‘No talk, just pictures’: Saturday 19 June was the day! After a lockdown of almost six months, the brand-new Museum of Comic Art in Noordwijk aan Zee was finally allowed to open its doors to the public. The Dutch Lucky Luke performed the official opening act. A number of well-known cartoonists such as Theo van den Boogaard, Eric Heuvel and comic book prize winner Gerben Valkema were allowed, under strict conditions, to take a look at the beautifully designed exhibition European Masters of Comic Art. But from now on, everyone is welcome to enjoy the first Dutch museum entirely devoted to the ‘Ninth Art’.
From Tintin to Klepzeiker
The Museum of Comic Art is a new Dutch comics museum, in which the best original drawings by Dutch and international artists are shown to the public in several exhibitions per year. The founder of the museum is Noordwijk architect Arie Korbee. In his spare time, Arie has been collecting original covers, pages and illustrations from all the great cartoonists from home and abroad, for more than twenty years. His collection includes old international masters such as André Franquin (Spirou and Fantasio, Guust, Marsupilami), Albert Uderzo (Asterix, Tanguy and Laverdure), Morris (Lucky Luke)a and Hergé (Tintin). But modern artists, such as Jacques Tardi (Isabel Avondrood, Nestor Burma), François Schuiten (De Duistere Cities), Hanco Kolk (Meccano, Single), Peter de Wit (Sigmund, Single), Henk Kuijpers (Franka) and Marc Retera (Dirkjan) are also represented.
European Masters of Comic Art
In the exhibition European Masters of Comic Art, the visitor can admire original drawings by the most important comic book artists in Europe. Together they provide a fascinating overview of everything that is and was possible in the field of drawn stories. Central to the MoCA are not the well-known cartoon characters from the popular series, but the cartoonists and cartoonists themselves. The panels contain a separate explanation about each artist and a QR code through which more examples and backgrounds can be read via mobile phone. By showing only originals by the best comic book makers, the museum can lay claim to the title Temple of the Ninth Art. The exhibition changes twice a year. The new exhibition will start in autumn 2021: Holland-Belgium, in which the grandmasters, then and now, compete against each other.
Asterix & Obelix in the Netherlands
Nobody can be bored in the MoCA. There is a reading corner with more than a thousand comics, a film corner, and a library and children can follow a treasure hunt through the museum. There is also a well-stocked comic and museum shop. There’s even a selfie corner with Asterix & Obelix. After a visit to the MoCA, you can visit the bustling shopping heart of Noordwijk or the beach, with a choice of countless restaurants. This way you can turn a MoCA visit into a wonderful day out for everyone.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00.
For more information: www.museumofcomicart.nl