Comic strip: Belgium between true history and intrigue
Published
ComicBelgium between true history and intrigue
Two new, still very instructive episodes complete the series of Anspach editions devoted to the history of Belgium.
After the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, place at the beginning of the 20th century and the 1930s. Anspach editions continue their series on the history of Belgium, with “Ostende 1905” and “Coq-sur-Mer 1933”. For the sake of consistency of the scenario, the emblematic character of Kathleen Van Overstraeten does not appear, the young woman not having been born for the first episode.
This takes place during the reign of Leopold II, in Ostend, a seaside resort that he financed to develop. Just before the arrival of the sovereign and the Shah of Iran, the emissary of the latter is assassinated in a luxury hotel. At the same time, activists displayed on the walls of the coastal city very derogatory caricatures of his mistress Blanche Delacroix, “the king’s madam”. Leopold II, portrayed as angry, is furious and the investigation is assigned to the surprising commissioner Hendrikus Ansor. The king gets carried away by the unconventional methods of the policeman, and especially because the investigation is at a standstill.
Usual authors
The name of the curator is the subject of misunderstandings with that of the painter James Ensor, originally from Ostend. The character appears in “Coq-sur-Mer 1933”, in a plot around Albert Einstein. The scholar passed through the Flemish commune after leaving Germany and while waiting to go to the United States. The scenario shows the hesitations of the German Jew on the strategy to adopt and the way to preserve his scientific secrets.
Despite the absence of the series’ usual characters, the spirit persists. Patrick Weber and Baudouin Deville, the usual authors, remain respectively screenwriter of the first album and designer of the second. They repeat to skillfully mix the history of Belgium with a series of intrigues born in their minds. As usual, the series hits the mark!
• “Ostend 1905”. Patrick Weber and Olivier Wozniak. Anspach, 15.50 euros.
• “Coq-sur-Mer 1933”. Rudi Miel and Baudouin Deville. Anspach, 15 euros.