The Comics Centre in Hall 3.0 F 104 will host not only discussions, talks, workshops and events, but also exhibitions, the Reader's Corner, and the Comics Café. They invite you to look, browse, and enjoy. The Info Point has all the answers to your questions. You may want to surf the web at our computer terminals, attend autographing sessions and listen to interviews with artists from all over the world.

Programme

Wednesday, October 10th, 2001

13.00 Hrs.	Presentation of the German Online Comics Award
15.00 Hrs.	Where are we going to? - Quality in diversity or arbitrary quantity? Panel discussion. Chaired by Andreas Platthaus und Wolfgang Strzyz. With Jutta Harms, Joachim Kaps, Klaus Schleiter, Georg F. Tempel, Steffen Volkmer, Michael Marschall. The comics market is in a state of flux. Never before in the history of comics Germany has seen so many different genres, so many titles. But can demand keep up with supply?
17.00 Hrs.	Official opening of the Comics Centre. Followed by reception Speaker: Lorenzo A. Rudolf (director of the Frankfurt Book Fair)

Thursday, October 11th, 2001

12.00 Hrs.	Where on earth can I get hold of the stuff? Panel discussion. Chaired by Marius Kessler. With Barbara Bacher, Steffen Boiselle, Johannes Kramer. What sort of difficulties confront booksellers who want to buy and reps who want to sell comics? This is help. Info folders will be handed out at the end of the discussion.
13.00 Hrs.	History of comics in Germany Slide show by Wolfgang Strzyz. From "Max und Moritz" via "Sigurd" and "Asterix" to "Sailor Moon" and "The Simpsons".
14.00 Hrs.	What happened to the comic books? By Chuck Rozanski (in English). A historic summary of changes in the consumer behaviour in the USA since the 1950s.
15.00 Hrs.	Art Spiegelman Slide show by Andreas Platthaus. Art Spiegelman is one of the most outstanding and versatile artists of today. Apart from his Pulitzer Prize winning story, "Maus", Spiegelman is known as an illustrator for children's books and the magazine The New Yorker.

Friday, October 12th, 2001

12.00 Hrs.	Manga is not manga - The diversity of Japanese comics Slide show by Stefan Zeidenitz. Manga have found acceptance on the German comics market. High time to take a closer look. This presentation is especially suited for school groups.
13.00 Hrs.	The Comics Quartet Panel discussion. Chaired by Eckart Sackmann. With Petra Lakner, Frank Neubauer, Andreas Platthaus. Based on the German TV show "Das literarische Quartett", four comics are introduced and discussed.
14.00 Hrs.	Longsellers and bestsellers - What should I put on the comics shelf? Slide show by Wolfgang Strzyz. Answering a question often raised by booksellers. Wolfgang Strzyz runs the comics group at the School of German Booktrade in Frankfurt and organises training seminars on the subject.
15.00 Hrs.	Moebius/Jean Giraud Autographing session. Moebius/Jean Giraud has made comics history. His work had a major influence on others.

Saturday, October 13th, 2001

12.00 Hrs.	Beyond mainstream - How important are small comics publishers? Panel discussion. Chaired by Jens Balzer. With Armin Abmeier, Jutta Harms, Andreas C. Knigge, Sabine Wittkowski. Some emphasize the importance of small publishers in stimulating talent. For others, they are simply a nuisance in the fight to save paper. What is the situation of the so-called avantgarde?
13.00 Hrs.	40 years of "Neue Frankfurter Schule". Talking to Robert Gernhardt et al. Chaired by Oliver Maria Schmitt. For fourty years now, the caustic commentaries of the artists of the "Neue Frankfurter Schule" (, ) have accompanied the German society.
14.00 Hrs.	"Text, what text? Aren't comics just pictures?" Slide show by Hubertus Rufledt. Comics are often defined in terms of their pictures. But the quality of the story-line is just as important.
15.00 Hrs.	"Daring to be experimental". Talking to Moebius/Jean Giraud Chaired by Andreas C. Knigge. When comics "grew up", Moebius/Jean Giraud was in the thick of it all. His new drawing technique, his revolutionary layout and his sophisticated stories ensured that the term "graphic novel" really meant something.
Followed by autographing session.

Sunday, October 14th, 2001

11.00 Hrs.	Wanna be a manga millionaire? Quiz show with Roberts Labs, Sascha Nils Marx and Matthias Wieland. Something for the real fan. Anyone who signs up in time (from 10.00 hrs. onwards) can participate.
13.00 Hrs.	Fascination manga Panel discussion. Chaired by Dirk Rehm and Nina Olligschläger. With the young manga fans Christiane Krutzik, Sarah Machander, Nora Strüber. What is is that makes Japanese comics so fascinating? Three fans provide some of the answers.
14.00 Hrs.	That's how it's done! Live demonstration at the flip chart by artist Yves Ker Ambrun. A professional artists shows you what to look out for in drawing cartoons. For young people of 18 years old or less.
15.00 Hrs.	Duckburgh - model and object lesson Slide show by Patrick Bahners and Andreas Platthaus. A look at the relevance of the Duckburgh universe for everyday life in the here and now.
16.00 Hrs.	Lorenzo Mattotti Autographing session. The Italian Lorenzo Mattotti is the author of "Fire" and other graphic novels.
18.00 Hrs.	Happy Hour. Taking stock and looking into the future. The Frankfurt Book Fair invites exhibitors and people working in comics.

Autographing sessions

Most of the exhibitors around the Comics Centre invite artists for autographing sessions. Among them Brösel, Franziska Becker, Martin Frei, Batem, Uli Stein, Martin tom Dieck, and Sergio Toppi.

Exhibitions

"Extracts from a life's work" (Moebius/Jean Giraud)
"Manga made in Germany"
"40 yeas of Neue Frankfurter Schule"