News

In march 2014 my new book "Vita Obscura" will be released by my german publisher the avant-verlag.

The book will include all my comicstrips of the same name plus previously unreleased material. More information can be found in the publishers preview.

"Vita Obscura"

EUR 19,95

Hardcover: 72 Pages

ISBN: 978-3939080947

Publisher: avant-verlag

RELEASED MARCH 2014

On december 20 you will find the latest episode of my comicstrip "Vita Obscura" in the weekly newspaper Der Freitag. This time it will tell you about the religious leader Mani.

Due to a change in the newspaper's layout  from now on the comicstrip will be a bit smaller. For a planed book release in 2014 the upcoming episodes of "Vita Obscura" will be enlarged on the old format including additional story elements and artwork.

On november 29 you will find the newest episode of my comicstrip "Vita Obscura" in the weekly newspaper Der Freitag. This time it will tell a story about the two athletes Gretel Bergmann and Dora Ratjen.

Due to a change in the newspaper's layout  from now on the comicstrip will be a bit smaller. For a planed book release in 2014 the upcoming episodes of "Vita Obscura" will be enlarged on the old format including additional story elements and artwork.

I'm very happy and grateful to announce that the Hans-Meid-Stiftung awarded me with "Hans-Meid-Förderpreis 2013" for my graphic-novel Packeis and my panorama for The Cube of the peaceful revolution in Erfurt.

An exhibition can be seen at the Fabrik der Künste in Hamburg november 17-24, 2013. 

More information can be found right here.

Fabrik der Künste
20537 Hamburg
Kreuzbrook 10/12

Vernissage november 17, 2013 at 12 a.m.

On november 1 you will find the latest episode of my comicstrip "Vita Obscura" in the weekly newspaper Der Freitag. This time it will tell you the glamorous but sad story of 

the forgotten singer and trumpet player Valaida Snow.

Due to a change in the newspaper's layout  from now on the comicstrip will be a bit smaller. For a planed book release the upcoming episodes of "Vita Obscura" will be enlarged on the old format including additional story elements and artwork.

From october 18-20 I will be at the 28e Fête du livre de Saint-Étienne in Saint-Étienne. There I will present my new graphic-novel Dans les glaces at the booth of the bookshop L'étrange rendez-vous.

28e Fête du livre de Saint-Étienne

Place de l'Hôtel de Ville

42000 Saint-Étienne

France

www.fete-du-livre.saint-etienne.fr

From october 3-6 you can find me at the Hamburger Comicfestival. On october 6 I will be signing my books around 2 p.m. at the both of the avant-verlag. You can also find some artwork that I did for the legendary swiss magazine Strapazin at an exhibition.

Hamburger Comicfestival

Kölibri (GWA St. Pauli e.V.)

Hein-Köllisch-Platz 11–12

20359 Hamburg

On october 4 you will find the newest episode of my comicstrip "Vita Obscura" in the weekly newspaper Der Freitag. This time it will tell you the true and enlightening story of 

economist and gambler John Law – who invented the speculative bubble. 

Due to a change in the newspaper's layout  from now on the comicstrip will be a bit smaller. For a planed book release the upcoming episodes of "Vita Obscura" will be enlarged on the old format including additional story elements and artwork.

On july 7 the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung will include several illustrations of mine about the problematic reprocessing of  the stalinist terror in modern russia.

As part of the Comicfestival München an hommage to the legendary Robert Crumb is released. It's called A Tribute to Robert Crumb and includes comics by many artists like Joe Matt, Gilbert Shelton, Arne Bellstorf, Rudi Hurzlmeier, Ralf König, Nicolas Mahler, Erich Rauschenbach, Volker Reiche, Gerhard Seyfried and also myself.

More information can be found right here.

A Tribute to Robert Crumb

Softcover: 100 pages

Publisher: Edition 52

ISBN-10: 3935229844

20,00 Euro

On april 12 I had a very nice conversation with Ruth Fühner for the german radiostation Hessischer Rundfunk. You can listen to it via podcast.

>> LISTEN

On april 12 the german edition of Le Monde diplomatique which is accompanying the Tageszeitung that day includes a fullpage comic of mine. It tells a very personal story about the sketchbook my great-grandfather had during the second world war. It is a collage of some of his sketches and my own drawings and text. You can find more information right here.

From april 5 till april 11 the Fabrik der Künste in Hamburg shows an exhibition of over 100 former illustration students of the HAW Hamburg. You can see some pictures from my books drüben! an Packeis.

Fabrik der Künste
20537 Hamburg
Kreuzbrook 10/12
www.fabrikderkuenste.de

Vernissage april 5 a 6 p.m.

More news about my graphic-novel Packeis: The book got listed in The White Ravens Catalogue 2013 as one of the outstanding books of 2013 by the International Youth Library. More information can be found here.

"»Packeis« tells the life story of African-American explorer Matthew Henson, who was the first person to reach the North Pole in 1909. Yet, since he was subjected to discrimination all his life, this honour was given to other people, and Henson’s name sank into oblivion. In a condensed form, Simon Schwartz creates a connection between Henson’s individual fate and that of all African-Americans and Inuit people. The panels in this graphic novel express the explorer’s perceptions and feelings: Many flash-backs highlight the influence of past events on Henson’s present life and point out the lifelong racism he experienced; moreover, the black-white-and-blue colour palette metaphorically illustrates the literally freezing atmosphere that Henson faces. Thanks to the mythical glorification of Henson’s fate, »Packeis« clearly exposes inhuman imperialism and racism as well as a common practice of white historiography, which degrades people of a different skin colour as slaves 
and prey. An excellent book."

On february 26 starts an exhibition named "Zukunft leben - Die demografische Chance" about the demographic changes in germany at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. It is organised by the german government and includes six long comics of mine which satirically describe several demographic groups. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog which reprints some of the comics.

For the new issue of the magazine "GEOlino Extra" I made several illustrations about the history of the different indigenous languages. In the same issue you can also find a memory game that I made, which helps you to learn the plains indian sign language.

"GEOlino Extra # 38: Die Indianer Nordamerikas"

EUR 6,50

ISBN: 978-3-652-00208-0

Publisher: Gruner & Jahr AG Co. KG

This february the Friedrich-Oetinger-Verlag is going to release a new children's book of mine which is named Krickel-Krakel-Malschule. Again I created this book together with a group of other illustrators named the Krickelkrakels.

"Krickel-Krakel-Malschule: Mit Pinsel, Farben und anderen Sachen tolle Bilder machen"

EUR 12,95

Hardcover: 128 Pages

ISBN: 978-3789185403

Publisher: Friedrich-Oetinger-Verlag

This year my publisher the berlin-based avant-verlag celebrates it's eleven's anniversary.

On january 11 at 7 p.m. starts an vernissage and exhibition at the Neurotitan Gallery in Berlin including all artist of the avant-verlag.

The celebration lasts for a month with several events including a lecture of mine on  january 12 at 7:30 p.m.

More information can be found here.