With more than 700 professional comic strip authors, Belgium has more comic strip artists per square kilometer than any other country in the world. It is in this country that comic strips have grown from a popular medium into an art in its own right. Nowhere else are comics so deeply rooted in everyday life and in people’s imagination.

Morris, the Belgian creator of the series Lucky Luke, was the first to refer to comics as the “Ninth Art”. The title couldn’t have been better chosen – comics are part of the socio-cultural heritage of the Belgians. All Belgians have read comics, they have a collection at home and, most importantly, they are proud of their comic strip culture.

Willem Degraeve, Communication Director of the Belgian Comics Art Museum, will explain why Belgians are so keen on comics and also give a short historical overview of Belgian comics.

Presented by Global France Seminar/MIT Global Languages.

This event is in on the MIT Campus, Stata Building (Building 32) at 32 Vassar Street.

Free and open to the public.

Presented in partnership with Boston University Academic Enhancement Fund, English Department, Romance Studies & the Consulate General of France in Boston