Belgian comics explained: why Brussels is the BD capital
Brussels: Brussels Comic Art Museum Entrance Ticket
Why is Belgium famous for comics?
Belgium is the heartland of the European comic strip (bande dessinée). Brussels-born Hergé created Tintin in 1929 and pioneered the clean 'ligne claire' style; the Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Spirou and Gaston Lagaffe followed. Comics are treated as a respected art form here — the 'ninth art' — celebrated with murals, a major museum and a thriving publishing scene.
The “ninth art” was perfected here
To understand Brussels, you have to understand its love of comics. In Belgium, the comic strip — bande dessinée (BD) — isn’t disposable kids’ stuff; it’s the “ninth art,” a respected medium with master practitioners, serious museums, and giant murals painted across the capital. Per head, Belgium produces and reveres comics like nowhere else on earth, and Brussels is its beating heart. Here’s the context that makes the city’s murals and museum so much richer.
How Belgium became the comics capital
- Hergé and Tintin (1929). Brussels-born Georges Remi (“Hergé”) created Tintin, whose global success put Belgian comics on the map and established the template for the European adventure strip.
- The post-war golden age. Magazines like Tintin and Spirou became hothouses for talent, and Brussels publishers turned comics into a national industry.
- A culture that took it seriously. Belgium treated comics as art, teaching, collecting and exhibiting them — hence the murals, the Comics Art Museum, and the bande dessinée festivals.
The style: ligne claire
Hergé’s signature “ligne claire” (clear line) defines the classic Belgian look:
- Clean, even-weight outlines with no fussy shading.
- Flat, bold colours.
- Clear, uncluttered compositions that read instantly.
It’s elegant, legible and timeless — and hugely influential across world comics and design. Once you know it, you’ll spot it everywhere in Brussels.
The characters you’ll meet
- Tintin (Hergé) — the intrepid boy reporter and Snowy (Tintin guide).
- The Smurfs / Les Schtroumpfs (Peyo) — the tiny blue villagers, a global phenomenon.
- Lucky Luke (Morris) — the cowboy who shoots faster than his shadow.
- Spirou & Fantasio — the bellhop-adventurer and friends.
- Gaston Lagaffe (Franquin) — the lovably useless office boy.
- Blake and Mortimer (E.P. Jacobs) — classic ligne-claire adventure.
- Le Chat (Philippe Geluck) — the modern philosopher cat, on a famous mural.
Many of their creators worked in Brussels, which is why the city honours them on its walls.
Where to enjoy it in Brussels
- The comic mural route — 50+ free outdoor frescoes (route, map).
- The Comics Art Museum — original art in a Horta building (guide); a ticket here is the indoor anchor.
- Comic shops — for collector editions and souvenirs near the Grand-Place.
- Guided walks — a comic murals tour or a Tintin and street-art walk ties the history together on the ground.
Why it matters to your trip
The comics aren’t a gimmick — they’re a window into Brussels’ character: playful, unpretentious, proud of its own quirks. A city that paints Tintin and the Smurfs across its buildings, and builds a museum for cartoonists inside an Art Nouveau palace, is telling you something likeable about itself. Engage with the BD culture, even just by hunting murals, and Brussels makes a lot more sense — and becomes a lot more fun.
Frequently asked questions — Belgian comics explained: why Brussels is the BD capital
What is 'ligne claire' in comics?
'Ligne claire' (clear line) is the style pioneered by Hergé in Tintin: clean, uniform-weight outlines, flat bold colours, no shading, and clear, readable compositions. It became hugely influential across European comics and is instantly recognisable as the classic Belgian look.What are the most famous Belgian comics?
Tintin (Hergé), the Smurfs (Peyo), Lucky Luke (Morris), Spirou et Fantasio, Gaston Lagaffe (Franquin), Blake and Mortimer (E.P. Jacobs) and Le Chat (Geluck) are among the most famous — most created by Brussels-based artists, and celebrated across the city's murals and museum.
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