Our paper heroes take to the streets
As soon as travellers leave the Gare du Midi, they can't fail to notice the revolving Tintin and Snowy sign which sits on top of a building. This is just an appetizer, as our comic book heroes will catch your eye as you walk through the streets of Brussels. And the capital is not the only Belgian city to offer this spectacle.
With some sixty frescoes, Brussels pays special attention to the rich Belgian comic book tradition. Scattered throughout the streets of the city centre, they also tell the story of the districts. As well as these frescoes, there are also statues. The first was erected in honour of Franquin; it is of Gaston Lagaffe and is 100 meters from the Comics Art Museum.
In the 1980s, Charleroi began to honour comic book characters who were born or published there by erecting statues to them: the Marsupilami, Spirou, Fantasio, Spip, Natacha and many others. Two metro stations are also dedicated to the ninth art of comic books.
If you walk along the beautiful Middelkerke seafront in the direction of Westende at the North Sea, you can admire our comic book heroes in bronze: Jerom, Jommeke, Nero, and others. The seaside resort of Middelkerke has unveiled a new statue every year since 1997.
Tintin, the Smurfs, Natacha, Boule et Bill, Nero, Gaston Lagaffe, the Marsupilami, Ric Hochet, Blake and Mortimer, Yoko Tsuno, Lucky Luke..., it's incredible that Belgium has been the birthplace of so many heroes.