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| Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art | |
|---|---|
| Name | Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art |
| Native name | Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée |
| Established | 1989 |
| Location | Brussels, Belgium |
| Type | Art museum |
| Director | Didier Pasamonik |
Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art is a museum in Brussels dedicated to the art and history of comics. The institution presents exhibitions on creators and series such as Hergé, Franquin, Peyo, Tintin, Spirou (magazine), and Lucky Luke while engaging with international figures like Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Moebius, Osamu Tezuka, and Hugo Pratt. It acts as both exhibition space and research hub, attracting visitors interested in Franco-Belgian comics, American comics, Manga, European comics, and graphic novels.
The museum was founded in the context of cultural policies that recognized comics as a national heritage alongside initiatives by Hergé Foundation, CNC (France), Centre national du livre, Agence pour la Promotion de la Bande Dessinée, and municipal programs in Brussels-Capital Region. Early advocacy involved personalities such as Georges Remi, André Franquin, Peyo, Edgard P. Jacobs, Jacques Martin, and collectors linked to Musée de la Bande Dessinée de Bruxelles. The opening connected to restorations of the Sablon, collaboration with Royal Museums of Art and History, and celebrations tied to anniversaries of Tintin au Congo, Gaston Lagaffe, Spirou et Fantasio, The Adventures of Tintin, and retrospectives of Alex Raymond, Winsor McCay, Hugo Pratt, Corto Maltese, and Tove Jansson. Over decades curators curated shows on Morris (comics), André Juillard, Enki Bilal, Yves Chaland, Marjane Satrapi, Daniel Clowes, Charles M. Schulz, and Bill Watterson.
The museum occupies a landmark building renovated by teams including Victor Horta-influenced architects, conservation specialists from Flemish Government, and restoration offices collaborating with UNESCO guidelines for heritage sites. The interior juxtaposes Art Nouveau elements associated with Victor Horta, Paul Hankar, and façades in the style of Henri van de Velde alongside modern interventions by contemporary firms who have worked on projects like Bozar, Musée Magritte Museum, and Atomium. The site sits near Rue des Sables, close to Grand-Place, Place des Palais, and transit hubs such as Brussels Central Station, integrating signage developed with European Capital of Culture partners.
Permanent and temporary holdings cover original pages, sketches, and editorial proofs from artists including Hergé, Franquin, Peyo, Bob De Moor, Edgar P. Jacobs, Jacques Tardi, Moebius, Enki Bilal, Hugo Pratt, Jean-Claude Mézières, Philippe Druillet, Serge Clerc, Claire Wendling, Marjane Satrapi, Bastien Vivès, Raina Telgemeier, Alison Bechdel, Art Spiegelman, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Glen Keane, Osamu Tezuka, Naoki Urasawa, Katsuhiro Otomo, Rumiko Takahashi, Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Winsor McCay, Alex Raymond, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Milton Caniff, Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel, Bill Finger, Steve Ditko, Stan Lee, John Romita Jr., Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, Todd Klein, Dave Gibbons, Brian K. Vaughan, Jeff Smith, Charles Burns, David B., Sergio Toppi, Corto Maltese creators, Hergé Foundation archives, and material from Belgian publishers such as Dupuis, Casterman, Le Lombard, and Dargaud. Exhibitions have featured thematic shows on war comics, science fiction comics, children's comics, and auteurs like Georges Wolinski and Plantu.
The centre runs educational programs for schools in partnership with Université libre de Bruxelles, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, École nationale supérieure des Arts visuels de La Cambre, Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp), and cultural organizations including Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. Workshops involve practitioners such as François Schuiten, Benoît Sokal, Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar, Émile Bravo, and guest lecturers from institutions like MoMA, Bibliothèque nationale de France, British Library, and Smithsonian Institution. Outreach extends to festivals such as Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême, Comic-Con International, Lucca Comics & Games, Angoulême International Comics Festival, Salon du Livre, and local events with Brussels Comics Festival.
Scholarly activity includes catalogues raisonnés, monographs, and exhibition catalogues produced in collaboration with publishers like Éditions Casterman, Éditions Dupuis, Les Éditions du Lombard, Yale University Press, Routledge, Palgrave Macmillan, Harvard University Press, and academic journals such as ImageTexT, Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, and European Comic Art. Research projects have examined auteur studies of Hergé, comparative studies involving Moebius and Jack Kirby, conservation methods for paper and inks with Koninklijk Instituut voor het Kunstpatrimonium, and digital archiving with partners including Europeana, Digital Public Library of America, and Google Arts & Culture.
The centre hosts retrospectives, launches, signings, and symposiums inviting guests such as Hergé, Franquin, Moebius, Enki Bilal, Marjane Satrapi, Art Spiegelman, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Jeff Smith, Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar, Yoshihiro Tatsumi, Katsuhiro Otomo, Naoki Urasawa, Bill Watterson, Charles M. Schulz, Jack Kirby, and representatives from Dupuis and Casterman. Regular programming includes film screenings tied to Studio Ghibli, Blake and Mortimer adaptations, lectures with partners such as Royal Belgian Film Archive, and participatory events during Brussels Comic Book Route and Belgian National Day cultural weeks.
Administration combines public and private stakeholders including the City of Brussels, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Belgian federal cultural bodies, and private patrons such as collectors associated with Hergé Foundation and publishing houses like Dupuis, Le Lombard, and Casterman. Funding streams include grants from entities like European Commission cultural programs, sponsorships from media partners such as RTBF, VRT, and ticketing revenues. Governance structures incorporate boards with representatives from Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Brussels), Université libre de Bruxelles, and professional associations including Belgian Comic Strip Center Association.