The final page has been turned on the 2024 BD Comic Strip Festival.
Thank you all for your energy, your passion, your commitment... You are the heroes of this story!
See you next year, from 26 to 28 September 2025!
The final page has been turned on the 2024 BD Comic Strip Festival.
Thank you all for your energy, your passion, your commitment... You are the heroes of this story!
See you next year, from 26 to 28 September 2025!
Leading publishing houses, independent publishers, second-hand shops, galleries dedicated to the ninth art, activity areas, cultural performances at the International Pavilion... the Gare Maritime has so much in store for you to discover.
visit.brussels, in close collaboration with its partners, wants to show its support for comic strip creation and bring together existing initiatives by awarding 8 Atomium Comic Strip Prizes, most of which are awarded in cash to enable the winners to finance their work.
Winner: Mina Koraichi – Anti-Illiteracy Club
This album will be published by Le Lombard and Judith Vanistendael, president of the jury, was personally involved in its production. Mina Koraichi began a Master's degree in Comics at the ESA St Luc in Brussels in 2024.
What the jury said: Here was a story that the entire jury was immediately dying to discover. Partly autobiographical, with a social and feminist resonance, this forthcoming debut album already has a very assertive tone. The jury of the Raymond Leblanc Prize for Young Writers was won over by Mina Koraichi's sincerity and humanist values.
Synopsis: As a tribute to her late mother, Nadia, a young Moroccan woman, decides to set up a club for illiterate women. The first step was to convince everyone in the village of the merits of her initiative. And she has her work cut out for her: no-one believes in it…
Subject: The Leblanc Atomium Prize was launched 13 years ago by the Raymond Leblanc non-profit association, whose goal is to publish, collect and preserve all the cultural heritage created by Raymond Leblanc, founder of the "Tintin magazine", Éditions Le Lombard, Publiart advertising agency and the Belvision animation studios, among other things. Its goal is to reward the work of a young author who hasn't published more than two comic strip albums.
Prize: €20,000 (a grant of €10,000 awarded by the COCOF and €10,000 in advance on rights) as well as an alternating publishing contract with Éditions du Lombard, Futuropolis or Casterman.
Partners: Association Raymond Leblanc, Éditions Le Lombard, Futuropolis and Casterman.
More information: raymondleblanc.be
* "Anti-Illiteracy Club" will be published by Le Lombard.
Winner: Léonie Bischoff
What the jury said: Over the years, Léonie Bischoff (born in 1981) has shown a welcome willingness in her creative process and in her graphic and narrative approach to address complex subjects (the place of women in the world of art and culture, the recognition of graphic authors, respect for minorities, etc.).
Her work in comics, which began in the early 2010s, includes several titles. She has contributed to adaptations of Camilla Läckberg's novels, based on scripts by Jean-Louis Bocquet: Le prédicateur (2015), La princesse des glaces (2014), Le tailleur de pierre (2018) and Fjällbacka (2021).
In 2020, Bischoff attracted acclaim for her solo work, Anaïs Nin, sur la Mer des Mensonges (Casterman). The book was a great success, was reprinted in large format in 2022 and was published as a ‘graphic novel’ for wider distribution in 2023.
In 2022, Bischoff wrote La Longue Marche des Dindes, adapted from Kathleen Karr's novel The Great Turkey Walk (rue de Sèvres). This book has enabled Léonie Bischoff to interact with young audiences as part of school programmes and was shortlisted in the ‘La Petite Fureur de Lire’ competition which promotes reading.
The Wallonia-Brussels Federation jury also wished to pay tribute to Léonie Bischoff's involvement in participatory artistic initiatives.
She is a very active member of Atelier Mille, a workshop founded in 2011 that brings together comic book authors. By pooling their resources within a workshop, they can emulate each other and share their experience, which is invaluable in the publishing world. The workshop regularly opens its doors to visitors and welcomes authors on work placements or in residence, providing an opportunity to exchange ideas and support projects.
Bischoff also devotes a great deal of energy to collective fanzine and micro-publishing projects. She also campaigns for gender equality in the arts, and in comics more specifically (she is a member of the Collective of Female Comics Creators Against Sexism).
Bischoff's initiatives and personal investments also deserve greater visibility through this prize.
With this prize, the jury wishes to recognise the solidity of Léonie Bischoff's artistic approach and encourage her to pursue it.
Subject: The Wallonia-Brussels Federation Atomium Prize is awarded to an author or group of authors working in Brussels and Wallonia who have already produced an original and innovative graphic work and who intend to continue doing so. The prize may be awarded for a recent work or for an author's oeuvre. Since its inception, the prize has been awarded based on strict gender parity, with the winners alternating every year. The prize is decided by the Minister of Culture, on the recommendation of a jury made up of specialists from the ‘Commission des Écritures et du Livre’ cultural advisory body. No application is required. The Atomium prize is also one of the ‘Espiègles’ literary awards presented annually by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
Prize: €10,000 in cash.
Partners: Ms Elisabeth DEGRYSE, Minister-President of the Government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation responsible for Budget, Higher Education, Culture, International and Intra-Francophone Relations.
More information: bandedessinee.cfwb.be
Winners: Simon Spruyt & Nicolas Juncker - Les Mémoires du Dragon Dragon. Tome 2: Belgique c’est Chic. (Le Lombard)
Shortlist:
- Les Mémoires du Dragon Dragon, Tome 2: Belgique c’est Chic, Spruyt & Juncker (Le Lombard)
- La Bête, Tome 2, Frank Pé & Zidrou (Dupuis)
- Berlin 61, Weber& Deville (Editions Anspach)
What the jury said: Despite the quality of the other albums entered for this prize, and Brussels' place in them, ’Les Mémoires du Dragon Dragon, Tome 2. Belgique c'est Chic’ stands out for its original approach to the history of Belgium and Brussels. It is a picaresque tale of picturesque Belgium. The spirit of Brussels shines through in Dragon Dragon's iconoclastic adventures. Major historical events intersect with human villainy. The album also highlights how works of art were appropriated by occupying forces.
Synopsis: It's 1792. In the eyes of General Dumouriez, Belgium is a territory just waiting to align itself to France - even if it means bloody battles and other political interference. For Dragon Dragon and Danton, it's a land of milk and honey. The plan is simple: ‘seize’ all its artistic treasures, from Brussels to Namur. It should all go off without a hitch... that is... unless history with a capital H gets in the way. And at the time, history was omnipresent.
Subject: The Brussels Atomium Prize is awarded to an author who has showcased the city of Brussels in his work.
Prize: €7,500 in cash.
Partners: Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region.
Winner: Etienne Davodeau – Loire
Shortlist:
- Le Lierre et l’Araignée, Grégoire Carle (Air Libre)
- Le Champ des Possibles, Anaïs Bernabé and Vero Cazo (Air Libre)
- Sang Neuf, Jean-Christophe Chauzy (Casterman)
- La Route, Manu Larcenet (Dargaud)
- L’Homme en Noir, Panaccionne and Di Gregorio (Delcourt)
- Le Grand Large, Jean Cremers (Glénat)
- Bobigny 1972, Marie Bariaux-Vaiente and Carole Maurel (Glénat)
- Verts, Patrick Lacan and Marion Besancon (Rue de Sèvres)
- Jusqu’ici Tout va Bien, Nicolas Pitz (Rue de Sèvres)
- Loire, Etienne Davodeau (Futuropolis)
What the jury said: “I like Davodeau's graphic style. I also enjoyed the premise of the story and the final ‘twist’. The author subtly depicts the relationships between the various characters and their relationships with nature (and the river in particular). I found the natural scenes magnificent, as was the use of silence throughout the narrative. I was emotionally moved as I read” Yves, member of the jury (a La Première listener)
Synopsis: When Louis received an invitation from Agathe, he was touched. And intrigued. It had been so long. Despite not having heard from her since, he had never forgotten her. Louis had fond memories of the few years he spent with her on the banks of the Loire. He couldn't resist the idea of spending a few days back by the twinkling light of the river.
He decided to walk to the meeting place that Agathe had sent him by e-mail. It was the evening. It was hot. Louis walked happily along the riverbank and, at a beach, decided to cool off before arriving. He took off his clothes and got into the water. But it was a mistake; he lost his footing and started to drift downstream. He didn't panic and floated without struggling. Despite the danger, he felt alright. The problem, however, was that it was getting dark and the current had deposited Louis on the opposite bank. There he was, naked, needing to walk a handful of kilometres to reach the bridge and get back to the other side. He waited for night to fall and set off on his long and ultimately amusing walk, which he would later describe as magical. He arrived at dawn, but Agathe wasn't there. The house seemed empty. At that moment, he knew nothing of what was to come. He knew nothing of the surprise Agathe had in store for the people who loved her…
Subject: RTBF (Belgian Radio-television of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation) launched this new prize in 2017, to reward a genre that resonates with listeners of La Première.
Prize: €20,000 in advertising space, as well as considerable editorial presence on the media channels of La Première.
Partner: La Première — RTBF (Belgian Radio-Television of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation).
Winner: Lomig - Au Cœur des Solitudes (Sarbacane)
Shortlist:
- La Truie, le Juge et l'Avocat, Laurent Galandon and Damien Vidal (Delcourt)
- Le Fils de Taïwan, Tomes 1-2-3-4/4, Yu Pei-Yun and Zhou Jian-Xin (Kana)
- Au cœur des solitudes, Lomig (éditions Sarbacane)
- Environnement Toxique, Kate Beaton (Casterman)
- Charlotte Impératrice - III. Adios, Carlotta. Nury and Bonhomme (Dargaud)
What the jury said: The jury's choice was based on the extraordinary journey of the first modern environmentalist and campaigner for the protection of nature: American writer John Muir. Muir set off on a great tour of the USA at the end of the 19th century, where he came face to face with nature. The members of the jury were all touched by the visionary and resolutely modern side of this botanist who was both a geologist and a poet. They were equally taken with the drawing. The infinitely soft brushstrokes blend seamlessly with the mastery of a very white space that leaves plenty of room for the senses. The book left the jury amazed and, at the same time, despite the climatic challenges we face today, strangely peaceful. It exemplifies the magic of drawing and the magic of nature.
Synopsis: It's 1867. The deafening noise of a sawmill in full operation can be heard when suddenly workers run to the aid of a man on the ground. He has seriously injured his eyes. John Muir was twenty-nine years old and confined to a dark room, likely permanently blind. But miraculously, after months of almost mystical convalescence, he regained his sight. It was then that he decided to leave everything behind and embrace his lifelong dream: to head south to discover the wilderness. Armed only with his courage, his youth, a magnifying glass and a botanical press, he would walk hundreds of miles from Indiana to Florida. Picture an almost untouched wilderness, inhabited only by a few dangerous disaffected Southern soldiers and former slaves thrown off the old plantations…
Subject: The Cognito Atomium Prize for historic comic strips is awarded to the best historical comic strip. The prize is designed to reward authors who, through their work, shed light on a period of history.
Prize: €3,000 in cash
Partner: Cognito Prize
Winner: Hippolyte - Le Murmure de la Mer (Les Arènes BD)
Shortlist:
- Mahar le Lionceau, Anne Poiret and Lars Horneman (Delcourt Encrages)
- Worm, Edel Rodriguez (Bayard Graphic)
- Et Travailler et Vivre, Fabien Toulmé (Delcourt Encrages)
- Journal de Guerre, Nara Krug (Gallimard Bande Dessinée)
- Le Murmure de la Mer, Hippolyte (Les Arènes BD)
What the jury said: more info soon.
Synopsis: more info soon.
Subject: Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir has always been the newspaper par excellence for comic strips. With this prize, it recognises an exemplary work that has examined the world around us in the form of a news report comic strip.
Prize: €20,000 in advertising space, as well as considerable editorial presence on the media channels of the newspaper Le Soir.
Partner: Le Soir.
Winner: Samuel Pereira - Noël Mais Presque
What the jury said: We were delighted to select Samuel Pereira's work for a number of reasons, which also underpinned our choice during the deliberations for the 2024 Spirou Prize. We salute the quality of the drawing in Noël Mais Presque and share the emotions it conveys of warmth, joy and kindness. As well as its visual appeal, Samuel's strip meets the criteria of the one-page gag format, a style so dear to Spirou. Last but not least, we find in this strip the “Spirou spirit”, a key element to be taken into account for publication in the magazine.
Subject: The Spirou Atomium Prize recognises short comic strip stories (maximum of four boards). Prize for over 18s who have published a maximum of three comics.
Prize: Story published by Spirou magazine, and all publications will be paid at the going professional rate.
Partner: Spirou magazine.
Winners: Salomé Parent-Rachdi & Deloupy - Amour, Sexe et Terre Promise (Les Arènes BD)
Shortlist:
- Sang Neuf, Jean-Christophe Chauzy (Casterman)
- A l'Arrêt, Frédéric Debomy, Sandra Ndiaye and Benjamin Ades (Delcourt)
- Petit Pays, Faye, Sowa and Savoia (Depuis)
- Les Yeux fermés, Héloïse Martin, Baptiste Magontier and Valentine De Lussy (Dupuis)
- Ce que je sais de Rokia, Quitterie Simon and Francesca Vartuli (Futuropolis)
- Bobigny 1972, Marie Bardiaux-Vaïente and Carole Maurel (Glénat)
- Soigne, Maltraite et tais-toi ! Ferenc and François Sanz (La boîte à bulles)
- La Vie Secrète des Arbres, Fred Bernard, Benjamin Flao and Peter Wohlleben (Les Arènes BD)
- Amour, Sexe et Terre Promise, Salomé Parent-Rachdi and Deloupy (Les Arènes BD)
- Je suis au-delà de la Mort, L'Homme Etoilé (Lombard)
- L'Œil du Marabout, Jean-Denis Pendanx (Maghen)
- Les Petites Reines, Magali Le Huche (Sarbacane)
What the jury said: The point of view adopted in this book is extremely original and topical. The work is, above all, about love, and focuses on a key, forgotten, element of the conflict in the Middle East: the men and women who live there, who love each other and want to be able to follow their hearts. The common thread is the difficulty of allowing outsiders into one's community. Sound familiar? These many versions of Romeo and Juliet open a window on a promised land that we had lost sight of, the land of love. As the preface says, “when you close this book, you will have gained in intelligence, empathy and nuance”.
Synopsis: Started in 2018, this intimate investigation gives a voice to sixteen witnesses, men and women, Palestinians and Israelis, Arabs and Jews, who talk about how war and religion creep into their love and sex lives. A life that is codified, constrained and wounded: love under the yoke of geopolitics. Delicately and without taboos, this comic strip sheds new light on a conflict that has been going on for decades.
Subject: The Atomium Citizens' Comic Strip Prize recognises a comic strip that prompts ethical and social reflection, and that addresses contemporary social issues in a positive, constructive and noble-minded way; the subject of which has a local scope/resonance (local, Belgian, European).
Prize: €5,000 in cash.
Partner: The jury, chaired by André Querton, is made up of committed members of civil society, representative of the various Belgian intellectual movements with particular sensibilities that have a universal and general resonance.
With the kind permission of the asbl Atomium.
from 9 to 6pm
from 10am to 6pm
from 10am to 6pm
Exhibitions * Book signings * Events * Conferences * Giant balloons * International Pavilion *Alternative Comics * Manga * BD and Para BD sales...
Tour & Taxis
(Gare Maritime)
Rue Picard 9, 1000 Brussels
Access by bike:
A secure bike parking is available, free of charge, for the duration of the event (from 9am till 6:30pm on Friday and from 10am till 6:30pm on Saturday and Sunday).
How does it work? Park your bike for free and receive a code by text message that you can use at the exit when you pick up your bike.
You can access it via avenue du Port 86c, 1000 Brussels. This parking is operated by Cycloparking.
Shuttles
Every 30 minutes, between Bourse/Beurs and the Gare Maritime, from 10.30 to 18.00, Saturday & Sunday
-City centre stop: rue Orts (in front of the Bourse)
-Tour & Taxis stop: rue Picard 3
Access public transport:
Via rue Picard 11, 1000 Brussels (direct access to the Gare Maritime): Bus 14 – Picard stop
Via avenue du Port 86c, 1000 Brussels: Bus 14, 20 and Avenue du Port/Havenlaan stop
Via avenue du Port, 1000 Brussels: Bus 88 – Tour & Taxis/Thurn en Taxis stop
PRM Access via avenue du Port 86c, 1000 Brussels: Bus 14, 20 and 86 – Tour & Taxis/Thurn en Taxis stop
Access by car:
The Tour & Taxis site has two underground car parks, accessible via drève Anna Boch ou rue Picard 13 (PMR).
View the car parking rates on the Tour & Taxis website’s Parking page.
Low Emission Zone
The Brussels-Capital Region is a Low Emission Zone (LEZ). If you are coming by car or van, check on lez.brussels whether your vehicle can drive within it. If your vehicle does not meet the access criteria, you can buy a day pass or use one of the numerous alternatives for travelling around the LEZ. If your vehicle is registered abroad, registration is free and compulsory to be able to drive in the LEZ.
Thank you for playing your part in the regional effort to improve air quality and, therefore, public health!
Europcar is part of the Europcar Mobility Group, one of the leading players in the mobility sector. Europcar Belgium offers a wide range of mobility services: car and van rental, bicycle leasing (B2B) as well as the Europcar Mobility Pass - mobility payment card (B2B). Present all over Belgium and in major airports and train stations, the Europcar fleet offers models for your every need: city cars, family cars, vans, prestige cars and vans and of course a green alternative to thermic cars, EV’s, HEV’s and PHEV’s.
Europcar Mobility Group offers its various mobility solutions and services through an extensive network covering more than 140 countries.
Taking and distribution of photographs
The BD Comic Strip Festival is open to everyone. Photographs will be taken during the event and published for promotional purposes on Google Photos and other media (e.g. brochures, newsletters, social networks, newspapers, etc.).
Every year, the BD Comic Strip Festival celebrates the richness and diversity of ninth art, attracting a passionate audience and internationally renowned talent.
This iconic event attracts thousands of visitors and offers a unique opportunity to promote culture, associate your image with creative values and establish a close link with a vibrant and diverse community.
Whether through financial support, logistical assistance or a service partnership, every contribution counts and makes a real difference.