Graphic Travelogues

"Travel - it leaves you speechless, then it turns you into a storyteller." (Ibn Battuta).

In other words, whoever travels can tell something. Spoken, photographed or drawn. Graphic Travelogues are dedicated to this form. Various travel comics already exist, often initiated by the Goethe-Institut - but scattered, sometimes difficult to find. Graphic Travelogues collects old treasures, creates new ones and presents them in a new setting. Join us on this special journey, experience and immerse yourself in new worlds.

On the go with the pen

Where did our artists go? You can track their travel routes and destinations on the map. Discover known and unknown places and experience them from a new, drawn perspective. Simply zoom in and click on the illustrations!

New

Graphic Travelogues #Murals

Dreaming of traveling - this has become a bestseller in times of the pandemic. We, too, are quenching a little wanderlust. With Graphic Travelogues #Murals we continue our exciting journey and reach a new dimension. Our artists conquer the public space with their travel stories.

Current Comics

For Everyday Heroes
"Brussels"

The Berlin comic artist Leonard Ermel moved to Brussels for six months - to the secret European capital of comics. With his digital diary sketches, he has found a remedy for the feeling of being a stranger.

Lagos is a city that lives at, on and with the water. Parts of Lagos are even below sea level. Experts expect that in the future there will be more and more urban areas that are under water.

For Adventurers
"Nigeria"

In 2017, Sebastian was invited to the Aké Arts & Book Festival in Lagos. There, he met many interesting people, including some from northern Nigeria, who persuaded him to leave the busy city and visit their homeland.

For Gourmets
"Paris"

Nino Paula Bulling's comic reportages are always political and leave plenty of room for the perspectives of the interlocutors. Bulling remembers the month in Paris in 2012 primarily through the people and places she encountered.

For Adventurers
"Haiti"

Sebastian Lörscher spent five months in Haiti. He lived in the dusty metropolis of Port-au-Prince and roamed the deep nowhere of the surrounding countryside. He met the poor and the rich. He danced at voodoo festivals and cheered at cockfights. And everywhere he went, he drew.

Algeria is the largest country in Africa. The capital Algiers is located in the province of the same name in the western part of a Mediterranean bay and on the mountain slopes of the Tellatlas. Le Casbah is the smallest district. It was built from ancient ruins and on a hill. The Casbah is a labyrinth of narrow streets and picturesque houses. If you lose your orientation here, you just have to go down to the sea.

For City Explorers
"Algeria"

Reinhard Kleist's travel sketches and watercolours from Algeria: 10 miniatures, almost all in colour. Sandy brown. Lots of vivid blue Alleyways full of steps and rows or networks of small balconies with colourful curtains billowing in the wind.

The fact that it can be seen from space is a myth. Nevertheless, at 8851.8 kilometers, the Great Wall of China is the largest construction ever built by man. More than one and a half millennia were spent building the Great Wall of China, from the 3rd century BC to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is one of the seven world wonders of the modern times. About ten million tourists visit the Great Wall every year.

For Seekers of Meaning
"China"

The list of countries from which the Berlin illustrator Reinhard Kleist brought along his travel sketches is long. He was also in China on behalf of the Goethe-Institut for a workshop with local comic artists.

Hanoi or Saigon? Both are best. Hanoi is more interesting for tourists. The capital of Vietnam seems "crazier", somehow more special. And older than modern Saigon. Hanoi offers numerous sights and is a good starting point for day trips to Sapa, Ninh Binh or Halong Bay.

For Everyday Heroes
"Vietnam"

Travelling to Vietnam is not uncommon for Indians. But looking at the country through Reinhard Kleist’s sketches is different from trawling the Instagram feed of the tourists.

For Seekers Of Meaning
"Krakau"

Paulina Stulin herself was on an Erasmus exchange in Krakow ten years ago. And her stay made a deep impression on her. She simply loves the rough and the ornate, the medieval architecture coupled with prefabricated buildings, and, of course, also the nature of the Slavic soul. The perfect setting for her comic The Right Here, Right Now Thing with its clearly autobiographical protagonist.

For City Explorers
"Tokyo"

In his explorations in Tokyo, Dirk Schwieger does not follow his individual interests or impulses, but works through the tasks that his followers give him on his blog. He published the comic experiment Moresukine - Weekly from Tokyo on a weekly basis. It offers impressions from Tokyo in particular and Japanese (popular) culture in general.

For Seekers Of Meaning
"Laos"

The illustrator and comic artist Olivier Kugler travels the world as a reportage artist. In Laos, he accompanied a veterinarian into the jungle to care for loggers' working elephants. French vet Bertrand Bouchard invited the London-based cartoonist to travel with him deep into the jungle for a few days and record what they experience.

They take naps at the furniture store, have no problems with surveillance apps, and eat stuff... well. Chinese are often a mystery to tourists. But not all clichés about the 1.4 billion people apply. Dogs and cats are not eaten everywhere. And there are also tall people in the north. But they really can't pronounce the "R". Not in any of the 56 ethnic groups.

For City Explorers
"Beijing"

Jens Harder actually wanted to research the rapid changes in Beijing that have transformed China's capital from a seemingly endless two-story village into a mega-metropolis dotted with skyscrapers in just a few years. But on location, the state's compulsion to control and the draftsman's sense of freedom clashed mightily.

For Adventurers
"Saint-Victor-sur-Rhins"

In Saint-Victor-sur-Rhins Gregor, Hinz takes us to the small community of the same name in the French Auvergne-Rhone-Alps region. His picture story is composed of a series of fragments painted with felt-tip pens, which tell of his travel impressions with a wink.

For City Explorers
"Lima"

Jens Harder rambled through Lima for five hours without a plan, without a goal. The outcome consists of fleeting, marginal observations that show lengthy research isn’t always necessary.

Graphic Travelogues #Culinary

Graphic Travelogues collects old treasures, creates new ones and presents them in a new setting: We have gone back to the drawing and cooking table – stay tuned for the most flavorsome dishes and illustrations to feed your soul, nourish your mind, and delight your palate. Welcome to Graphic Travelogues Culinary! Enjoy!

Artists from all over the world

Learn more about our well-known artists, including Barbara Yelin, Reinhard Kleist and Sarnath Banerjee. All with proven comic expertise and sometimes with more, sometimes with less travel experience in the respective country.

Barbara Yelin

Alexanda Klobouk

Ulli Lust

Alexandra Wodolaschtschenko

About Graphic Travelogues

Graphic Travelogues presents travel experiences by comic artists from different countries, illuminates and identifies recurring topics. From sketches to graphic novels, graphic diaries and travel drawings, we collect treasures here and question concepts and motivations, techniques and experiences.

More articles from the comic scene

The comic scene in Germany has become more diverse and professional: Characters from ”Power Prinzessinnen Patrouille” (Power Princesses Patrol) and ”Mauer, Leiter, Bauarbeiter” (Wall, Ladder, Builder) by Berlin illustrator Mawil.

Trends in German Comics 2021
Continuity and a love of storytelling

Not only has the comic scene in Germany become more diverse and professional, the genre is also becoming increasingly popular with readers. From children’s comics to the corona diary – the trends in 2021.

Drawing is a slower, more intense type of perception: travel sketchers use brush and paper to record their impressions

Travel Sketching
Seven things and the discovery of slowness

Travel memories that remain unfazed by the deluge of selfies: while some people bring countless smartphone photos home with them from every vacation, travel sketchers use brush and paper to record their impressions.

Комикси от Лина Ерентраут, Айша Франц, Лиза Фрюбайс, Йоланда Облезер

Feminist comics
Instead of Flowers, a Florilegium

For today's International Women's Day, we recommend feminist comics by four female artists.

Excerpt from the graphic novel “Jein” by Büke Schwarz

Trends in German Comics
Drawing on Life

Now as ever, real life remains the most vital source of inspiration for the German comics scene, even in these troubling times of the coronavirus crisis. Many German cartoonists have been artistically processing the pandemic and its effects on everyday life – and publishing their comics online.

Translating comics comes with a unique set of challenges.

Translating comics
Puns in speech bubbles

What make translating a comic unique? What kind of issues do translators face? Five translators talk about what they do every day.

Genre
What are Travel Comics?

Comic artist and illustrator Wladimir Lopatin on a a genre of graphic literature that has been gaining popularity recently.

“Welcome to Duckburg”: The Museum for Comics and the Language Arts in Schwarzenbach an der Saale is dedicated to Erika Fuchs, who translated the Micky Mouse comic books for many years.

Museum for Comics and the Language Arts
Duckburg on the banks of the Saale

Since 2015, the Museum of Comics and the Language Arts in Schwarzenbach has explored all aspects of the art of the comic. It pays tribute in particular to long-standing German translator of the Mickey Mouse comic books, Erika Fuchs.

Comics scholarships
Exchange in speech bubbles

Residency programmes and scholarships for comics artists afford opportunities for creative work. An overview.

Top

Graphic Travelogues

On the go with the pen

New

Graphic Travelogues #Murals

Current Comics

For Everyday Heroes "Brussels"

For Adventurers "Nigeria"

For Gourmets "Paris"

For Adventurers "Haiti"

For City Explorers "Algeria"

For Seekers of Meaning "China"

For Everyday Heroes "Vietnam"

For Seekers Of Meaning "Krakau"

For City Explorers "Tokyo"

For Seekers Of Meaning "Laos"

For City Explorers "Beijing"

For Adventurers "Saint-Victor-sur-Rhins"

For City Explorers "Lima"