Comics Reportages from Bonn

Because the workshop Alphabet of Arrival back in March 2017 was so successful, the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb) decided to host a second iteration of it in a smaller format. On March 10, 2018, six comic artists and journalists from the region met in the bpb’s media centre in Bonn.

Under the direction of Sascha Hommer (comic artist) and Lilian Pithan (journalist), they produced six comics reportages about daily life in Bonn. You can read the end products of this very successful workshop here.

Lady Ada Lovelace in the Arithmeum in Bonn
by Susanne Braun & Daniel Herrmann

That there are computers in the Arithmeum in Bonn that are based on the British mathematician Ada Lovelace’s models is a fact that Susanne Braun (journalist) had already known and researched before taking part in the workshop. Together with Daniel Hermann (artist), she visited the museum and developed an expository piece on how looms eventually turned into smartphones.

There Are Two Types of Calls
by Fabian May & Antje Herzog

Ali Can – author, activist and, according to him, a “migrant of trust” – was in the city. Unfortunately, his calendar was so full that he nearly missed his interview Fabian May (journalist) and Antje Herzog (artist). Luckily they managed to catch him just in time at the train station. What emerged was a very personal story about Can’s hotline for concerned citizens.

Repair Café
by Julia Neumann & Jennifer Daniel

The repair café in Bonn-Tannebusch is known throughout the city. A good reason for Julia Neumann (journalist) and Jennifer Daniel (artist) to go take a closer look at the place. The result was a piece about throw-away society in which replacement parts more expensive than the devices themselves.

Occupied
by Inga Dreyer & Julia Zejn

Inga Dreyer (journalist) had already read in the Bonn General-Anzeiger newspaper that the former Iranian embassy in Bonn had once been occupied by activists. Together with Julia Zejn (artist), she went to the dilapidated building. What they experienced there, they wrote about in their comic reportage.

My Mother
by Ann-Kathrin Horn & Ralf Marczinczik

How does one write a reportage about a homeless person without putting him in a bad light in the eyes of readers? Comics journalism is the perfect solution – that’s something Ann-Kathrin Horn (journalist) and Ralf Marczinczik (artist) discovered. Without a camera, you can get closer to people; through art, they retain their dignity.

What Lands on the Table Gets Fixed
by Hannah El-Hitami & Silvia Dierkes

Hannah El-Hitami (journalist) and Silvia Dierkes (artist) also headed over to the repair café in Tannbusch during their research in Bonn. There they met Ronan, who tells them about e-waste, volunteering and the café’s repair manifesto.