The Forbidden Planet International Blog

(art by and (c) Henning Wagenbreth)

Our chums at the Goethe Institut in Glasgow (who have hosted some very fine events featuring German and other European comics creators) were kind enough to send us news of an upcoming exhibition: Comics, Manga & Co – the New Culture of German Comics, which will run at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design Gallery in Dundee from November 2nd to the 8th of December.

(above: “Proberaum” by and (c) Mawil, below: “We see this world in black and white” by and (c) Arne Bellstorf, both scanned from a set of very fetching postcards the Goethe has printed to promote the exhibition)

The German comics scene has been really changing and evolving in recent years and the Goethe-Institut and Matthias Schneider have planned this travelling exhibition to explore and celebrate those changes as German comics culture emerges to take its place alongside the more widely known European cousins such as the Franco-Belgian or Italian comics scenes and it shows off both the older established and respected creators and the new wave, quite a few of whom we’ve talked about right here on the blog (ans some of whom we’ve been delighted to get to read translated into English by the likes of Blank Slate and SelfMadeHero).

The exhibition includes work from an exceptional roster of German comics talent: Arne Bellstorf, Anke Feuchtenberger, Flix, Jens Harder, Sascha Hommer, Line Hoven, Ulf K., Reinhard Kleist, Isabel Kreitz, Mawil, Christina Plaka, Martin Tom Dieck and Henning Wagenbreth. The exhibition will be prefaced by the Artist’s Talk With Anke Feuchtenberger on October 31st at the DJCA’s Matthew Gallery, with well known Scottish comics expert and academic Doctor Chris Murray chairing this rare UK chance to hear and see one of the most respected comics creators in the German language scene (and I know an enormous favourite of our own Kenny, and he knows his German comics).

(above: “Hieronymus B” by and (c) Ulf K, below “Die Sache mit Sorge” by and (c) Isabel Kreitz, again scanned from the very handsome postcards the Goethe has printed to promote the exhibition, and which are now brightening up my desk space)

From the description of the exhibition: “Given the diversity of artistic techniques, modes of narration and forms of publication they employ, it is practically impossible to unite the thirteen featured artists under one stylistic heading. The images in their autobiographical, surrealist, historical or fantastical narratives, comic reportages and literary adaptations are created on a wide variety of surfaces, from computer screens to scratchboards, and are drawn in pencil, ink or charcoal, among others.

What these artists do share, however, is a strong interest in exploring the potential of this medium of pictorial expression, in setting aside all restrictive formal definitions of the comic and opening up the medium to the graphic arts, painting and illustration. They leave it up to other people to decide whether their publications should be described as comics, picture stories or graphic novels; they themselves reject this kind of compartmentalisation in favour of individually adapting the narrative form to suit the particular story. ”

The exhibition runs at the DJCA’s gallery from November 2nd to December 8th, you can find out more details on the Goethe site here.