2009, the year of the Comics strip in Brussels

All along this year you will have the chance to live on the wild rhythm of the many exhibitions and conferences about sets of themes about the comics strips such as their premises, the golden age, the Asian invasion, the comics throughout the camera. From works of Marc Hardy, author of the delirious Pierre Tombal, or Renée Goscinny, one of the fathers of Asterix, to several realisations of academic students, via the Plural perspectives exhibition comparing the Belgian comics and ones from other countries, throughout the ages, or Sexties. The town hall as for it will receive the Exhibition Willy Vandersteen, the Brussels period of the creator of Bob & Bobette. Concerning the shows, festivities begin in fine style with the Balloons Day Parade, where giant balloons representing well-known cartoon characters will be parading along the downtown boulevards. This will end the week of the Belgian Animation Movies Festival Anima, proposing debates, guests, projections and exhibitions showcasing the links between the Belgian school and the major comics strip trends throughout the world. The Brussels Book Fair will also dedicate a day to the cartoons. From April to September, the strange world of Sortilège will be immersed in the adventures of Robin Dubois. In Mai, the Grand Place will be decorated with a huge board surrounding 750 meters square meters, whose topic is still a secret. Other animations over the manga's, visits of workshops and of the Royal Museum of Army of Brussels with tests for children, and of course the 8th Brussels Comics Strip Festival all along the year. 2009 will be a question of Comics or won't be. To read or not to read, is this really a question?! Elliott Brilmaker