Georg Nickel

Promotional children's carousel from the Salamander factory with figures from the Lurchi series, around 1970 (Museum of Everyday Culture, Waldenbuch )

Georg Nickel (born June 25, 1950 in Marktoberdorf ; † July 29, 2015 in Senden ) was a German graphic designer and comic artist. He studied commercial graphics and found his first job with Otl Aicher , one of the most influential German designers of the 20th century and with international recognition. After this engagement Georg Nickel ended up at the Schwäbische Zeitung in Leutkirch, where he created drawings and caricatures .

Act

Albert Drexler, who works as a freelancer at Salamander and is responsible for the Lurchi booklet , became aware of Georg Nickel and tried to persuade him to design the Lurchi adventure for Salamander in the future.

Georg Nickel delegated the first three adventures to his father Friedrich Nickel before he became active as a Lurchizeichner himself. Georg Nickel made its debut with the number 64 "Lurchi and the Airport" in January 1977.

Georg Nickel's stories are very imaginative. He allowed Lurchi and his friends to travel to foreign countries and also allowed them to visit fairy-tale regions. He also implemented environmental issues such as in volume 72 or in volume 91 “Lurchi at the garbage festival” in a child-friendly manner. Nickel's drawings are two-dimensional, they appear flat to the viewer. Nevertheless, the pictures are lovingly and attractively designed. The early issues by Georg Nickel in particular convey a very special charm. Georg Nickel worked for Salamander for around 10½ years, in the first two years as the only draftsman and copywriter, for the rest of the time, alternating with the team of Peter Krisp and Olaf Sveistrup . In the late 1970s and early 1980s he designed various Lurchi promotional items. These include the box for the Lurchi key chain, Lurchi fiber-tip pens, labels and stickers for school bags and the advertising brochure. With issue 96 he left the Lurchi series as a draftsman.

Web links

• Homepage of Georg Nickel .
• Lurchi draftsman Georg Nickel dies. In: Südwest Presse , August 14, 2015