the comics museum

permanent collections

A complete history of French and American comics, a unique collection in Europe, is displayed within a remarkable 1,300 m2 scenography. The ninth art patrimony can be discovered through more than 400 pieces of original artwork, old editions, advertisement objects, toys, movie excerpts.

The strips, boards and drawings are selected among 12,000 originals and are renewed every three months, thus ensuring proper conservation - the works are displayed for four months and then kept in stock for four years, which means a new museum three times per year!

The circuit includes reading areas, and all way through audiovisual sequences related to the showcases are available: excerpts from authors’ animation movies or derived from comic book characters, authors’ interviews, documentaries on authors at work or focusing on great moments of the history of comics.

the history of comics

From the pioneers (Töpffer, Christophe, Pinchon, Forton in Europe; Frost, McCay, Swinnerton in the U.S....) to the current comics masters via the classics of the Franco-Belgian tradition and the masters of the American golden-age tradition, the whole western world’s rich comics history is revealed. Specific showcases highlight great authors (Saint-Ogan, Franquin, Eisner, Schulz...) and a few heroes (Mickey Mouse, Popeye, Tintin...)

The comics creation process is revealed through several authors’ different styles and sensibilities and illustrated by originals that readers seldom see: typed scenarios or manuscripts, occasionally some sketches, preliminary drawings, graphic draughts of characters, settings and costumes, location scouting photos, storyboards...
You follow the progress of creation from scratch: pencil, inking, colour setting, computer creation...

the catalogue

A major work on comics, their history and aesthetics.
456 pages, 49 €
 Order the catalogue online.

the audio guide

 Download the audio guide to the comics museum and use it on your own device.

the comics museum friends

The association of the comics museum friends supports its activities and its acquisition policy in particular by donating the works it has gathered: over fifteen years, 241 original boards, hundreds of magazines and periodicals and several rare objects have thus enriched the museum’s collection.
contact comics museum friends email