 50 colorful murals and is one of Brussels’ landmarks and an interesting fun fact about the EU capital,” the Strip Museum informs. “The project keeps growing over time as new creations are added to the list and comic characters come alive in unexpected corners all around town.”

Anyone who wants to see the whole route better wait for a sunny day and prepare oneself for a long walk. “I’ve been living in Brussels for about three years now, and I’ve seen a lot of the murals, but I didn’t know they were part of a special route until a few months ago,” says Sarah Janssen (29). “One day I decided to check out all of the murals, and it took me a whole afternoon. It’s so worth it, though. I discovered some parts of the city I’d never been to before.” For anyone who would rather not walk, the Brussels tourist association Pro Velo also offers a two hour biking tour of all the murals, starting at the Bicycle Riders House.

Belgium is considered the capital of the bande dessinée, or « comic strip ».

Even though it’s one of the more niche segments of Belgian cultural history, it attracts tourists, and some years ago, the comic book tourism in Belgium peaked. “After the Tintin movies, directed by Steven Spielberg, we noticed an increase in tourists asking for maps or guided tours,” says Vincent Dubois, a local who earns some money on the side as tour guide. “Especially American tourists were really interested. They come for Tintin, but they stay because of the quaint neighborhoods that are not crowded by tourists.”

Some of these American Tintin-tourists are Robert Hartman (63) and his wife Gina (59). “We have some family living in Germany, so we were going to be in Europe anyway, but when we saw the Tintin movie, we decided to check out the place where he originated, as we were so close already,” says Robert. His wife continues, “That was seven years ago. Every time we come back to Europe, we say we should come back to see if they added more murals, but this is the first time we did it. I’m really curious to see the new additions.”

The Brussels Tourism Office offers comic maps for 1 euro, or alternatively you can take the route provided on this map here.

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