PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 27 June 2013
5-8 September 2013.
Comics are right at home in Brussels, and you can tell!
Our paper heroes are everywhere: bookshops, wall murals, exhibitions, art galleries, television, even
Hollywood has fallen under their spell: on 21 October 2011 the world premiere of Steven Spielberg's cinema adaptation of Tintin took place in Brussels whilst the Smurfs, strengthened by their initial success, will be reappearing this summer.
The Comics Festival was created in 2010 by the Brussels-Capital Region as the logical continuation of the comic strip themed year organised in Brussels in 2009.
In 2013, Brussels is going to experience a highly colourful weekend from 5-8 September, with its now famous Comics Festival taking place in Place des Palais, but also a 3D projection mapping on the
Place Royale, the Balloon’s Day Parade, the Tintin magazine, guided visits and comics exhibitions at the festival and throughout the city, in particular at the Palais des Beaux Arts (BOZAR) and at the
Belgian Comic Strip Centre.
During this one-off weekend, the Place des Palais will welcome museums, exhibitions, publishers, bookshops, boutiques and signing sessions.
Comics Festival
Date: 5-8 September 2013.
Place: Place des Palais – Place Royale – Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR) – CBBD…
Price: Free
An initiative by the Brussels-Capital Region with support from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, the City of Brussels and COCOF (College of the
French Community Commission) coordinated by VISITBRUSSELS
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COMICS FESTIVAL
Marquee area
All aboard at Place des Palais! Billions of blistering blue barnacles! Comic strips lovers will be able to visit bookshops, publishers, museums, exhibitions, boutiques and numerous animations for both adults and children. Get ready to bump into characters who have stepped straight out of their 'box' purely to meet you.
Schedule
Aside from sales of new or second hand comics offered by comic strip sellers and bookshops, marquees will house a number of surprises:
 exhibitions and animations offered by different comic themed museums in Brussels and its surroundings (Hergé Museum, CBBD (Belgian Comic Strip Centre), Marc Sleen
Foundation, Comics Cafe…)
 space dedicated to Japan, managed by 'Japan Expo Belgium': events, exhibitions…
 a large exhibition thought up by pupils from the Saint-Luc School of Art and the presentation of creations by former students.
 numerous signings by around a hundred authors from all walks of life thanks in particular to the collaboration of large publishers
 a multidisciplinary stage which will see both "live" cartoonists as well as a Cosplay competition or "comic strip" musicians tread the boards…
 guided visits with a theme specially conceived for the Comics Festival
Guest of honour
In addition, the Comics Festival has the pleasure of welcoming a very special guest in 2013:
Taiwan! The Taiwanese Cultural Centre in Paris is joining the event to present and introduce to the Comics Festival audience the excellent authors from Taiwan. The public will be able to meet famous artists who will attend in person to sign the works!
In this way, the Comics Festival is tying in with the Belgian Comic Strip Centre which from the start of
September will be running an exhibition on Maître Chiu, a renowned Taiwanese artist who will also be in attendance at the Festival!
INFORMATION:
Date: Friday 6 - Sunday 8 September
Time: Friday: 3:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Sunday: 10:00 a.m. -
6:00 p.m.
Place: Place des Palais
Price: Free
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Screenings/conferences
Cinematek
For the first time, Brussels Cinematek is joining the Comics Festival and is offering a special programme for the weekend: two comic strip authors will present a film which has had a significant influence on their work, then will be available for a signing after the session.
INFORMATION
Date: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Place: CINEMATEK – 9, rue Baron Horta 1000 Brussels
BIP / Anima
The rooms at BIP will be transformed into a screening space for a weekend, with a programme containing comic strip animations and documentary films specially prepared by ANIMA, the International Animation Film Festival.
INFORMATION
Date: Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September
Time: to be confirmed
Place: BIP – 2-4, rue Royale 1000 Brussels
"When I was at school, the teachers still didn't approve of anything concerning the world of comics owing to an alleged lack of educational value and for fear of children failing to become interested in books later on. However, having read comics, I devoured works of fiction and non-fiction, which grew ever thicker, as well as very dry reports filled with figures. Nevertheless, I still appreciate a fantastic comic strip. Now more than ever. As an adult you can find a lot more in them that you can as a child."
Guy Vanhengel
Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, responsible for Exterior Relations
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Comic strip themed dinner
To celebrate the Comics Festival, take part in an original concept: a colourful dinner to honour our paper heroes! This lively event with a "street food" theme will particularly appeal to children and families.
On the menu: exquisite creativity; a cartoon universe and animations rich with drama, al served up in the famed Brussels Food Trucks! To top everything off, diners will also be able to see a sound and light show put on as part of the Comics Festival.
INFORMATION
Date: Friday 6 and Saturday 7 September
Time: to be confirmed
Place: Place des Palais
PARADES
Balloon’s Day Parade
For the sixth consecutive year, the Balloon’s Day Parade will fill the streets of Brussels to the sound of accompanying fanfares. Escorted by a Police parade and folklore groups, the route taken by the
Balloon’s Parade will start once again at the very heart of the Comics Festival, where the public will first of all be able to see the giant balloons representing the different Belgian comic strip characters, ending up at Place De Brouckère.
As in every other year, a new balloon will be created to adorn the Balloon’s Day Parade again.
INFORMATION:
Date: Saturday 7 September
Time: inflating from 10:00 a.m. - parade 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Price: Free
The Balloon's Day Parade, which has run for 4 years, is already a key family event in Brussels which allows the theme of comics to be anchored to the city itself. The development of new city events for the general public as well as families is an integral part of our tourism policy. These events unite the inhabitants of Brussels and ensure that the reputation of our capital city extends beyond its borders.
It is highly likely that the tourists present in Brussels this particular weekend will remember that comics are a key theme in our capital city! "
Philippe Close
Alderman of Tourism for the City of Brussels
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The "Tintin magazine" car rally
This year, in collaboration with Moulinsart, a rally involving around forty cars and motorcycles represented in the boards of different comic strips from the Tintin magazine will leave from Place des
Palais and will then pass through different mythical comic strip places in Brussels and through the
Hergé Museum. On their return to Place des Palais, the cars will be evaluated by a jury selected by
Moulinsart and the most authentic among them will be officially named "The Tintin magazine car".
The cars will them remain exhibited for the rest of the day to be admired by all!
INFORMATION:
Date: Sunday 8 September
Time: cars leave Place des Palais at 10:00 a.m. – return and car exhibition
Place: Place des Palais at 3:00 p.m. (times to be confirmed)
Price: Free
Moulinsart is still looking for vehicles to participate in this rally. For more information: Lucien
Beckers: +32 477 47 05 50 - lucien@testacoda.be
"Few people can still be in doubt that Brussels is the international comic strip capital. The Brussels-
Capital Region has awarded comics the place they deserve in its tourism offering. It is therefore no coincidence that Brussels is emerging as the destination par excellence for fans of the 9th art. This true cultural asset is one of the things that are small country is most proud of. Belgians should also be proud of their exceptional authors who are renowned throughout the world. "
Christos Doulkeridis
Minister-President of the Board of the French Community Commission (COCOF), responsible for Tourism
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COMICS SHOW – 3D COMICS LIGHT SHOW
Enormous video projections will be displayed over an area 20 m high by 150 m wide! This homage to the 9th art will use video mapping, a projection technique which enables almost any surface to be transformed into a dynamic video screen. From Tintin to Marsupilami via Blake and Mortimer, the animated characters interact with the architecture of the prestigious façades of the Place Royale in a customised production. This festival show will offer an innovative combination of video, light, 3D, laser, pyrotechnics…
The little surprise this year: the new mascot of the Brussels Comics Festival! Spectators at the Comics
Show will have the opportunity to discover this new character which over the years will become the official emblem of the Comics Festival.
And during the first part of this show, two comic strip authors will face each other in a huge, musical
"Battle of the Comics" projected onto the façades of Place Royale!
INFORMATION
Date: Friday 6 and Saturday 7 September
Time: 21:00 p.m.
Place: Place Royale
Free
"My most unusual memory?... when I was small, I remember an incredible competition organised by the Tintin magazine. It was during the golden age of comics, at the start of the 60s. To celebrate the release of the film "Tintin and the mystery of the Toison d'Or", Tintin magazine had been published twice in the same week, at first sight the copies were identical, however... it was in fact a huge "spot the difference".
Naturally, I had carefully identified all the differences. Then, there was an additional question and I knew very quickly that I hadn't won. Everything finished up in Flagey, where the participants in the competition were invited to help with the projection of the film, which I remember extremely well. "
Rudi Vervoort
Minister-President of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region
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NIGHT-TIME EVENTS
On Friday evening, the comic strip themed museums and bookshops and galleries in the centre of
Brussels join in the activities in Place des Palais to ensure a colourful Comics Night! Concerts, exhibitions, signings and a Comics Show, on Friday evening, Brussels will be breathing comic strips!
There will be a large Hall of Fame exhibition organised in collaboration with Editions Dupuis which the public can see in the marquee area and different bookshops participating in the night-time events: almost 200 boards showing illustrations of Spirou as seen by 200 well-known authors will scattered around Brussels!
INFORMATION
Date: Friday 6 September
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Place: Place des Palais – participating bookshops and museums (to be confirmed)
Price: Free
MAJOR EXHIBITION
Some Extraordinary Plates
Will as seen by Ever Meulen
The exhibition cycle ‘Some Extraordinary Plates’ revisits the history of comics from an innovative perspective. An artist, always a creative force, reveals his vision of the work of one of founders of the
Belgian comic strip.
Ever Meulen, an internationally recognised illustrator, takes an emotional and admiring look at
Wills's work, which he discovered whilst reading ‘Spirou’ and ‘Tintin’ from the 50s and 60s. During this period the creator of ‘Tif and Tondu’ drew a number of boards which were among the most graphic Franco-Belgian comic strips.
For ‘Memorable Pages’, Ever Meulen selects around thirty comic boards which evidence Will's passion for design, architecture and his sense of shape. They are presented in the form of magnificent enlargements which have been carefully reproduced. These copies restore the emotion that results in creation: the richness of Indian ink, overpainting, corrections to the gouache, scratching, staple holes from the text layer, outlines of sketches, notes in the margins etc.
Visitors will be able to see bold lines, how a box is put together and the specific dynamic of a single board, all things at while Will excelled.
INFORMATION:
Date: from Friday 6 September to 13 October 2013
Time: to be confirmed
Place: Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR) (TERARKEN space) – 23, Rue Ravenstein - 1000 Brussels
Price: Free
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"Comics in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, an asset to be cherished!
Since 2005, the policy supporting comic strips has been at the heart of my activities. I decided to help authors who work in the field of creation, who fuel research and undertake original artistic projects.
However, comics are also an important part of our heritage and the exhibition run at the Palais des
Beaux-Arts evidences by wish to highlight this, for the pleasure of all kinds of audiences."
Fadila Laanan
Minister of Culture for the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
LAUNCH PARTY
On Thursday 5 September, the Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR) will host the launch part for the Comics
Festival! This launch party, which will be attended by professionals from the world of Comics in
Brussels, Ministers from Brussels and cultural journalists, will consist of three events in one: the opening of the exhibition at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, the launch of the Comics Festival and the presenting of the Grand Prix Saint-Michel!
In fact, and for the second consecutive year as part of the Comics Festival, the Prix Saint-Michel, the oldest award in the world of Comics in Europe, will be awarded to the winner of the competition: created in 1971 by André Leborgne, this prize has already been awarded to, among others, Edgar
Pierre Jacobs, Victor Hubinson, Morris, Hergé, Hugo Pratt and Jijé.
INFORMATION
Date: Thursday 5 September
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. (to be confirmed)
Place: Palais des Beaux-Arts (BOZAR)
By invitation
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TO FIND OUT MORE… www.visitbrussels.be/comics
Brussels is the comic strip capital and never stops proving it. There is no shortage of possibilities: visiting the museums and exhibitions; strolling around the many specialist galleries and bookshops; heading off to discover the 47 comic strip murals located all over Brussels; and even eating and sleeping comics … there's plenty to do for lovers of the 9th art! Find all the information you need to ensure you get the most out of the Comics Festival on our dedicated website: www.visitbrussels.be/comics
VISITBRUSSELS: sized for comics, VISITBRUSSELS: sized for Tintin and VISITBRUSSELS: sized for Nero
These three mini-maps each offer you a surprising themed journey through Brussels, one following in the footsteps of Tintin, another to discover comic strip murals in Brussels and the last relating to Néron. Three unusual routes that are well worth investigating. These minimaps are available at a price of €0.50 and in several languages at all reception desks. You can also find them on our site.
Comics for Kids - Discovering comic murals in Brussels
VISITBRUSSELS is offering children the opportunity to discover a number of comic strip murals located throughout the region whilst enjoying the company of the Smurfs. They will come across such characters as Tintin, Ric Hochet, Stam & Pilou, Billy the Cat, Bob and
Bobette… The heroes of paper and authors, mostly from Brussels, that they will get to know better through a number of games.
We also offer you the opportunity to discover the VISITBRUSSELS press release sized for comics: http://visitbrussels.be/bitc/static/front/img/db/pdf_12773.pdf
More information : www.ComicsFestival.be
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PRESS INFORMATION
Press conference
The press conference for the Comics Festival will take place on Thursday 5 September at 12:30 p.m., in the ticket hall at BIP (2-4, rue Royale à 1000 Brussels).
It will then be possible to get a glimpse of the ‘Memorable Pages’ exhibition at the Palais des Beauxarts (BOZAR), as well as the Comics Festival, the preparations for which will be being finalised in Place des Palais!
Online picture library http://visitbrussels.be/bitc/front/user/displayLogin.do
Login: press@visitbrussels.be
Password: press
Search for: ‘comic’
*to comply with copyright, please do not crop the images in of comic strip murals
Press contacts
Minister President Rudi Vervoort's Office
Leonôr Da Silva: +32 486 72 10 94 - ldasilva@vervoort.irisnet.be
Minister Guy Vanhengel's Office
Nadya de Beule: +32 497 599 973 - ndebeule@vanhengel.irisnet.be
Minister Fadila Laanan's Office
Aurore Dierick: +32 477 89 53 86 - aurore.dierick@gov.cfwb.be
Secretary of State Christos Doulkeridis' Office
Mélusine Baronian: +32 477 55 83 32 - mbaronian@doulkeridis.irisnet.be
Alderman Philippe Close's Office
Perrine Marchal: +32 478 32 62 72 - perrine.marchal@brucity.be
VISITBRUSSELS
Martha Meeze: +32 486 53 31 81 - m.meeze@visitbrussels.be
Pierre-Olivier Massart: +32 475 53 08 07 - p.massart@visitbrussels.be
Gary Divito: +32 476 94 13 53 - g.divito@visitbrussels.be
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