Since 30 years, ‘t Vlaams Stripcentrum is a private, non-profit initiative to disseminate comic strip culture. With 3,000 members, 30,000 comic strips and 800,000 loans - going for a million - the centre offers a library second to none in Belgium.
From humble beginnings (a few boxes in a closet in a parish hall by a couple of scout leaders), the centre meanwhile has its own building with library, video library, information centre, comic cave and antique section.
In short, it’s a great place to discover comic strip culture in its full breadth, without spending a fortune. Many of the strips on loan are no longer available in shops. And by using the library, you support an unique initiative - fees for lending strips are used exclusively to develop the library and centre.
As a Flemish centre, the books are primarily in the Dutch language. There is a limited offering in English and French. For non-speakers of Dutch, comic strips can be a great instrument to help learn the language while in Belgium.
The location is Wilrijk, near Antwerp and about 45 minutes from Brussels. To lend comic strips, you need to become a member of the association. There are individual and family memberships, costing respectively 10 and 20 euro per year, and allowing you to lend 20 or 30 comic strips.
