Although the Eurokartoenale has been a fixture since 1979, the oldest cartoon festival in the world with an uninterrupted tradition is the Knokke-Heist – Duinbergen festival.
Anyone in Belgium who has ever held a cartoon booklet will surely remember the Davidsfonds catalogues. They have been published annually since 1965 and, for many people—myself included—they were a first introduction to the wonderful world of cartoons. It soon became a tradition: collecting the catalogue, leafing through it, laughing, and gradually building up a personal collection of cartoon books.
The Knokke festival itself started in 1962, with “The Tourist” as its theme. About 25 Belgian cartoonists were invited to take part, including well-known names such as Bob De Moor and Marc Sleen. The very first festival attracted no fewer than 17,000 visitors. From 1964 onwards, the cartoon competition became an annual event. Today, both the competition and the accompanying exhibition receive entries from all over the world.
Our library holds a remarkable piece of history: an original copy of that very first catalogue. And believe me, that is truly unique. Despite years of searching, I have never managed to acquire one myself.
All the more reason to pay a visit to our cartoon book library.
Jan Oplinus