Calling all comic fans: the hugely popular BD Comic Strip Festival is coming to the Gare Maritime at Tour & Taxis in Brussels from 6 to 8 September.
This new edition’s programme includes exhibitions, meetings, book signings, and activities for everyone including the manga space and the giant balloons.
This major Brussels (and international) event is sure to delight comic book fans of all ages as, from 6 to 8 September, comic strips will, once again, be in the spotlight at the BD Comic Strip Festival.
On the agenda are activities, book signings, meetings and the iconic giant balloons, sure to please fans of the ninth art, whether they are enthusiasts or casual readers. In addition to the countless activities for all audiences, a manga space will make its appearance, immersing fans in the world of Japanese comics, whose success is well established.
Alternative comics will also be on display to pique the curiosity of visitors.
All this will take place in the grandiose setting of the magnificent Gare Maritime at Tour & Taxis in Brussels.
There is also the Schools Day, which will offer a host of original activities for pupils on Friday (booking required).
This year, to honour the work of the popular author Jean Van Hamme, none other than TaDuc, the illustrator of the latest XIII trilogy, has taken on the creation of the new BD Comic Strip Festival poster.
The poster features the iconic characters from Jean Van Hamme’s various cult series.
For several years now, the BD Comic Strip Festival has offered a space dedicated to alternative comics.
For this edition, an exhibition will be devoted to the captivating work of Gwénola Carrère: Extra-Végétalia (2 volumes, co-published by Requins Marteaux and Super-Loto). Homage to Dino Attanasio Born in Milan in 1925, Dino Attanasio is the doyen of Belgian comics.
He arrived in Belgium in 1948 and work with La Libre Belgique, Journal Tintin, and then Spirou.
He is notably credited with creating the face of Bob Morane, resulting from the adaptation of Henri Vernes’ novels into comic strips. He just celebrated his 99th birthday. An exhibition paying tribute to his work will be dedicated to him, to mark the occasion.
Jazz and comics are closely linked, as evidenced by the many albums that, through their atmosphere, story, or emblematic artists, are inspired by this musical style.
The Comics Art Museum has partnered with the Maison du Jazz in Liège to create a unique exhibition celebrating these two major art forms.
This immersion into Belgian creativity and the diversity of styles which illustrate the strength and dynamism of this theme.
Visitors will also be able to admire the famous giant comic book character balloons, which will be scattered across the festival site.
This year, original activities will be organised near these monumental inflatables.
Many of the world’s best known authors will be on hand to delight loyal comic strip fans and some 200 signing sessions will be held in the Gare Maritime. Details and schedules will be progressively added to the festival website. Publishers and their authors have prepared a rich programme of talks centred around iconic heroes from the ninth art and new trends.
The International Pavilion While Belgium is particularly proud of its comics heritage, many other countries also have a fine record to their credit.
Among them, a number of international cultural representations will be setting up shop in the International Pavilion to showcase their work and take p part in a unique moment of exchange.
The countries and regions represented are as follows: South Korea, China, Poland, Taiwan, Spain, Congo and countries of the Mediterranean basin.
At this year’s event, comic art students from higher education institutions in the Wallonia-Brussels federation will be on hand to present their work.
Meanwhile, the Comics Art Museum and the Raymond Leblanc Association are collaborating to organise two meet and greet sessions with publishing houses for young authors on Friday 6 September, offering them the opportunity to meet publishers.
To support creativity and authors, Brussels authorities have, for over five years, been awarding the Atomium Comic Strip Prizes, as part of the BD Comic Strip Festival. Most of these awards are cash prizes.
This year, eight prizes will be awarded on 6 September, with a total of over €75,000 in prize money.
The goal is to give as many people as possible the chance to discover the exciting world of comic strips in the capital of the ninth art.
This year, the city’s shops will be joining in the fun, too, with entertainment in the centre. A shuttle bus will take you quickly from the centre to the BD Comic Strip Festival.
This initiative is being organised in collaboration with entreprendre.brussels.
More information on the various activities and the Atomium Prizes can be found at bdcomicstripfestival.brussels (website regularly updated).
