If you happen to be in Amsterdam in the coming month, and you need another reason to visit Lambiek (other than “well, I just gotta”), go and have a look at the Marcel Ruijters exhibition that’s on show there until the end of May.
(cover to Bestiarium, (c) Marcel Ruijters)
The show contains all 119 pages from Ruijters’ most recent graphic novel, Inferno (nominated for the VPRO best Dutch graphic novel award), based on Dante’s poem, as well as some brand new scraper board pages from his brand new book, Bestiarium. Both works, although quite different in content and subject matter, are examples of Ruijters’ typical style, which is at once quirky and smooth, lovely and frightening, glorious and underground.
(cover to Troglodytes #2, art and (c) Marcel Ruijters)
Marcel Ruijters was born in 1966 and started self-publishing his own comics in collections as ‘Thank God it’s Ugly’. Later he contributed to magazines like Zone 5300, Webber, Gr’n, Slutburger and the French art collective, Le Dernier Cri. Ruijters is currently editor for the Dutch alternative comic magazine, Zone 5300. His most recent comic work was ‘Troglodytes’ (3 issues, Top Shelf and Oog & Blik) and ‘Sin Qua Non’(Oog & Blik and Edition L’An2). He is also active as an illustrator, painter and sculptor.
For more info on Marcel Ruijters, and a preview of the Inferno show, visit his website here; Lambiek is located at Kerkstraat 132, Amsterdam and the Ruijters exhibition runs until the end of May.
(cover to Inferno, published Oog & Blik; art and (c) Marcel Ruijters)
Wim Lockefeer lives in Belgium and when not thinking about the benefits of their fine waffles writes extensively on comics culture; you can read more of his work on his own Ephemerist blog.
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