The exhibitions maps the development of Czech comics from their beginnings to the present day in the context of historical events. The roots of the Czech comics tradition go back to the middle of the 19th century, when the first satirical magazines were founded in Bohemia and Moravia. Up to the 1930s the development of this format linking visual and verbal elements was similar to that in other European countries. But the rise of Fascist and then Communist regimes both interrupted and distorted the natural evolution of comics. In spite of this the comics tradition in the country never quite died out, occasionally taking on distinctive, not to say bizarre, forms which differed markedly from those familiar in countries with an established comics tradition such as the USA, France and Italy. In this country until recently nobody has taken a serious interest in the growth of comics, although from their beginnings they have reflected in an interesting fashion the changes in our society and culture. The idea of the exhibition is to put into a more general context a number of phenomena which have been forgotten or are perceived only in isolation and present them to a broad circle of visitors.

26 09 (2012) - 13 01 (2013)