Belgium (Re: digest #547)

[H.W. Fluks]

Torsten reports about Belgium:
> Brussels.  Flemish and French are the main languages.

For those who don't know: Flemish is (by Belgian law) the Dutch
language. Only 10 per cent of the people in Brussels speak it.
On the whole of Belgium, about 55 per cent speaks Dutch.

> Belgium has a
> strong comics tradition (Tintin, Asterix, Smurfs, Marsupilami)

Asterix is in fact French.

Most of the famous Belgian comics were made in the French language.
The most well-known Flemish comic is Suske & Wiske (in French and
English: Bob & Bobette).

> the newstands I did see had a few Disney
> titles, imported from France.

Disney comics are not very popular in Belgium. The Dutch Donald Duck
Weekly can hardly be found in the Dutch-speaking part.
They had a Disney comic in the 50s: Mickey Magazine. I think this
was a straight translation from the French.

--Harry.