Brussels’ Comic Book Route

In many parts of the world, comics are considered inferior to other types of popular culture. In Belgium however, comics have always been viewed as important. Along those same lines, the country has been developing large-scale productions of comics since the 1930s. Perhaps Belgium saw this as an opportunity to have something uniquely “Belgian.” Since the 1960s, Belgium’s comics have been validated as an important style of visual art.

The French term for the genre further cements the fact that this IS a legitimate art form. “Bandes Dessinees” translates to “drawn strips” and in itself, the term is relevant. Years ago, the country’s educational system adopted comic strips as a way to teach beginning readers. The simple dialogue, along with interesting images, was scientifically proven to yield results in young minds.

Part of the reason comics were so embraced in Belgium is because the country is multi-lingual. Belgians speak both French and Dutch (and often times also German). The country is a European crossroads and it is extremely influenced by neighboring cultures.

The rise of comics occurred in tandem with Europe’s “dark period.” During World War II, US comics were banned in German-occupied Belgium and France. After the war ended, this law was overturned. A new group of comic artists saw this as an opportunity to spread some much-needed joy to their fellow countrymen. One specific publication that revitalized the genre was the Belgian magazine “Spirou.” Among its most famous characters were The Smurfs by Peyo (Pierre Culliford’s pen name) in 1958.

Adrien Lobert, one of the artists commissioned by the city to work on new murals said (courtesy of an article by Megan Zhang), “the pieces are designed to be a marriage between comic art and urban renewal. The frescos are often inspired by the neighborhood in which they are going to be painted. It is sometimes a mix between trompe l’oeil and comics. They are made like this in order to integrate as well as possible into the urban environment.”

In  2013, the city used Urban, a street art group, to reproduce comic illustrations on many of the buildings’ facades. In addition, Urban was also responsible for restoring some of the earliest murals which date back to the 1990s.

Brussels’ commissioned murals form an engaging trail throughout the city and suburbs… nearly sixty locations in total. The murals represent the city’s easygoing personality. Tine Anthoni, head of communications for the Comics Art Museum, says that being in the middle of two larger countries, “We just can’t take ourselves seriously. It’s impossible.”

Belgian comics are known for their ease…they are meant to be read and enjoyed by all generations. They were intended to keep the country’s identity alive, even when Brussels became the European Union’s unintended capital in 1958. It feels great to be transported to another location in order to explore the world alongside an impartial storyteller. If you find yourself winding a corner in Brussels, make sure to look around…you might just find some characters that are essentially jumping out of the walls they are painted into!