De voedzame fulband c. 1902

This is a page from a comic book, printed with colourful inks on paper. In twelve panels, it tells the story of a boy named Karel and his insatiable hunger. The printing process is key to understanding this artwork. The lines are clear and uniform, suggesting a printing process with metal plates and printing press. The page has been commercially manufactured to be sold and read widely, rather than a unique handmade work of art. Although we do not know exactly when this page was made, it can be placed within a specific moment of cultural production. The comic strip was an increasingly popular art form as industrialization allowed for mass production and distribution. Consider the labour involved: from the artist who conceived the story, to the engravers who translated it to the printing plate, to the press operators, and then the distributors and vendors. This small piece of ephemera embodies a whole social network and economy of work. The materials, making, and context are vital to understand the meaning of this seemingly simple comic strip.