Are you visiting Brussels with small children and would like to make this trip especially attractive for kids? Then, one of the places you should definitely visit is Belgian Comic Strip Centre located under the following address: Maison Waucquez, 20 Rue des Sables, Central Brussels. Belgian Comic Strip Centre is situated in a beautiful building created by Victor Horta in 1906. Here, you will have a chance to see a large permanent exhibition showing the history of Belgian and French comic strips and cartoons as well as a number of constantly rotating exhibitions.
Permanent exhibitions at Belgian Comic Strip Centre
A current permanent exhibition includes a large collection of draft sketches, original manuscripts, comic strip drawings and even the reconstruction of various scenes of cartoons and comics such as the moon rocket of Captain Haddock and the saloon of Lucky Luke’s. Here, you can learn more about particular permanent exhibitions at Belgian Comic Strip Centre.
Horta and the Waucquez Warehouse
First of all, one of the permanent exhibitions is dedicated to the building that is the home of Belgian Comic Strip Centre. Before the building turned into the centre of the history of the Belgian cartoons and comic strips, it had been used as a warehouse. You will be able to learn more about this gorgeous building visiting the Horta and the Waucquez Warehouse exhibition.
The Invention of Comic Strip
Undeniably, the centre of comic strip couldn’t make do without a separate exhibition dedicated exclusively to the history of this form of visual art. Here you will learn the fascinating facts about comic strip and see many important original items that will help you to turn back in time.
The Art of Comic Strip
Certainly, learning only about the history of comic strip is not enough as it is also crucial to understand the genres and forms used by this visual art. The Art of Comic Strip exhibition is mainly focused on the art in modern Europe.
The Peyo Exhibition
One of the greatest exhibitions available at Belgian Comic Strip Centre is The Peyo Exhibition. This one is especially loved by children since it invites visitors to get into 3D Smurf village created in a highly realistic way. In addition to it, the exhibition has a large collection of information about The Peyo comic strip giant.
The Hergé Area
The Hergé Area is dedicated to the fascinating career of the creator of world-known Tintin. Here, you will have an opportunity to learn about the earlier works of the artist as well.
Pieter De Poortere Auditorium
Pieter De Poortere Auditorium will introduce you to Dickie, one of the most popular characters whom you can meet in the Belgian magazines and cartoons. Of course, the exhibition also provides its visitors with the information about Pieter De Poortere, the creator of Dickie.
Temporary exhibitions at Belgian Comic Strip Centre
Temporary exhibitions are constantly changing, but their major topics are always the characters of comic strip, comic strip artists or entire themes and movements of the comic strip art. For instance, at the current moment, Belgian Comic Strip Centre invites its visitors to explore the Billy and Buddy, Sixty years of everyday happiness exhibition dedicated to the comic series about Billy and Buddy realised by Jean Roba.
Another temporary exhibition you can currently see at Belgian Comic Strip Centre is dedicated to Dominique Roques, the author of the scripts about Mafalda, Calvian and Hobbes as well as other comic strip characters and Alexis Dormal, her son who is the author of the illustrations to her scripts.
Now, you can also visit an amazing exhibition about Juanjo Guarnido, the author of the famous series Blacksad.