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| European comics | |
|---|---|
| Name | European comics |
| Origin | Europe |
| Regions | Belgium; France; Italy; Spain; United Kingdom; Germany; Netherlands; Scandinavia; Eastern Europe; Switzerland |
European comics are a broad and diverse set of sequential art traditions that developed across the France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, and Eastern Europe from the 19th century onward. They encompass a variety of formats, languages, and markets including serialized magazines, album albums, underground publications, and graphic novels, and intersect with institutions such as the Angoulême International Comics Festival, the Fumetto Festival, and national publishing houses like Casterman and Éditions Dargaud. Practitioners include creators associated with movements and works recognized by awards such as the Eisner Award and the Angoulême Prize (Festival International de la Bande Dessinée).
The roots trace to 19th-century picture stories circulated in newspapers such as Le Petit Journal, Le Petit Français illustré, and the British Punch (magazine), with precursors like the illustrated albums by Honoré Daumier and the cartoons of George Cruikshank. The early 20th century saw development of serialized strips in periodicals like Le Petit Vingtième and titles from publishers such as Éditions Hachette and Mondadori, followed by postwar growth shaped by factors including the Marshall Plan cultural exchange and national policies in France and Belgium. The 1940s and 1950s produced landmark series appearing in magazines like Spirou (magazine) and Tintin (magazine), while the 1960s and 1970s brought adult-oriented movements influenced by festivals like Salon de la Bande Dessinée de Paris and political contexts such as protests of May 1968 in France. The 1980s and 1990s saw formal recognition through institutions including the Festival International de la Bande Dessinée d'Angoulême and awards like the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême, and the turn of the 21st century introduced digital distribution alongside anthologies from houses like Les Humanoïdes Associés.
Belgian and French traditions feature magazines such as Tintin (magazine) and Spirou (magazine) and publishers like Casterman and Dupuis, producing lines including bande dessinée albums exemplified by works from creators affiliated with the Ligne claire school and movements around Hergé. Italian production prospered through serials in Il Giornalino and publishers such as Sergio Bonelli Editore, hosting genres from westerns to giallo illustrated by artists in the tradition of Dylan Dog. Spanish comics developed via magazines like TBO (magazine) and the post-Franco era revival involving publishers such as Bruguera and creators connected to the Movida Madrileña. British traditions evolved from strips in The Beano and Eagle (comic), linked to institutions like IPC Magazines and creators associated with the 2000 AD (comics anthology). German-language lines include serialized works from Der Spiegel supplements and publishers such as Carlsen Verlag and movements like the Neue Deutsche Comic Szene. The Netherlands fostered creators through magazines like Eppo (magazine), while Scandinavia developed distinct traditions via publishers like Egmont and festivals like Stockholm International Comics Festival. Eastern European production operated under different conditions with state publishers such as those in the Soviet Union and later independent presses emerging after the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
Key creators include Hergé, Albert Uderzo, René Goscinny, Moebius (Jean Giraud), Hugo Pratt, Enki Bilal, Franquin (André Franquin), Jacques Tardi, Milo Manara, Giorgio Cavazzano, Juan Díaz Canales, David Rubín, Posy Simmonds, Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, Frank Quitely, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman (note: British authors who worked in European markets), Marjane Satrapi, Art Spiegelman (influential internationally), Chris Ware (influential), Sergio Toppi, Gianni De Luca, César Aira (noted collaborator with artists), Manuele Fior, Fabrice Neaud, Lorenzo Mattotti, Peter Kuper, Gipi (Gianni Pacinotti), Cosey (Bernard Cosendai), Zep (Philippe Chappuis), Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar, Christophe Blain, Rutu Modan, Hannah Berry, Rene Goscinny (duplicate of above), Jacques Lob, Morvan (Jean-David Morvan), Philippe Druillet, Sergio Bonelli, Enrico Marini, Leo (Kester 'Leo' Klingsöhr), Jacques Martin, Uderzo (Albert Uderzo) (duplicate), Ettore Scola (cross-disciplinary collaborator), Alan Davis, Dave Gibbons, Adolf Born, Zoran Janjetov, Igort (Igor Tuveri).
Representative series include The Adventures of Tintin, Asterix, Blueberry, Corto Maltese, Valérian and Laureline, The Adventures of Alix, Spirou et Fantasio, Lucky Luke, The Smurfs, Thorgal, Dylan Dog, Mort Cinder, Blacksad, The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec, Les Aventures de Blake et Mortimer, Largo Winch, Corto Maltese (duplicate), Tex Willer, Diabolik, Corto Maltese (duplicate), Gaston Lagaffe, XIII (comics), Jeremiah (comics), Tintin (duplicate).
Styles include the Ligne claire associated with Hergé, the painterly approaches of Moebius (Jean Giraud) and Enki Bilal, the grotesque realism of Jacques Tardi, and the erotic illustration tradition exemplified by Milo Manara. Formats range from serialized weekly strips in magazines like Spirou (magazine) and Eppo (magazine) to hardcover albums by Casterman and Les Humanoïdes Associés, to underground zines connected to scenes around Bruguera and La Cúpula (publisher), and long-form graphic novels recognized at venues such as the Angoulême International Comics Festival. Cross-media formats include adaptations to film via studios collaborating with creators such as StudioCanal and Pathé, television adaptations on channels like BBC and TF1, and theatrical productions staged at institutions like Théâtre National de Chaillot.
Major publishers comprise Dupuis, Dargaud, Casterman, Les Humanoïdes Associés, Sergio Bonelli Editore, Panini Comics, Bruguera, Carlsen Verlag, Egmont, Reprodukt, and Glénat. Distribution channels include comic shops like those in Brussels and Paris as well as book chains such as Fnac (retailer) and Waterstones, and fairs such as Frankfurt Book Fair. Economic and legal contexts involve copyright regimes governed by national laws in France, Belgium, and Italy and collective management organizations like SACD and SIAE. Funding and grants originate from cultural ministries in France and regional bodies such as the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Licensing networks manage merchandise for properties like Asterix and Tintin through companies such as Moulinsart.
European comics have influenced cinema via directors like Federico Fellini and Luc Besson adapting comic aesthetics, inspired graphic design practices in movements like Bauhaus-informed designers, and shaped literary recognition exemplified by Nobel Laureates referencing the medium in events at Festival d'Avignon and academic programs at institutions such as Sorbonne University. Translations and international editions spread series to markets including Japan and United States, enabling cross-pollination with creators associated with Marvel Comics and DC Comics and festivals such as Comic-Con International. Cultural debates over censorship involved controversies around publications in Spain during the Francoist dictatorship and in the United Kingdom with moral panics covered by outlets like The Times (London). Museums and public collections such as the Belgian Comic Strip Center and exhibitions at the Centre Pompidou institutionalize the art form.
Major events include the Angoulême International Comics Festival, the Lucca Comics & Games, the Comic-Con International: San Diego crossovers, Fumetto Festival, Mid-Ohio Con (European guests), Stockholm International Comics Festival, and regional gatherings like Salon du Livre et de la Presse Jeunesse and Salon International du Livre de Genève. Fan communities organize via organizations such as Association des Critiques et journalistes de Bande Dessinée and online forums linked to retailers like Amazon (company) and fan sites covering series like Tintin and Asterix. Cosplay subcultures appear at events such as Lucca Comics & Games and competitions judged by juries including figures from Panini Comics and award committees like the Angoulême Prize (Festival International de la Bande Dessinée).