Integrated internship: 21st Erlangen International Comic Salon
PhD candidate Arunima Kundu is working as an intern in the Comic Salon Team at the Cultural Office and warmly welcomes everybody to the 21st International Comic Salon on the behalf of the team. She was involved in the editorial work for the website, translations, and most importantly, in the organization of the »Junges Forum«, a series of exhibitions from students from leading universities of art and design from all across Germany who showcase their illustrations, work in graphic literature, animation, and game design.
An internship at non-university cooperation partners is integrated into the Research Training Group. The partners were selected in such a way that they cover possible future professional activities well. However, the internships not only provide practical experience in possible professional fields, but also insights into the literary world and the relationship between different literatures and the public. The internships can therefore also be used as an inspiring moment of participating observation for the own research project.
The Erlangen International Comic Salon (May 30th to June 2nd, 2024) is the most significant comic festival in the German-speaking world. Starting from 1984, it takes place every two years and is organized by the Cultural Office of the City of Erlangen.
What sets it apart from a lot of other comic festivals is its array of diverse events, exhibitions and activities — starting from special exhibitions from different artists, illustrators and publishers in different corners of the city to special events, concerts, film festivals and talks in cultural centres like E-Werk and cinemas like the Lamm-Lichtspiel.
The centrepiece of the festival is, of course, the comic fair and the large variety of stalls showcasing selections from latest releases from the biggest publishers in the comic industry to small exhibitors and artists who showcase and sell their works and products.
But there are many other enjoyable workshops and activities to take part in including cosplay events and a brand-new inclusion in this year’s salon — the Urban Sketching Village and related events. It will involve the art of live sketching, workshops, “sketch-crawls” with ten internationally renowned artists and illustrators specializing in the genre of urban sketching.
Another major part of the Comic Salon is the prestigious »Max und Moritz Award« — the most important prize for graphic literature in the German-speaking space that has contributed significantly to the recognition of comic art over the past four decades.
The International Comic Salon offers valuable insight into the important work performed by cultural productions and the role literature plays in the public sphere, while also offering a look into the publishing industry and the reception of graphic literature and in Germany and the wider European context.
For tickets and other related information, please visit the Salon website.