Dean Simons
@deansimons.bsky.social
He/Him. UK-based freelance culture writer/journalist [news & features]. Interests: world comics, global comics history, digital comics; gaming and portable technology
Follow ≠ endorsement
https://linktr.ee/dean.simons
Follow ≠ endorsement
https://linktr.ee/dean.simons
“To be honest, it’s not exactly what I had in mind…”
November 13, 2025 at 5:44 PM
“To be honest, it’s not exactly what I had in mind…”
Comics section of a tabac in Brussels Midi station. It as comprehensive as in France but still decent if you like Disney.
Also I highly rate DAD. It’s a single page gag strip about a single father and his 4 daughters. Europe Comics translated first three but so far no rights pickup. It’s hilarious
Also I highly rate DAD. It’s a single page gag strip about a single father and his 4 daughters. Europe Comics translated first three but so far no rights pickup. It’s hilarious
November 5, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Comics section of a tabac in Brussels Midi station. It as comprehensive as in France but still decent if you like Disney.
Also I highly rate DAD. It’s a single page gag strip about a single father and his 4 daughters. Europe Comics translated first three but so far no rights pickup. It’s hilarious
Also I highly rate DAD. It’s a single page gag strip about a single father and his 4 daughters. Europe Comics translated first three but so far no rights pickup. It’s hilarious
Fun research times in the documentation room of the Brussels Comic Art Museum.
Looking up a few things…and getting ideas for other things I would like to look into down the line.
(Not sure how I keep ending up with photos featuring zero people. There were several others there.)
Looking up a few things…and getting ideas for other things I would like to look into down the line.
(Not sure how I keep ending up with photos featuring zero people. There were several others there.)
November 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Fun research times in the documentation room of the Brussels Comic Art Museum.
Looking up a few things…and getting ideas for other things I would like to look into down the line.
(Not sure how I keep ending up with photos featuring zero people. There were several others there.)
Looking up a few things…and getting ideas for other things I would like to look into down the line.
(Not sure how I keep ending up with photos featuring zero people. There were several others there.)
Oh and here is a Smurfy portion of the same graffiti. Plus a wide view of the site
November 1, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Oh and here is a Smurfy portion of the same graffiti. Plus a wide view of the site
Spotted some fun graffiti using classic Belgian comics characters on the enclosure around a building site in Brussels
Brussels has proper “official” commissioned murals on buildings around the city but this is likely rogue agents having a laugh
Brussels has proper “official” commissioned murals on buildings around the city but this is likely rogue agents having a laugh
November 1, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Spotted some fun graffiti using classic Belgian comics characters on the enclosure around a building site in Brussels
Brussels has proper “official” commissioned murals on buildings around the city but this is likely rogue agents having a laugh
Brussels has proper “official” commissioned murals on buildings around the city but this is likely rogue agents having a laugh
Spare few minutes before departure so here is a glance at the comics/bande dessinée section of this newsstand.
The French editions of American material (capes and tights) are squeezed in above the manga/manwha.
Most of the BD seems to be nonfiction or comedy. Kids stuff bottom shelf.
The French editions of American material (capes and tights) are squeezed in above the manga/manwha.
Most of the BD seems to be nonfiction or comedy. Kids stuff bottom shelf.
October 31, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Spare few minutes before departure so here is a glance at the comics/bande dessinée section of this newsstand.
The French editions of American material (capes and tights) are squeezed in above the manga/manwha.
Most of the BD seems to be nonfiction or comedy. Kids stuff bottom shelf.
The French editions of American material (capes and tights) are squeezed in above the manga/manwha.
Most of the BD seems to be nonfiction or comedy. Kids stuff bottom shelf.
Made me laugh (Not enough to buy it)
I wouldn’t mind discovering the random (often invented) English idioms inserted into the French language Belgian series Blake & Mortimer. Maybe I will find it in a library down the line and write them down.
I wouldn’t mind discovering the random (often invented) English idioms inserted into the French language Belgian series Blake & Mortimer. Maybe I will find it in a library down the line and write them down.
October 31, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Made me laugh (Not enough to buy it)
I wouldn’t mind discovering the random (often invented) English idioms inserted into the French language Belgian series Blake & Mortimer. Maybe I will find it in a library down the line and write them down.
I wouldn’t mind discovering the random (often invented) English idioms inserted into the French language Belgian series Blake & Mortimer. Maybe I will find it in a library down the line and write them down.
The Daniel Maghen exhibition for Cosey was also decent. Just…I was a bit spoilt by everything in those folders. It covered bits of Cosey’s Jonathan series and his most recent book Yiyun.
Leave tomorrow and more galleries on my list. Hopefully I have time for one or two in between other duties
Leave tomorrow and more galleries on my list. Hopefully I have time for one or two in between other duties
October 31, 2025 at 12:04 AM
The Daniel Maghen exhibition for Cosey was also decent. Just…I was a bit spoilt by everything in those folders. It covered bits of Cosey’s Jonathan series and his most recent book Yiyun.
Leave tomorrow and more galleries on my list. Hopefully I have time for one or two in between other duties
Leave tomorrow and more galleries on my list. Hopefully I have time for one or two in between other duties
Also in the folders that I was flabbergasted to see close up - the Brizzi bros pages for their Don Quixote adaptation. All pencils. All amazing.
Ana Mirallès pages from the last Djinn albums.
Some Daria Schmitt (Skull from Sweden), and Olivier Pont.
Some books I definitely want to check out
Ana Mirallès pages from the last Djinn albums.
Some Daria Schmitt (Skull from Sweden), and Olivier Pont.
Some books I definitely want to check out
October 30, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Also in the folders that I was flabbergasted to see close up - the Brizzi bros pages for their Don Quixote adaptation. All pencils. All amazing.
Ana Mirallès pages from the last Djinn albums.
Some Daria Schmitt (Skull from Sweden), and Olivier Pont.
Some books I definitely want to check out
Ana Mirallès pages from the last Djinn albums.
Some Daria Schmitt (Skull from Sweden), and Olivier Pont.
Some books I definitely want to check out
If you ever go to Paris and you like comics. There are a number of great private galleries selling original pages. Highlight of recent trip might be seeing a huge swathe of Grzegorz Rosiński’s artistic career. Early Thorgal (1st album) to one of the last. Plus his other work.
October 30, 2025 at 11:45 PM
If you ever go to Paris and you like comics. There are a number of great private galleries selling original pages. Highlight of recent trip might be seeing a huge swathe of Grzegorz Rosiński’s artistic career. Early Thorgal (1st album) to one of the last. Plus his other work.
Was in one of my “comic shops of choice” in Paris. Aaapoum Bapoum is a mix of brand new and resale books. Mostly the latter.
The main shop has a very large manga section. I thought to ask what the top books were. After One Piece and Naruto, Blue Lock apparently sells quite well there.
The main shop has a very large manga section. I thought to ask what the top books were. After One Piece and Naruto, Blue Lock apparently sells quite well there.
October 30, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Was in one of my “comic shops of choice” in Paris. Aaapoum Bapoum is a mix of brand new and resale books. Mostly the latter.
The main shop has a very large manga section. I thought to ask what the top books were. After One Piece and Naruto, Blue Lock apparently sells quite well there.
The main shop has a very large manga section. I thought to ask what the top books were. After One Piece and Naruto, Blue Lock apparently sells quite well there.
While walking to the train station in St Malo, I spotted this cool comics mural.
I immediately recognise the first four but am slightly stumped by the last one. Part of me thinks it could either be Yusuke from YuYu Hakusho, or Kaneda from Akira.
Any ideas?
I immediately recognise the first four but am slightly stumped by the last one. Part of me thinks it could either be Yusuke from YuYu Hakusho, or Kaneda from Akira.
Any ideas?
October 28, 2025 at 11:58 PM
While walking to the train station in St Malo, I spotted this cool comics mural.
I immediately recognise the first four but am slightly stumped by the last one. Part of me thinks it could either be Yusuke from YuYu Hakusho, or Kaneda from Akira.
Any ideas?
I immediately recognise the first four but am slightly stumped by the last one. Part of me thinks it could either be Yusuke from YuYu Hakusho, or Kaneda from Akira.
Any ideas?
I read somewhere that the new Asterix got a 5 million copy print run. I wonder how far into it they are now.
Anywho - more advertising and promotion.
Anywho - more advertising and promotion.
October 28, 2025 at 11:54 PM
I read somewhere that the new Asterix got a 5 million copy print run. I wonder how far into it they are now.
Anywho - more advertising and promotion.
Anywho - more advertising and promotion.
Some of these can be yours for the bargain price of €1500-€2200 (so up to around $2500).
I could never justify it but I absolutely love checking out LEO’s pages - especially his monster designs.
Most of his work is available in English from Cinebook.
I could never justify it but I absolutely love checking out LEO’s pages - especially his monster designs.
Most of his work is available in English from Cinebook.
October 28, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Some of these can be yours for the bargain price of €1500-€2200 (so up to around $2500).
I could never justify it but I absolutely love checking out LEO’s pages - especially his monster designs.
Most of his work is available in English from Cinebook.
I could never justify it but I absolutely love checking out LEO’s pages - especially his monster designs.
Most of his work is available in English from Cinebook.
Also found some more reference books for my growing collection of international historical texts about comics.
October 26, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Also found some more reference books for my growing collection of international historical texts about comics.
While digging through the bouquinistes (used book retailers) at Quai des bulles, I spotted this little “best of” for one of my fave Franco-Belgian series: Thorgal.
Contains two stories and the first one was actually my fave, “Master of the Mountains”. The second one I also love.
Contains two stories and the first one was actually my fave, “Master of the Mountains”. The second one I also love.
October 26, 2025 at 2:52 PM
While digging through the bouquinistes (used book retailers) at Quai des bulles, I spotted this little “best of” for one of my fave Franco-Belgian series: Thorgal.
Contains two stories and the first one was actually my fave, “Master of the Mountains”. The second one I also love.
Contains two stories and the first one was actually my fave, “Master of the Mountains”. The second one I also love.
Bought some highbrow manga in French because I don’t recall their ever being available in English (and my French is better than my Japanese)
October 25, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Bought some highbrow manga in French because I don’t recall their ever being available in English (and my French is better than my Japanese)
New Asterix released today in France. Glanced inside the Relay store in St Malo train station.
Assuming it was full at least this morning…Seems to have sold pretty well.
(I was told they have plenty more stock in the back)
Assuming it was full at least this morning…Seems to have sold pretty well.
(I was told they have plenty more stock in the back)
October 23, 2025 at 2:40 PM
New Asterix released today in France. Glanced inside the Relay store in St Malo train station.
Assuming it was full at least this morning…Seems to have sold pretty well.
(I was told they have plenty more stock in the back)
Assuming it was full at least this morning…Seems to have sold pretty well.
(I was told they have plenty more stock in the back)
Taking the train to St Malo.
Couple guys nearby working on their bande dessinée via tablets (might be editing).
Guy in his 30s/40s in seat next to me reading manga on his Kobo ereader. (Can’t identify the series as yet)
Couple guys nearby working on their bande dessinée via tablets (might be editing).
Guy in his 30s/40s in seat next to me reading manga on his Kobo ereader. (Can’t identify the series as yet)
October 23, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Taking the train to St Malo.
Couple guys nearby working on their bande dessinée via tablets (might be editing).
Guy in his 30s/40s in seat next to me reading manga on his Kobo ereader. (Can’t identify the series as yet)
Couple guys nearby working on their bande dessinée via tablets (might be editing).
Guy in his 30s/40s in seat next to me reading manga on his Kobo ereader. (Can’t identify the series as yet)
The new Asterix album lands today. Not sure I will have a chance to look for any queues of people picking it up here in France today (catching a train) but I did snap a picture of an advertisement while waiting at the metro
October 23, 2025 at 10:20 AM
The new Asterix album lands today. Not sure I will have a chance to look for any queues of people picking it up here in France today (catching a train) but I did snap a picture of an advertisement while waiting at the metro
There’s a hilarious smol section that mentions US material but none of the artists were American. The introduction to the section called it “interlude comics”. Pretty much said US comics are pretty obscure (in France), lots of publishers release translated material and there are some gems each yr.
October 19, 2025 at 4:45 PM
There’s a hilarious smol section that mentions US material but none of the artists were American. The introduction to the section called it “interlude comics”. Pretty much said US comics are pretty obscure (in France), lots of publishers release translated material and there are some gems each yr.
The scifi exhibition is deliberately a showcase of the big genre names in the Franco-Belgian school of genre bande dessinée. Manga, US movies referenced but not shown. There are zero US creators but surprisingly three Brits: Don Lawrence, David Lloyd and Dave Gibbons.
The show is stunning.
The show is stunning.
October 19, 2025 at 4:40 PM
The scifi exhibition is deliberately a showcase of the big genre names in the Franco-Belgian school of genre bande dessinée. Manga, US movies referenced but not shown. There are zero US creators but surprisingly three Brits: Don Lawrence, David Lloyd and Dave Gibbons.
The show is stunning.
The show is stunning.
Finally - FINALLY - got to see the mammoth scifi comics exhibition in Angoulême’s Musée de la BD. Packed to the brim with Franco-Belgian work. Mostly originals. It kind of starts with Jean-Claude Mézières and ends with Enki Bilal. Then there is a long exit passageway showcasing the new generation
October 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Finally - FINALLY - got to see the mammoth scifi comics exhibition in Angoulême’s Musée de la BD. Packed to the brim with Franco-Belgian work. Mostly originals. It kind of starts with Jean-Claude Mézières and ends with Enki Bilal. Then there is a long exit passageway showcasing the new generation
Page from around 1950 but the Bécassine character dates from about 1905. Somewhat controversial in her time as she was based on a Breton stereotype, Bécassine is one of the first regularly appearing comics characters. The early stories predated the use of word balloons and captions, and it stuck
October 18, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Page from around 1950 but the Bécassine character dates from about 1905. Somewhat controversial in her time as she was based on a Breton stereotype, Bécassine is one of the first regularly appearing comics characters. The early stories predated the use of word balloons and captions, and it stuck
« Le Loup en slip » has been running since 2016. It is a spinoff of another book « Les Vieux Fourneaux », by Wilfrid Lupano and Paul Cauuet. This spinoff is illustrated by Mayana Itoïz, with Cauuet still involved. 8 or 9 books in, it has also been adapted into animation
October 17, 2025 at 5:05 PM
« Le Loup en slip » has been running since 2016. It is a spinoff of another book « Les Vieux Fourneaux », by Wilfrid Lupano and Paul Cauuet. This spinoff is illustrated by Mayana Itoïz, with Cauuet still involved. 8 or 9 books in, it has also been adapted into animation