The Belgian cartoonist Marc Sleen (1922-2016) is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most productive in the world. His comics would cover the equivalent of 45 football fields in a row, or 18 times the Eiffel Tower. Marc Sleen made his first comic strip at twenty-two and continued until his eightieth birthday.
His main creation is Nero, an ordinary Fleming, who lived no less than 217 adventures surrounded by colorful companions. Nero was very popular, both with children and adults. When Marc changed press groups, some 30,000 readers followed him.
The post-war Belgian monarchs learned Dutch by reading the original Dutch version. It was King Albert II himself who opened the Marc Sleen Museum and gave the artist a knighthood.
The Marc Sleen Foundation aims to be a talent gas pedal, a stimulating and innovative environment for young cartoonists. Within the Marc Sleen Museum on Rue des Sables, the Knalgele Kubus (The Little Canary Cube) has been erected, a small workshop where recently graduated comic book artists have the opportunity to work on their projects. In an inspiring environment, they meet other cartoonists and are supported by professional cartoonists, scriptwriters, teachers and publishers.
