Heritage Day: A Century of Comics Humor

Sunday, April 26, 2026 | 10:00–17:00
Faculty Library, Arts & Philosophy, Magnel Wing, Rozier 44, 9000 Ghent

Heritage Day (Erfgoeddag) explored the theme HAHA Humor through three unique comics collections at Ghent University.

Exhibition: A Century of Comics Humor (10:00–17:00)

Which comic heroes made people laugh a century ago? This exhibition showcased iconic characters like Spirou, Mickey Mouse, and Popeye alongside forgotten strips. Librarians and researchers guided visitors through the world of comics humor..

Featured collections:

Laga Collection: Rare American newspaper strips shown publicly for the first time
Van Passen Collection: French and Belgian comics magazines
Dumbruch Collection: Popular petits formats

Workshop: Comics, Memes & Zines (10:00–17:00)

Lou Braibant, Sofie Vandepitte and Kin Wai Chu helped young visitors create DIY zines using images and text from exhibition comics. CHildren photocopied and displayed their zines

Talks (Library Lab Magnel)

Graphic Satire
Nineteenth-century political cartoons as satire, journalism, and heritage. How magazines like Punch offered sharp commentary during imperialism and circulated globally to colonial Asia.
Speaker: Kin-Wai Amelia Chu

Slapstick on Paper
Why is spraying someone with a hose so funny? Discover slapstick humor in Franco-Belgian children’s comics before 1950, exploring connections with silent film and early animation.
Speaker: Eva Van de Wiele

Humor in Spirou
How Spirou magazine’s humor evolved under editor Yvan Delporte (1955–1968), from classic slapstick to self-aware “comics modernism” that influenced later works.
Speaker: Yasco Horsman, Leiden University