Comic in Europe

The comic is an illustrated genre of literature that has developed over centuries into the form known today in various cultures and thanks to advancing technical (printing) possibilities. It does not come from the USA , as is wrongly claimed in the literature . Rodolphe Töpffer (1799–1846) from Geneva is considered an important forerunner of modern comics, not least because of his most prominent fan (Goethe). One of the first regularly published picture stories (since 1897) is The Katzenjammer Kids by German-born Rudolph Dirks . For the development of the medium in the US, see Comic in the United States . The prehistory can be followed under development of the comic . This page deals with the development of comics in Europe and then differentiates according to the countries in Europe. The comic outside of Europe and the United States is covered here.

History of comics

1930 to 1950

In Europe, especially in France and Belgium, a brisk comic production begins , especially in the children's supplements in newspapers and in special youth magazines, for example from scout associations or the youth organizations of the churches. Georges Remi publishes the adventures of Tintin under the pseudonym Hergé and becomes the father of the style of the “clear line” ( Ligne claire ). In Germany the picture stories of "Hanni, Fritz and Putzi" ( Fritz Lattke , Thüringer Allgemeine Zeitung 1933, in book form from 1934) and of father and son (by Erich Ohser, eoplauen ) inspire newspaper readers. The first German-language Micky Mouse newspaper was published by Bollmann-Verlag, Zurich, at Christmas 1936. Until 1937, 18 issues were published every 14 days.

In occupied Europe are to enter the war to buy more comics US no-American US. The series Flash Gordon is therefore continued by the Belgian opera singer EP Jacobs , who after the war, with Blake and Mortimer , is drawing one of the classic series of Franco-Belgian comics - in the tradition of the Ligne claire.

1950 to 1960

In Europe, comics began to flourish in France and Belgium. André Franquin takes over Spirou and Fantasio , which he makes a classic. At the end of the 1950s, Asterix's first adventures appeared , written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo . But adventure stories are also published: Jijé draws westerns, Jean-Michel Charlier writes the scenarios for a series of adventure comics, which various cartoonists put into practice.

In comic magazines for young people ( Spirou , Tintin , Pilote ) the adventures are preprinted in sequels before they appear as an album . In Germany, the first issue of the magazine Micky Maus appears in September 1951 (monthly up to 1955, plus special issues; 1956 and 1957 fortnightly, from 1958 until today weekly). The first German superman magazine in 1950. In 1953, Rolf Kauka started the most important German comic book for children with Fix and Foxi .

1960 to 1970

In the sixties the comic became increasingly “grown up”. With Barbarella and Pravda comics appear that are aimed specifically at adult readers.

In Europe, Lieutenant Blueberry, a western by Jean-Michel Charlier , drawn by Jean Giraud , is published. Under the pseudonym Moebius, Giraud will become one of the pioneers of the avant-garde of comics in the coming years .

In the 1960s, the first German publishers began to print French comics: Asterix and Lucky Luke , for whom René Goscinny also wrote the texts, came to Germany.

1970 to 1980

In France, Jean Giraud and a few colleagues founded the avant-garde magazine Métal hurlant , after which, in the 1960s, the Ligne claire in particular was distributed in magazines such as Tintin .

Germany has some catching up to do. The magazine Zack is flourishing for a short time and draws on the rich fund of Franco-Belgian publications from previous years. Likewise Yps , which has been able to assert itself in the market for 25 years. The Carlsen publishing house brings Tintin out in albums shape. First German underground magazines appear.

1980 to 1990

While in France newcomers form a multi-layered comic culture alongside established ones - a fantasy series is being established for the first time with In Search of the Bird of Time - Germany experienced a veritable comic euphoria towards the middle of the decade. In addition to French titles, local authors such as Brösel with Werner , Gerhard Seyfried , Walter Moers and Ralf König also achieve impressive sales figures.

1990 to 2000

In Europe, the French-speaking countries are dominated by adventure series penned by Jean Van Hamme ( XIII , Largo Winch ). In addition, the Titeuf children's series is also very successful.

The 1990s and 34s in Germany were less shaped by the successes of local artists than by the commercial ups and downs of American superheroes. While the French-dominated album scene is becoming increasingly less important, publishers such as Dino and Splitter are conquering the market with numerous issue series. When the fashion trend turns away from the superheroes again, some publishers get into economic hardship.

1998 to 2005

The international comic scene has been shrinking since the mid-1990s, which is mainly due to an oversupply with too many titles from too many small publishers.

Simultaneously with the crisis in western comics, manga became a huge success. While they have existed in other European countries (especially in France and Italy) since the 1980s, the German-speaking market was not finally opened up for Japanese comics until the late 1990s with series such as Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball .

On the other hand, the Internet is becoming more and more popular as a distribution medium for comics. Webcomics such as User Friendly and Megatokyo are seeing increasing numbers of hits.

Regional comic culture

Germany

Germany before 1945

The German comic has early predecessors. In the 19th century, Wilhelm Busch wrote picture stories which, by condensing several actions in one picture, established an essential element of comics. Around the same time, the satirical newspaper Simplicissimus featured many caricatures that were also highly regarded internationally. Other titles are Kladderadatsch and The true Jacob .

At the beginning of the 20th century, extra German cartoonists such as Rudolph Dirks and Lyonel Feininger were hired by American magazines for their Sunday newspapers, thus helping to establish the comic strip. Between 1934 and 1937 the picture stories Father and Son appeared , which Erich Ohser published under the pseudonym "eo plauen".

GDR

The comic culture in the GDR was less diverse than in the west, but almost consistently of high quality. The flagship was the magazine Mosaik , in which Hannes Hegen described the adventures of the Digedags from 1955 , who were replaced as main characters by the Abrafaxes in 1975 . The comic magazine Atze presented completed short stories with political content, e.g. B. from everyday life in the GDR, the history of the labor movement or the communist anti-fascist resistance struggle. However, the sequel story of the same name about the two mice Fix and Fax , which was at the end of every Atze number, was more popular, as was the series Pat's Travel Adventure , which was published in Atze for over 20 years.

FRG 1945 to 1989

In the FRG during the 1950s and 1960s, based on American models, heroic comics for children and young people such as Sigurd , the knightly hero , Falk, knight without blame and blame , Nick, the space traveler and Tibor , son of the jungle ( all by Hansrudi Wäscher ) and Akim ( Augusto Pedrazza and Roberto Renzi ), which were read en masse despite the rather dubious quality of the drawing and increasing resistance from educators. Somewhat more demanding was the series Nick Knatterton , published in Quick between 1950 and 1959 , which was actually an illustrated detective story, and the sequel Jimmy the Rubber Horse, which appeared in Stern magazine for 25 years from 1953 . Until the beginning of the 1980s, however, German works in the comic sector were largely restricted to the children's sector (e.g. Yps or Rolf Caucasus Fix and Foxi ). The few comics created for young people were mostly based on trivial stories, such as ghost stories (for which Hajo F. Breuer was the author). Dirk Schulz , who also works as an illustrator for the SF series Perry Rhodan , created Indigo and Die Parasiten . In the 80s, some political underground comics emerged, some of which also found major publishers ( Gerhard Seyfried ).

Germany after 1989

Since the late 1980s a culture of anarchic comics has flourished in Germany as well, such as Brösel ( Werner ), Walter Moers ( Little Asshole ), Ralf König ( The Moving Man ), Jan Gulbransson , Ziska Riemann and later Fil ( Didi & Stulle ) create. Comictage takes place once or twice a year in large cities like Munich . The most important and largest event in Germany is the comic parlor in Erlangen , which takes place every two years .

A small group of German-speaking artists has been active since the mid-1990s, questioning the established design language of the genre and expanding it with their own radical designs; including ATAK , MS Bastian , Martin tom Dieck , Anke Feuchtenberger , Hendrik Dorgathen , Thomas Ott and Henning Wagenbreth . They publish regularly in the Strapazin .

Recently, comics based on the Japanese model have even been created in Germany in the Manga style (e.g. Dragic Master , Prussian Blue , Orcus Star etc.). However, the German-speaking comic book market is not as extensive and strong as that in most other European countries. Comics only make up three percent of all printed matter in Germany. This may be due to the fact that comics in German-speaking countries are still not recognized as a separate genre, either in the artistic or in the literary field. They are often assigned to children's books or the "dirty corner". However, the reputation of the comics is increasing. Since the beginning of the 2000s, for example, the two major book fairs in Frankfurt and Leipzig have been offering comic publishers, authors and illustrators a presentation platform - each with a complete hall dedicated to the subject of “comics”.

Their more recent discoveries in the comic scene, including Berlin Markus Mawil Witzel ( Mountain Hasi and his stories about MeisterLampe, we can remain friends yes , the band ) that serves as Fil -working Philip Tägert ( Always Ultra 1-3 , the Series Didi & Stulle , Stups & Krümel , The Return of Ernst ), Reinhard Kleist ( Fucked , Steeplechase ).

Important German comic publishers who publish their own productions are the Black Tower , Weissblech Comics , Gringo Comics , Zwerchfell , Bleifuss-Verlag with the “only true Formula 1 comic” magazines, Reprodukt from Berlin, and of course Edition Panel . Also worth mentioning is the think tank Paul & Paul , which is increasingly busy with illustration, but thanks to its artist Ralf Paul has written a small piece of German comic history with the comic series Helden and Der Morgenstern known as DORN .

Both American licensed editions by Marvel and DC as well as German authors can be found in the Norbert Hethke Verlag . For example, he has dedicated himself to the administration of Hansrudi Wascher's work . Other comic book publishers who mainly publish German licensed versions of foreign language comics are, for example, Panini Verlag , Ehapa , Carlsen Comics , Tokyopop and Schreiber & Leser .

Since the mid-2000s, comic artists have also gradually established themselves, who present their works mainly via their websites and thus find their audience (and in some cases later publishers who support them). At this point, reference is made to the webcomic directory set up in 2009, the catalog of German-language webcomics.

Switzerland

In French-speaking Switzerland , comics (bandes dessinées) are a classic narrative form. This tradition was established by Rodolphe Töpffer , who 'invented' “Literature in Pictures” in 1833 and taught it as a university professor in Geneva. In close cultural exchange with the French-speaking area (France and Belgium), picture stories have been produced in western Switzerland since the mid-19th century.

After an interruption in the post-war period, Derib continued the continuity of comic work in western Switzerland in the 1970s. His single albums and series (e.g. Yakari , Buddy Longway ) are aimed primarily at children. Thanks to its innovation in the arrangement of the panels , they are easy to read. Cosey developed this style further and adapted it to comics for adults (e.g. the Jonathan series ). At the same time, Daniel Ceppi began to draw comics (e.g. series Les Aventures de Stéphane ) in the Belgian tradition. In the early 1990s, Zep created various comics and the Titeuf series , which are read by a mass audience throughout the French-speaking world.

In German-speaking Switzerland , comics were widely regarded as trash until the 1980s . In German-speaking Switzerland, picture stories were published. But the speech bubbles were missing and the texts were written outside the panels in order to avoid any associations with the frowned upon comic. The model for creating a picture story was Globi , whom every child in Switzerland knows. He was sculpted by Robert Lips in 1932 for a chain of department stores and is the oldest Swiss comic book character. Based on Globi, various similar figures were created (e.g. Papa Moll , Ringgi and Zofi , Nagoli). Up until the 1970s, comics in German-speaking Switzerland consisted almost exclusively of such “funny” picture stories for children.

At the beginning of the 1980s , the forms of expression ( fanzines , graffiti ) changed, also in connection with the Swiss youth unrest . A market for comics was created in German-speaking Switzerland, the range of which was fed by newly founded publishers and magazines and sold by specialized bookshops. The first generation of such comics were created by Hannes Binder, Andrea Caprez / Christoph Schuler, Ursula Fürst and Mike Van Audenhove ( Zurich by Mike series ). In the 1990s, Thomas Ott received international recognition for his virtuoso scrapboard technique and his dark, often silent comics and illustrations.

An exhibition supported by the Federal Office of Culture in 1996 under the title “The New Era of Swiss Comics” represented a milestone in the official establishment of German-speaking comics. From German-speaking Switzerland were MS Bastian, Claudius Gentinetta, Lea Huber, Thomas Ott, Karoline Schreiber and Anna Sommer as well as Alex Baladi and Pierre-Alain Bertola from western Switzerland. At the beginning of the 21st century, Andreas Gefe, Matthias Gnehm , Noyau and Judith Zaugg also belong to the group of recognized Swiss comic makers. In western Switzerland it is Mix & Remix as well as Helge Reumann and other young draftsmen from the Geneva scene.

The Swiss comic makers and illustrators publish in the avant-garde comic magazine STRAPAZIN, founded in 1984, and publish their albums in the Edition Moderne publishing house, founded in 1980. The International Comix Festival ( Fumetto ) in Lucerne , which took place for the first time in 1992, always offers them opportunities for solo exhibitions.

The Festival International de la Bande Dessinée has been held in Sierre since 1984. It mainly focuses on commercial comics. With around 50,000 visitors, it is the second largest comic festival in the Francophone countries.

Denmark

Comics pioneers in Denmark were Storm Petersen (Storm P) with Peter og Ping and Henning D. Mikkelsen with Fernd'nand . After adventure comics appeared in the 1940s, most of which were about heroic Vikings, the Petzi series (original: Rasmus Klump) came out in 1951 and was also published in Germany. The most important Danish comic is the Valhalla series by the writer and illustrator Peter Madsen .

France and Belgium

See main article: Franco-Belgian comic

In France , Belgium and Francophone Switzerland , comics ( French: Bandes dessinées , often called BD ) are very respected and are considered a serious form of literature that forms the link between the fine arts and writing.

In French-speaking countries, too, many post-war comics took on a comedic tone and were mainly aimed at young audiences. Well-known comics such as Tim and Struppi , Astérix and Lucky Luke also date from this time in Germany .

In the 1970s, Franco-Belgian comics increasingly turned to a young adult audience. The social changes brought about by the 1968 student movements are reflected in magazines such as L'Écho des Savanes , Fluide Glacial , Charlie Hebdo or the science-fiction-oriented Métal Hurlant . Founded by the authors Dionnet , Philippe Druillet , Farkas , Jacques Géron and Moebius , works were created here that represent an important development in comics.

The Festival international de la bande dessinée in Angoulême is the most important comic festival in Europe. It has been held annually since 1974 and has over 100,000 visitors. The comic prizes awarded there are the most important in Europe.

For some time now, French comics have been in a creative boom: In 2004, 207 publishing houses in France published a total of 2,120 new comics. Authors such as Lewis Trondheim , Joann Sfar , Jacques Tardi , David B. , Amara Sellali or the Iranian exile Marjane Satrapi , who lives in France, can both push the boundaries of the genre and reflect on the problems of everyday life.

Italy

The Italian Fumetti are much more liberal in their content than the other western comics and mostly available as black and white paperbacks for reasons of cost. In addition to children's comics (most of the Disney comics published in Germany come from Italy) and erotic comics ( Fumetti per adulti ), there are above all various action comics such as Diabolik , Zagor , Dylan Dog , Nathan Never and Ranxerox . Analogous to the “works of art” in the Franco-Belgian style, Italian comic authors such as Hugo Pratt ( Corto Maltese ), Milo Manara ( Giuseppe Bergmann ) and Guido Crepax produced albums of high literary value.

Poland

See main article: Comic in Poland

Poland is the only country in the former Eastern Bloc (if the GDR is excluded) and has a long tradition of comics. The first steps in the media, which was still new at the time, took place before the Second World War . From the 1940s onwards, comics were produced regularly and on a large scale. The selection of styles, themes and characters is almost as large as in France and Belgium. However, the Polish comic was particularly strongly influenced by politics, as was the Ninth Art in the USA in some cases in the early years. The Polish comic scene has produced many well-known artists who have also worked abroad, such as the illustrator Grzegorz Rosiński, who achieved world fame thanks to his Thorgal comic series .

Netherlands

The Netherlands has developed a comics industry that is amazingly important for the size of the country. In the multilingual neighboring country of Belgium - the comic Dorado - many comics are also published in Flemish . There was also a Flemish version of Robbedoe from Spirou magazine . There are also Dutch comic artists, most of whom are published in England for the first time.

The best-known Dutch comic titles include the science fiction comic Storm and the crime comic series Franka (comic) by Henk Kuijpers .

Spain

Just like in France, comics, tebeo have an extensive and long-standing tradition in Spain, even if they are not so well known internationally. The word "tebeo" came from a children's magazine with drawn stories. It was first published in Barcelona in 1917 under the name " TBO " and was published until 1998. “TBO” is an abbreviation and in turn means, in Spanish, te veo “I see you” . Due to its great popularity, it is a metonym for the whole genre .

Probably the best-known Spanish comic in Germany is probably the Kalauer series about the secret agents Clever & Smart (in the original: Mortadelo y Filemón ) by Francisco Ibáñez . The draftsman Max ( The long dream of Mr. T. and others) was born on September 17th, 1955 in Barcelona. From 1973 he was a member of the underground comic group El Rollo and founded the comic magazine El Vibora in 1979 with other cartoonists . During the 1990s he was the editor of the international comic magazine Nosotros Somos Los Muertos . In addition to multiple awards at the comic festival in Barcelona, he received the Spanish National Prize in 1997 for his children's book illustrations. Max works on illustrations for various books and magazines as well as on cartoons.

An important stage in Spanish comic history during the Franco dictatorship was the rise and success of the major Spanish publisher “Bruguera”, based in Barcelona, where Francisco Ibáñez was also employed as a draftsman. It is the subject of the graphic novel by Paco Roca "The draftsman's winter" (Reprodukt, 2012).

United Kingdom

British comics have been around since the 19th century. Along with US comics, native comics are still some of the most popular in Britain today, even if they are little known in other countries. Gradually, manga is also gaining popularity.