When it comes to comics, there is often an association with American funny pictures. However, few know that huge role Brussels played a role in the creation of such an art form as comics.
From the history of comics...
The German artist Wilhelm Busch can be called the father of all comics. While working in the editorial office of Letuchy Leaf, he created various cartoons for the newspaper’s materials. This genre flourished in Belgium in the mid-20s of the last century - young and daring artists published their works in numerous youth magazines, which were very popular in those years.
And already in 1929 the first edition of Hergé's comics appeared, separate issue. The hero was the young artist Tintin. The series of comic adventures of the young reporter became so popular that it is still very popular among readers.
After the end of World War II, two more very popular publications in the comics genre appeared in Belgium - Tintin and Spirou. A whole group of talented and young artists worked on their creation, giving the world such heroes as Lucky Luke, Gaston and Marsupilami. So, the birth of the comics museum in Brussels is the gratitude of fans of this genre, and absolutely natural.
The museum is located in a very beautiful building, built under the direction of the architect Victoria Horta. Almost all comics and drawings published during this time are on display, but the pearl of the museum is the work of the great Hergé and his hero Tintin.
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One of the museum exhibits
Speaking about the Brussels Comics Museum, one cannot fail to mention the whole route, along which you can admire the images of comics on the buildings. About 50 facades of houses in Brussels are decorated with scenes from popular publications with legendary heroes. The project was created in 1991 and today is one of the most favorite routes among tourists.
Don't miss the chance to learn about the history of comics and admire the architectural masterpiece of the building that houses the museum.
Information for travelers:
Opening hours: daily, except Mondays, from 10.00 to 18.00.
How much does it cost: adults 7.5 euros per ticket, but children will be significantly cheaper - 3 euros.
Comics Museum - Belgisch Stripcentrum. The museum's exhibition is dedicated to the history of comics from its origins to the present day. In a buiding Waucquez Warehouse, built in 1906 Victor Horta, on those floors there is an exhibition representing comics by more than 650 artists. The museum houses not only illustrations depicting the most famous heroes, but also files of old comic books and artists' tools. Here you can trace all stages of comics development, a collection with O holds more than 25,000 works, including about 400 works by the Belgian alone Georges Remy (Hergé), who invented the famous comic book character Tintin. In addition, the museum is worth visiting the exhibition on cartoon art (or other temporary exhibitions), as well as browsing through the comics in the library.
Comics became popular in Belgium as early as 1908. It all started with the comic strip "Little Nemo". And after the Second World War, Belgian comics were deservedly recognized as the best in the world. Since then, newspapers, children's books and graphic books have remained an important item in the city budget. After the Second World War, many comic artists appeared, creating numerous comic characters, of which the most famous is Tintin, created by Georges Remy (Hergé). Tintin is the most famous Belgian hero, he began his journey as black and white pencil drawing. Today, he and his faithful dog Snow are known throughout Europe. Belgian comics have an annual circulation of 22 million copies and are sold in more than 30 countries. The museum is open every day except Monday from 10:00 to 18:00, the entrance fee is 8 Euros. Also closed 25/12 and 01/01. All explanatory texts are mostly in French, with little in English. But visitors are given a free guide to the museum, there is English version. There is no Russian. Enter reading room possible by entrance ticket. Children over 16 years of age are allowed into the library and archives and for a fee - 1.2 Euro. The museum has a snack bar (Horta Brasserie) and a bookstore, Slumberland Bookshop (www.slumberlandbd.com). You can learn how to create comics yourself in one-week courses, they take place here in the summer and cost something like 200 Euros. Since 1991, the Belgian Comics Center has organized the so-called Comic Route - it includes 22 facades and city walls painted by leading Belgian comic artists.
Explanations are given during this process. However, in reality there are many more such drawings. And it’s not at all necessary to take a paid excursion to see them. Using this map during an independent walk around Brussels, you can study these several dozen comics depicted directly on the facades of city buildings.
| Zandstraat, Rue des Sables 20 | |
The Belgian Comics Center or Brussels Comics Center is located near the center of Brussels in an attractive Art Nouveau building that served as a textile department store at the beginning of the 20th century.
Brussels Comics Center - building
The famous architect Victor Horta, considered one of the founders of Art Nouveau, built not only private mansions and greenhouses. He worked with great pleasure on public buildings, one of which was the Magasins Waucquez store, which sold textiles. Erected in 1905, the building is considered one of famous works Horta, although not included in the list of his four “works” protected by UNESCO.
Brussels Comics Center - building architecture 
Belgian Comics Center - building architecture
65 years after the store was built, the owners of the premises went bankrupt, and the building itself began to gradually fall into disrepair. It was saved from demolition only by the participation of Jean Delay, former student Horta. On October 16, 1975, the building was recognized as a protected monument, and it came under state protection. However, at that time it was in a very poor condition, “thanks” to the vandals.
Belgian Comics Center - opening
On October 6, 1989, the building, after two years of reconstruction, welcomed visitors again. True, this time as the Belgian Comics Center. The opening took place in the presence of King Baudouin I and Queen Fabiola.
The Brussels Comics Center is located in one of the oldest districts of the Belgian capital, close to the historic Grand Place and the Royal District. This contributes to a constant flow of tourists - more than 200 thousand guests visit the museum every year.
Brussels Comics Center - exhibition on the history of comics 
Brussels Comics Center - Smurf Village
Many people consider the United States to be the country where comics are most popular, but this is not true - more than 700 comics authors live and work in Belgium. Taking into account the area of the state, this is the most high density artists per sq. kilometer. Here the comic has turned into a full-fledged art, which receives a lot of attention. Therefore, it is not surprising that the museum, whose area is 4200 sq. meters, put together an extensive exhibition - dynamic and fascinating.
The Brussels Comics Center collects all the exhibits telling about the development of the genre in Europe - starting with rock art and ending with contemporary digital works. Here you can get acquainted with regularly updated exhibitions introducing the art of creating covers, the development of genres, and the process of editing comics. Separate exhibitions are dedicated to famous authors. For example, the creator of the Smurfs, Peyo. In addition, visitors will find a museum library containing more than 3,000 works written in 36 languages.
Brussels Comic Strip Center - Belgian Comic Strip Center
Opening hours:
daily from 10:00 am to 18:00 pm.
Ticket prices:
Adults - 10.00€
Pensioners 65+ - 8.00€
Youth 12-25 years old - 7.00€
Children under 12 years old - 3.50€
Address: Rue des Sables 20, 1000, Brussels
In the list of recognized arts, comics, also known as graphic prose, follow architecture, sculpture, painting, dance, music, poetry, cinema and television. The position of trendsetter for the genre at number nine is firmly assigned to Belgium. Needless to say, it is no coincidence that in 2001, the heroes of the legendary comic book, the reporter Tintin with Milou’s faithful dog Snowball, were recognized as the official symbols of Brussels. Note, not chocolate, not waffles, not beer. Because literature in pictures, bande dessinée, stripverhalen, for the Belgians, is very serious.
Here, precisely in Belgium, comics developed from newspaper cartoons into separate art, deftly squeezing into the rich national culture and the consciousness of the country's inhabitants. It is believed that the Belgians owe their passion to the American comic strip Little Nemo, first translated in 1908, and the impatience with which everyone waited for the continuation of the cartoon adventures.
In 1920, Averbod Abbey in Brabant began publishing the magazine “Zonneland” (“Zonneland”) to reinforce the Christian faith among young people. Sunny country"), and its French counterpart "Petits Belges" (" Little Belgians"), consisting entirely of comics. The sudden success forced the monks to purchase four more printing presses.
On January 10, 1929, the Tintin, the irrepressible “forelock”, the true embodiment of the Belgian spirit, a kind of mixture of satire and parody.
"Le Petit Vingtième" children's app to the Brussels Catholic magazine "XXe siècle", publishes the first album "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets", signed by the comic artist Georges Prosper Reni, aka Hergé. The pseudonym is the result of a simple rearrangement of the initials ZhR-RZh, an inverted acronym.
The artist then released 24 more albums of the adventures of Tintin, translated into 80 languages and sold more than 350 million copies around the world. The work of Hergé, the discoverer of the “pure line”, of course, could not be ignored by the pop artist Andy Warhole, who became his admirer. Just like a film director Steven Spielberg, who in 2011 filmed The Adventure of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn in Hollywood.
Tintin is generally spoiled for film adaptations: in the 1960s, two adventure films were shot, “Tintin and the Riddle of the Golden Fleece” and “Tintin and the Blue Orange.” In 1969, Hergé himself wrote the script for the film “Prisoners of the Sun.” And finally, the famous animated series by Stephanie Bernasconi “The Adventures of Tintin” from 1990.
The Tintin character also inspired the creation of a suite of the same name in one of the most fashionable hotels in Brussels Hotel Amigo. Here you can find small sculptures and graphics by Hergé depicting comic book characters.
Hergé, however, did not limit himself to just one hero. He also wrote other characters, such as Quick and Flüpke, Popol and Virginie, Joe, Zett and Zhoko. Special shop " La Boutique Tintin"Tintinophiles (official term) will find it at 13 rue de la Colline.
Among comic book authors, artist Hergé is the most expensive in the world. At the fair BRAFA A sensational sale was recorded in 2015. At the Huberty & Breyne Gallery stand, the original cover drawing of The Mysterious Star (1942), the tenth album of The Adventures of Tintin, was bought for 2.5 million euros, an amount that doubled the bidding record of the 2012 Paris Artcurial auction.
In 2009, when the whole of Belgium celebrated the 80th anniversary of the first release of Tintin comics (it was the year of the comic!), in the middle of the groves of the university town of Louvain-la-Neuve in Brabant, near Brussels, Hergé Museum. Star architect, Frenchman and Pritzer laureate, Christian de Portzamparc successfully integrated the snow-white building into natural landscape, and cut through the walls with large rectangular openings, reminiscent of a comic book page with a series of drawings.
This similarity is especially noticeable in the evenings. In addition to the sheets of comic books on the walls, the exhibition actively uses details familiar to many: a bottle of whiskey, the dried head of an Arumbaya Indian, a Tintin chair. In Brussels itself, in the elegant Waucquez Warehous mansion, built in 1906 in the Art Nouveau style designed by Victor Horta, the Comics Center is located, TheBelgianComicStripCenter - MuseumBrussels(Rue des Sables 20).
Here you can view the permanent exhibition dedicated to the work of 650 artists and look through comic books. In the museum bookstore " Slumberland Bookshop» you can buy comics, and in one-week courses, which are usually organized in the summer for 200 euros, you can learn how to create comics yourself.
But so that no one has any doubts that main city comics is Brussels; in 1991, the municipal authorities, on the initiative of the Comics Center, launched the project “ Comics route", in which the most famous fragments and characters were applied to the facades and firewalls of houses.
Map " ParcoursBD à Bruxelles» can be obtained from the tourist office Visit Brussels on the Grand Place, or explore on the website. The comic book tourist route leads along the blank walls of the center of the Belgian capital, houses in the areas of Laeken in the north, Oderghem in the southeast, and the Marolles and Saint-Gilles neighborhoods.
Wandering around Brussels in search of walls painted by leading Belgian artists is like an exciting quest. By the way, the opening of each new painting was accompanied by a vernissage with the invitation of the public and the press.
No less popular than Tintin is the creation of the artist and humorist Philip Gelyuk(1954), " LeChat" In 1983, the newspaper Le Soir published for the first time a series of comics about the adventures of an important cat in a suit, tie and coat. On the wall of a house on the Boulevard du Midi, one such “gentleman” is immortalized, busy building himself out of bricks. Chronicle of everyday life " Baby Jojo", living with his loving grandmother, was outlined in a series of comics by artist Andre Geertz, publishing it in Le Journal de Spirou.
Details of their cozy little world can be leisurely viewed in the Marolles quarter on Rue Piermans. " Bull and Bill", characters from the popular comics created in 1959 by artist and writer Jean Robat in collaboration with Maurice Rosy, appear on the wall of a house nearby on Rue du Chevreuil. This is something of a family comedy about parents, their son Bula and their cocker spaniel Bill.
« Kwik and Flüpke" Hergé's heroes appeared on the façade of 19 Rue Notre-Seigneur when the artist himself was no longer alive. Suite from the novel in comics about " Corto Maltese", a fearless commander with an earring in his left ear, created by artist Hugo Pratt, unfurled on the Quai de la voirie.
About the existence of a rare spotted animal "Marsupilami", whose habitat is the Amazon jungle on the territory of Palombia, a territory, of course, fictitious, the world first learned from the artist Andre Frankena and the publication of comics in 1952 in the pages of Spirou magazine. Do you want to know what the animal looks like? Look for house 141 on Avenue Houba de Strooper.
And finally, " Asterix and Obelix", these stars are Albert Uderzo. Follow them to Rue de la Buanderie.
However, not to leave out the Smurfs, Pif, Bob and Bobette, Professor Blake and others important people, and at the same time to understand the variety of graphic languages of all artists, BD luminaries, it is worth going through the entire “Comics Route”, which, by the way, has at least fifty points.
There are also quite a few shops in Brussels selling comic books: “ Brussels" (Blvd Anspach 100), " Multi-BD"(Blvd Anspach 122), " Nine City" (Blvd Reyers 32), " Sans Title"(Ave. de Stalingrad 8), " La bande des six nez"(Chaussee de Wavre 179), " Fil a terre"(Chaussee de Wavre 198), " Little Nemo"(Rue du Trone 132). Here is an address that will certainly be of interest to collectors of original sheets, Place du Grand Sablon Bodenbroek 8A. This is an auction Millon Bruxelles", where several thematic auctions are held per month, and it is located, of course, in the Sablon district.
A quest to find walls painted with Belgian comic book characters is one of the most interesting things you can do in Brussels. I completed this route in 4 days, devoting an average of 2-3 hours to this topic every day. Officially, there are about 50 comic walls in Brussels, unofficially, I think, twice as many. The least outdated maps of the route found on the Internet show about 40, and the number of images is regularly updated. Hunting for comics allows you to get into completely non-tourist areas of the city, far from chocolate boutiques and peeing boys.
Belgium is a global comics superpower. In the mid-20th century, dozens of comic book artists worked (sorry, created!) in Belgium. "The Ninth Art", a term that appeared with light hand French-speaking Belgians, puts comics after architecture, sculpture, painting, dance, music, poetry, film and television. You can count it, it really turns out to be the ninth. These days, the star of the Belgian comics has faded somewhat; the palm has been taken over by Japanese schoolgirls with their Pokemon. However, today there is a new generation of comics artists working in Belgium, and classical works now decorate the walls of city houses. This is done, firstly, to perpetuate, as far as this word is applicable to the wall of an old house, a national cultural treasure. Secondly, for aesthetic reasons, so that the walls don’t look so dull. In most cases, these painted walls are found in not the most prestigious and not the safest urban areas inhabited by immigrants from Africa and Arab countries. However, this adds exoticism to the “quest”. The first pictures came across me even before I reached my guesthouse.
"Yakari", one of the new additions to the Brussels comics route, has not yet appeared on the map. The map can be downloaded online or obtained from the city tourist office. You are unlikely to find Yakari on it; the picture is only 2-3 years old. It is located a stone's throw from my guest house in the Saint-Gilles quarter.
We move to the Marolles quarter, once a working-class district of Brussels, today mainly Arab immigrants live here. This masterpiece is called "Beaver Patrol Scouts", spare me the interlinear translation. Let's just say that the Belgians are familiar with all these characters from childhood, like Cheburashka, Leopold the cat and the hedgehog in the fog.
Cars mercilessly park next to the walls, making it impossible to find a normal point for shooting. “Little Jojo” is also located in Marol, not far from the previous “wall”. These images were discovered in the mid-90s. The opening of each new mural is accompanied by a short inauguration with press photographers and an invitation to the public. Something like the opening of a new monument.
I looked for this wall for quite a long time, because on the map it was marked here and exactly here, and only when I looked up I discovered that it towered above the roof of the neighboring house and was not immediately noticeable. One of the old "frescoes". It’s simply called “Cat,” or, as the sign says, “Cat and his self-mockery.” Each “fresco” of the route has a sign indicating the name and serial number in the comic book city route. Located on a major city thoroughfare with numerous Arabic eating establishments.
In the heart of the Marol quarter, near the square flea market this house is worth it. Boole and Bill or something like that. 1992. Excavators were working around, demolishing some neighboring building. The photo shows the bucket of a working excavator. I hope this house hasn't been demolished yet.
A little higher, in the same Marol, on the walls of two neighboring houses there are two frescoes, “Blondin and Sirage” and “Odilon Verjus” (so, maybe stop distorting the names and switch to the Latin alphabet?) The parked car, as always, is very appropriate. These two walls are literally separated by twenty meters. The building with a dome in the forests is the Palace of Justice, a monster of the Marol kvaral. According to legend, the architect of the palace died during its construction from the curses of the residents who were evicted from the construction site when half the block was destroyed.
Kwik and Flüpke, creations of Hergé, the greatest comic book artist in all of Belgium, best known for his Tintin. It should be noted that the painting on the wall is usually done not by the comic book author himself, but by other artists. When this fresco was unveiled in the mid-90s, Hergé was no longer alive.
Saint Peter and Lucifer, characters from the comic oh my sweet heaven or something like that, pose on the wall of a house near the Palace of Justice.
This wall was not marked on my map. I don't know if it's part of the official comics route. It is easy to notice that in the lower part it has been damaged by artists from some neighboring yard. By the way, good question- how do you manage to keep all these walls, located in not the best urban areas, clean? So, in some places I noticed that they are constantly being tinted, restored and kept in fresh condition. Perhaps there is a certain item in the city budget. Or maybe just volunteers.
One of the newest and also not marked on the map paintings, which appeared in 2011. Yoko Tsuno was not easy to find, I had to walk through some completely filthy courtyards and under bridges railway. Judging by the description on the Internet, she is a very advanced, emancipated and communicative Japanese Komsomol member-astronaut.
To get here, I had to go through an Arab flea market. Isabel looks at those passing by Arab women from the wall of a dilapidated house in Anderlecht. The neighboring area is famous for its football club and the Cantillon brewery.
A completely different part of the city. Either somewhere on a hill royal palace, or even in the eastern quarters, I don’t remember. This picture is also not included in the official comic route. It's hard to say whether it has anything to do with comics at all. Brussels has quite a few Art Nouveau houses painted in the early 20th century, so perhaps halfway between Art Nouveau and comics.
On the second day I am stationed mainly in the urban center. The next group is located in the center in the "lower" part of Brussels. "Young Albert" and "Monsieur Jean" are almost next to each other, on the road from Marolles to the Manneken Pis.
A stone's throw from the Boy we come to Oliver Ramier, one of the most festively decorated comic murals. Pay attention to the fence near the wall. This distinguishes the walls included in the “official” route. They make sure that citizens do not relieve minor physiological needs on works of the ninth art.
Belgian comics superstar Tintin, Captain Haddock and Snowy pose on the street leading to central square cities. It is strange that such a legendary figure as Tintin is represented quite modestly on the walls of Brussels. There is also a metro station with images of him, I was not there, and there is also another black and white image at the city station.
"Passage", one of the most realistic wall paintings and the closest to the city center.
The most famous fresco in all of Brussels and the very first, appeared in 1991. It depicts two fagots. The issue of gender and orientation of these characters is very controversial. It is known that the dark-haired character was subsequently given earrings and some female sexual characteristics, as a result of which it took on an even more androgynous form. But the adjacent block leaves no doubt about the orientation of its regulars: there are rainbow flags on the windows and establishments with the names boys" boudoir and the like.
Victor Sackville, the spy of His Majesty the King of England, and the lady accompanying him, are located two steps away from the previous couple, their gender does not cause debate.
Rick Hochet, or something like that, is either trying to save a beautiful lady from a knife-wielding mugger or escaping from a jealous husband.
Scorpio was luckier than others in terms of location, posing on a wall in a very good area of the city not far from the royal palace and the museum district.
To be continued. In the second part, I will climb into more remote areas of Brussels, where the casual comic book tourist rarely sets foot.
