Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 22, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
British comics writer Alan Moore will receive the Max and Moritz Award this year for his outstanding lifetime achievement. The most important prize for graphic literature in the German-speaking world is endowed by Bulls Press, Frankfurt am Main, and awarded by the City of Erlangen as part of the International Comic Salon.
The first work to make Alan Moore famous in the early 1980s was “V for Vendetta”. In the variety of his subjects and the number of artists for whom he has supplied scripts, he can only be compared with Asterix creator René Goscinny. Flashbacks and vivid portrayals of supporting characters define his incomparable narrative style. The star among comics authors undoubtedly belongs among the great writers of our time.
This year, the jury is honouring the two German comics legends Hansrudi Wäscher and Hannes Hegen with a special award. In doing so, it recognises their pioneering achievements for German comics in the West and East. While Hansrudi Wäscher sparked heated debates in the Federal Republic of Germany from the mid-1950s onwards about the value or worthlessness of comics with high-circulation adventure stories such as “Sigurd”, “Tibor” and “Nick”, Hannes Hegen simultaneously shaped an entire generation of readers in the GDR with his “Digedags” in the Mosaik magazines he created.
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The jury is also announcing the nominations in seven further categories, including “Best German-Language Comics Artist”, which carries a prize of 5,000 euros. Anke Feuchtenberger, Isabel Kreitz and Reinhard Kleist are nominated here. For the first time this year, a newcomer award worth 1,000 euros will also be presented. The winners in the various categories will be announced at the Max and Moritz Gala (Friday, May 23, 21:00) as part of the 13th International Comic Salon in Erlangen.
The Max and Moritz Award is being presented for the thirteenth time this year. It is an award that has set standards in comics art and has contributed significantly to the recognition of graphic literature in the German-speaking world for more than 20 years. Its presentation is intended to honour the work of outstanding artists, encourage meritorious publishing work and draw attention to young emerging talents. Another aim of the award is to intensify discussion of the qualitative criteria for assessing comics art. This year’s jury comprises: Denis Scheck (critic, Deutschlandfunk, “Druckfrisch” ARD), Andreas Platthaus (journalist, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung), Herbert Heinzelmann (journalist, media scholar), Brigitte Helbling (journalist, member of the Research Centre for Graphic Literature at the University of Hamburg), Andreas C. Knigge (journalist, publicist), Jan Taussig (Bulls Press) and Bodo Birk (International Comic Salon Erlangen).
In addition to the award for outstanding lifetime achievement and the jury’s special award, the jurors selected nominations in the following categories: “Best German-Language Comics Artist”, “Best Comic Strip”, “Best German-Language Comic”, “Best International Comic”, “Best Manga”, “Best Comic for Children” and “Best Writer”. The jury will choose the winner of the newcomer category, being awarded for the first time this year and for which there are no nominations, only during the 13th International Comic Salon 2008. Like the winners of the other categories, the winner will be announced at the Max and Moritz Gala on May 23, 2008 (21:00, Markgrafentheater).
