The great temporary exhibitions, Vandersteen the storyteller

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Masterclasses

Discover the secrets of 9th art in the company of exceptional speakers

Published on 12 September 2024

Masterclasses

Throughout this year, the Comics Art Museum is hosting a series of masterclasses. Once a month, we will be welcoming a renowned author. The author will give a talk on the theme and/or angle of…
Sunday sketching sessions

Published on 10 September 2024

Join a sketching session led by a cartoonist every 3rd Sunday of the month.

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The great temporary exhibitions

Willy Vandersteen, the creator of Spike and Suzy and many other popular series which he drew himself for some years before entrusting them to his studio, was born in Antwerp on 15 February 1913, in the Seefhoek area, a paradise for artists and storytellers. Who could have guessed then that this son of a wood sculptor would one day become the equal of Hendrik Conscience, the most popular Flemish writer of his day? As a child Vandersteen dreamed of Buffalo Bill and Nick Carter, of Jules Verne and his first book Five Weeks in a Balloon. Later, through his comic strips from De Rode Ridder (The Red Knight) to the duo Robert en Bertrand, inspired by another favourite book from his childhood, Willy Vandersteen developed a graphic style which left ample room for narration. His stories, directly inspired by popular literature and serialised novels, are full of action and intrigue, while his humour is totally fearless of nonsensicality and the general context of his tales is one of social openness. With Willy Vandersteen, the comic strip is more than ever a literary genre.
Curator: Daniel Couvreur

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