Black Mirrors — Current Graphic Novels from Germany

Adrian and his younger sister are haunted in their sleep by nightmares of terrifying monsters. These originate in a ...

Adrian and his younger sister are haunted in their sleep by nightmares of terrifying monsters. These originate in a parallel world, a kind of dream realm, which Adrian can enter through the "Gateway". Martina Peters was inspired to write this dark urban fantasy story by her own experiences with sleep paralysis. She demonstrates her great skill as one of the most experienced German mangaka, which is reflected in drawing terms in the successful characters and detailed backgrounds, and in narrative terms in the achievement suspense through the graduation in the build-up of the evil.

In Black Mirrors, the last survivor wanders a deserted landscape devastated by nuclear war. Then, against all expectations, he meets...

In Black Mirrors, the last survivor wanders a deserted landscape devastated by nuclear war. Then, against all expectations, he meets a woman. The multi-awardwinning Viennese comic artist, whose extensive work has been published internationally, retells Arno Schmidt's culturally pessimistic Adam and Eve dystopia in his inimitable humorous way. Previously he has radically rewritten several other great novels, making new works of art in their own right. With his unmistakable, very economical stroke, he succeeds once again in innovatively condensing a classic.

This is the first time we have had such a detailed look at the unpublished works, and as such at...

This is the first time we have had such a detailed look at the unpublished works, and as such at the creative processes, of over 50 comic artists from Germanspeaking countries. This also includes classics such as Wilhelm Busch and E.O. Plauen. This catalogue for an exhibition of the same name examines projects that have not yet been made public. Some were rejected or censored; some never made it to completion. Yet other stories are finished, hidden treasures just waiting to be discovered. Scholarly essays and descriptions are used to classify a wide variety of works and provide an educational overview, both of the 150-year history of German comics and of today’s German-language comics scene.

In a galactic war between humans and aliens, Castor, the home world of siblings Nero and Minerva, was destroyed ...

In a galactic war between humans and aliens, Castor, the home world of siblings Nero and Minerva, was destroyed by aliens. Fighting for humanity, the two of them join the dreaded ITO, who transform themselves into living weapons by merging with god-like beings. Following a decision by Minerva, however, the siblings suddenly find themselves facing each other in battle. First launched with crowdfunding, Volume 1 of The Impure is a brilliant, three-chapter prelude to a tense, action-packed comic that takes place in a technologized yet mythical world, mixing science fiction, dystopia, and adventure with bravura.

Timothy Snyder's pamphlet hits the political nerve of our time, when democracies around the world are wavering beneath the onslaught...

Timothy Snyder's pamphlet hits the political nerve of our time, when democracies around the world are wavering beneath the onslaught of a new authoritarianism. Nora Krug, the creator of the award-winning memoir Heimat, which has been translated all around the globe, is without doubt one of the world’s best illustrators. By transferring Snyder's combination of historical perspectives and solid maxims into her own unique visual language, she has transformed his behavioural doctrine for the preservation of democracy into a graphic work of art. The inclusion in her visual collages of numerous documents and objects from different cultures and different decades adds an extra dimension to the cult book, so it can be read in a completely new way: aesthetically fascinating and full of visual energy.

In her impressive documentary graphic novel, journalist Anna Rakhmanko tells the story of Vasja, her grandfather. It is based on...

In her impressive documentary graphic novel, journalist Anna Rakhmanko tells the story of Vasja, her grandfather. It is based on an interview with her great-aunt Ljuba, who recalls her harrowing childhood experience of deportation from Bukovina to faraway Siberia, and describes her family's fate as slave workers in the Gulag, tormented by suffering, hunger and death. Mikkel Sommer's drawings, in black and tones of grey and violet, convey the desolation as well as an oppressive proximity to the events that stays with the reader for a long time.

In their comic, Jochen Voit, the biographer of Ernst Busch, and illustrator Sophia Hirsch trace the history of a man...

In their comic, Jochen Voit, the biographer of Ernst Busch, and illustrator Sophia Hirsch trace the history of a man who is also a myth: Busch was a shipyard worker during the time of the Kaiser; a star of films and phonographs in the Weimar Republic; an anti-fascist singer in exile; a prisoner of the Nazi regime; later a querulous state artist and communist star of the GDR. The story is based on the attempt in the early 1970s by the painter Ronald Paris to capture Busch in an oil painting, and to exhibit that painting, which ends in disaster. In three acts, three very different companions tell of their encounters with the eccentric singer and actor. In this way, the authors manage to make Ernst Busch approachable. Instead of the myth, they draw the man with all his maladjustments and contradictions.

With their fifth volume, this pair of comic artists present the furious finale of their internationally successful series — an...

With their fifth volume, this pair of comic artists present the furious finale of their internationally successful series — an action-packed mixture of teen drama and postcivilisation survival adventure. Humans have been forced to barricade themselves in fortified settlements subject to strict rules, to protect themselves from a bloodthirsty species of ape. When two rebellious orphan brothers are punitively transferred to an outpost, the social order is upset and conflicts erupt. The spectacular aesthetics of the virtuoso drawings are reminiscent of animation and with their colour and lighting, stand out visually from other publications. Editions of Gung Ho in France, Spain and the USA bear witness to the success story of this outstanding genre comic.

In Backwards Land we experience scenes from our lives in reverse: in the newspaper you can read what will happen...

In Backwards Land we experience scenes from our lives in reverse: in the newspaper you can read what will happen the next day, trees are put back upright with saws, pigs are resuscitated with an electric club in the slaughterhouse. The principle of cause and effect is reversed, and splendidly absurd situations arise — in lovingly detailed, brightly coloured illustrations, sometimes as panels, sometimes full pages. All of this rhymed to perfection in a way that expresses Wagenbreth's love of wordplay. An enjoyable read that makes you wonder and think. Born in 1962, since 1994 Wagenbreth has been professor of illustration at the Berlin University of the Arts, one of Germany's most important centres for young comic artists.

In Thomas Wellmann's short episodes from the daily lives of three friends, Nika, Lotte and Mangold, not only is the...

In Thomas Wellmann's short episodes from the daily lives of three friends, Nika, Lotte and Mangold, not only is the draughtsmanship convincing, but the dry humour and cheeky dialogue are especially enchanting. With the brightly coloured, sometimes fantastic stories about the mismatched trio, he moves beyond clichéed roles and brings diversity into play in an uninhibited way. The interplay between text and image works brilliantly. Wellmann's stories take place in the here and now: the everyday problems, the language, all this is tangible to young readers and shows them, in a wonderful way, how they can be themselves without worries, while still being friends with each other.

After a climate catastrophe, the world consists only of ice. Survivors have retreated to fortified cities to protect themselves from...

After a climate catastrophe, the world consists only of ice. Survivors have retreated to fortified cities to protect themselves from the threat of ice monsters that attack people at night. The boy Sami dreams of taking on the creatures, but he gets injured during one of their attacks and is himself transformed into a creature, half-man, halfmonster. Ban Zarbo delivers some high quality of drawing to kick off a fast-paced post-apocalyptic adventure. The narrative successfully mixes elements of fantasy and science fiction and wins our attention with a sympathetic ensemble of characters.

Temple of Refuge was created as an art project of the Gesellschaft für Neue Auftraggeber (Society for New Patrons). Sartep...

Temple of Refuge was created as an art project of the Gesellschaft für Neue Auftraggeber (Society for New Patrons). Sartep Namiq, who fled from Iraq to Berlin in 2016, commissioned this work on behalf of others. In it, his experiences and dreams, based on an idea by science fiction author Bruce Sterling, are woven into an utopian narrative: It is about the draftsman Sartep, who records the wishes of refugees and makes them come true with the help of an implanted chip. In this way, the refugees’ slum at the gates of a futuristic Berlin is transformed into a fantastic new place where people fight for a shared, better future. Felix Mertikat unfolds Sartep's vision in powerful images whose expressive power is all the more significant because, at the author's request, the comic manages without words.