Lambiek
Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 [1] by Kees Kousemaker (1942–2010). From 1968 to 2015 it was located in the Kerkstraat, but on November 1, 2015 they had to move to the Koningsstraat 27.[2]
The name "Lambiek" originated as a misspelling of the name of the comics character Lambik, from the popular Suske & Wiske comic book series created by Belgian artist Willy Vandersteen.[3] The logo of the shop is an image from the Suske en Wiske album Prinses Zagemeel (Princess Sawdust) [4]
Contents
History
Kees Kousemaker (1942-2010) was a comics expert from Holland. He was born in Steenbergen, Netherlands. He first arose to prominence when he opened Lambiek, the first comic shop in Europe,[5] in 1968. As a result of his exhibitions and attention to early creations of young comic artists such as Peter Pontiac and Joost Swarte, he established many collaborations and friendships with a lot of national and international artists. Kousemaker also published books about Dutch comic culture. Kousemaker died April 27, 2010.[6]
Website
History of the site
Although the lambiek.net is their main domain name, Lambiek started a website www.lambiek.com in 1994 [7] when Kees started to store historical comic book info online. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s it kept its original blue design until after Kousemaker's death in 2010. From August 2012 on, his son Boris ordered a complete remake of the site, converting all existing information into databases.[8]
Webshop and exhibitions
The website features a webshop for comic books, eComics and original art,[9] as well as a news page with articles of interest to comics fans [10] and online art exhibitions. The store has held exhibitions of art by comic creators, including Robert Crumb, Daniel Clowes, Erik Kriek, André Franquin, Tanino Liberatore and Chris Ware. The shop and the informational website both have a strong focus on underground comics, graphic novels and autobiographical comics. The exhibitions can be profit or non-profit, depending on the subject of the exposition.[11]
Comiclopedia
The flagship of the site is the Comiclopedia, an illustrated compendium of over 13,000 international comic artists.[12] It features biographical information and illustrations, comic strip images, album covers, frame grabs, memorablia,... about each individual artist. All artists are alphabetized and can both be looked up by name or by their nationality. The emphasis is mostly on comics artists, though cartoonists, caricaturists, animators, illustrators and/or celebrities who once drew comics themselves are also listed. Visitors can mail suggestions for new names, additions or corrections.
History of comics
There is also a history of Dutch comics, mostly researched and written by Kees Kousemaker,[13][14] and one about the history of Bulgarian comics, researched and written by Vladimir Nedialkov, with additions by Stiliana Thepileva .[15][16] The site also features a historical overview of the comics magazines Spirou, Tintin, Pif gadget, Pilote and Wimmen's Comix.[17]
Lambiek also features separate articles about the Comics Code,[18] Frederic Wertham,[19] Disney comics artists around the world,[20] Rolf Kauka artists,[21] erotic comics,[22] newspaper comics,[23] underground comics [24] and webcomics.[25] There is also a column for thus unidentified comics where the site's owners ask visitors for help with identification of the anonymous artists or with providing more biographical info and/or illustrations about them.[26]
Awards
- In 2006 Kousemaker was the recipient of the Order of Orange-Nassau medal from the Netherlands for his special dedication to the history of comic books.[27]
- Kousemaker also received the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award in 1997.[28]
See also
References
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/dutchcomics/1968.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/news/284/comicshop_lambiek_moves_from_kerkstraat_132_to_koningsstraat_27.html#.VotTiFLxuNI
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/v/vandersteen.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/v/vandersteen.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/infomenu/about_us.html
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/artists/k/kousemaker.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/infomenu/about_us.html
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/news/155/lambiek_s_revamped_website_kicks_off_.html#.VotcvFLxuNI
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/webshop.html
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/news/comic_fan_news.html
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/news/167/virtual_exhibition_willem_vleeschouwer.html#.VotY0VLxuNI
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comiclopedia.html
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/infomenu/faq.html?fcategory=Comiclopedia&fid=127
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/dutchcomics/index.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/infomenu/faq.html?fcategory=Comiclopedia&fid=132
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comics/bulgarian.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/magazines/index.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comics/code.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comics/wertham_fredric.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comics/disneyartists.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comics/kauka.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comics/erotic_comics.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/strips/index.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comics/underground.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comics/webcomics.htm
- ↑ https://www.lambiek.net/comics/help.htm
- ↑ Koninginnedag 2006: Opnieuw zijn striphelden koninklijk onderscheiden
- ↑ Comic-con.org Awards
External links
- 1968 establishments in the Netherlands
- Art galleries established in 1968
- Art museums and galleries in the Netherlands
- Comics retailers
- Comics-related organizations
- Internet encyclopedias
- Shops in Amsterdam
- Websites about comics
- Cartooning museums
- Media museums in the Netherlands
- Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Dutch comics
