Germany.
Germany
1865
German comics trace their line to Wilhelm Busch's picture story Max und Moritz (1865).
After the war, Nick Knatterton and Rolf Kauka's Fix und Foxi were published, while in the GDR Hannes Hegen created Mosaik, and the Max und Moritz Prize is now the most prestigious German-language comics award.
447
57
1865
2010s
Artists from Germany in the archive.
Comics from Germany in the archive.
Max and Moritz, the earliest comic from Germany in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Germany began.
Comic
Germany in 3 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Germany.
3 chapters
1865
to 1949
Chapter 01
Picture stories
Wilhelm Busch's Max und Moritz (1865) began the German picture-story line, and e.o.plauen's Vater und Sohn ran from 1934 to 1937. The first successful German-language strip with speech balloons was the Austrian daily Tobias Seicherl (1927).
1950
to 2001
Chapter 02
Postwar series
Manfred Schmidt's Nick Knatterton ran in Quick from 1950 to 1959, Rolf Kauka created Fix und Foxi, and in the GDR Hannes Hegen's Mosaik featured the Digedags until he left in 1975, when the Abrafaxe followed. Erika Fuchs's translations shaped German Disney comics, and later creators include Brösel, author of Werner, Ralf König and Walter Moers.
2002
to today
Chapter 03
Catalogues and museums
The Deutscher Comic Guide has been free online since 2002 and lists more than 140,000 German-language comics published since 1945. The Erika-Fuchs-Haus, a museum of comics and language, opened on 1 August 2015.
The comics to know
- Max and MoritzMax und MoritzWilhelm BuschGermany, 1865Wilhelm Busch
- Father and SonVater und SohnErich OhserGermany, 1934 to 1937e.o.plauen. Ran until 1937.
- Nick KnattertonManfred SchmidtGermany, 1950 to 1959Manfred Schmidt. Ran in Quick until 1959.
- MosaikHannes HegenGermany, 1955Hannes Hegen. GDR comic with the Digedags, later the Abrafaxe.
- Fix and FoxiFix & FoxiRolf KaukaGermany, 1953Rolf Kauka
- WernerDEBrösel
The people to know
- Wilhelm BuschCartoonist, 1832 to 1908Max und Moritz.
- Erich OhserCartoonist, 1903 to 1944Vater und Sohn.
- Manfred SchmidtWriter, 1913 to 1999Nick Knatterton.
- Hannes HegenComics artist, 1925 to 2014Mosaik and the Digedags.
- Rolf KaukaComics artist, 1917 to 2000Fix und Foxi.
- Erika Fuchs1906 to 2005Translator who shaped German Disney comics.
- Rötger FeldmannComics artist, Born 1950Werner.
- Ralf KönigComics artist, born 1960
- Walter MoersComics artist, Born 1957
More artists from Germany
All 447 artists- LoriotCartoonist, 1923 to 2011
- Judith ParkComics artist, Born 1984
- Paul ReinmanComics artist, 1910 to 1988
- Herluf BidstrupCartoonist, 1912 to 1988
- Barbara YelinComics artist, Born 1977
- Reinhard KleistComics artist, Born 1970
- Anke FeuchtenbergerComics artist, Born 1963
- Hansrudi WäscherComics artist, 1928 to 2016
- Aisha FranzComics artist, Born 1984
- Gerhard SeyfriedComics artist, Born 1948
- Matthias SchultheissComics artist, Born 1946
- Isabel KreitzComics artist, Born 1967
More comics from Germany
All 57 comics- FRÖSIHorst AlischGermany, 1953
- RorkAndreasGermany, 1978
- The Hidden Life of TreesDas geheime Leben der BäumePeter WohllebenGermany, 2015
- Yonen BuzzChristina PlakaGermany, 2005 to 2008
- Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your LifeHeute ist der letzte Tag vom Rest deines LebensUlli LustGermany, 2009
- CapricornCapricorneAndreasGermany, 1997
- DystopiaDystopia (Comic)Judith ParkGermany, 2004
- Gothic SportsAnike HageGermany
- SigurdGermany
- Adolf, die NazisauWalter MoersGermany
- War and PeasElizabeth PichGermany
- Chibi-MangaGermany