ForewordDan NadelAcknowledgementsIntroduction. The Visionary Art of Franco-Belgian Comics, 1930s to 1960sHugo FreyChapter One. Enter the European SuperheroMaaheen AhmedChapter Two. The War ComicsHugo FreyChapter Three. Wacky Inventions, Extraordinary Science, and Eccentric ProfessorsMaaheen AhmedChapter Four. Slapstick: Crazy Fights, Memorable AccidentsEva Van de WieleChapter Five. Topsy-Turvy Worlds: Carnivalesque Children and Talking AnimalsMaaheen AhmedChapter Six. The Earth Trembles: Dino Comics and Palaeo-UtopiasFelipe MuhrChapter Seven. “Overcrowded” Comics Skies: The Mesmerising Aviation ComicsHugo FreyChapter Eight. Fantastical Landscapes and Disturbing Places: The Surreal Geographies of AdventureHugo FreyChapter Nine. A Graphic Kaleidoscope: Experiments in FormBenoît CrucifixChapter Ten. Literary Adaptations, or Something Else?Jan BaetensAlain Van Passen “In His Own Words”Interview conducted, edited, and translated by Hugo Frey and Maaheen AhmedA Unique Collection: An Interview with Philippe CapartInterview conducted, edited and translated by Jan BaetensAfterwordTine AnthoniContributorsWorks CitedIndexExhibition catalogue ‘Visionary Comics: The collection of Alain Van Passen’, Comic Art Museum – Brussels, 16.09.25 – 07.12.25Hidden within the millions of panels and magazine pages collected by Alain Van Passen, a devoted Belgian comics collector active from the earliest days of the comics clubs, lies a long-forgotten history of vibrant, surrealist, and even 'visionary' images. His pristine collection, built over decades of searching and exchanging comics, offers unprecedented insight into the diverse trajectories of twentieth-century popular publishing. Focusing on comics magazines published between 1935 and 1965, this catalogue reveals a 'lost world' of French and Belgian comics, as well as the translations and reworkings of American, British and Italian strips. Ten concise and colourful chapters introduce readers to the zany and fascinating pages and panels across genres such as humour, science fiction, history and adventure. Shedding light on often-forgotten or little-known artists, this volume traces a counter-history of French-language comics. Richly illustrated with largely unseen material, it offers the reader an introduction to the visionary art of French-language comics.Foreword by Dan Nadel and afterword by Tine Anthoni.Hidden within the millions of panels and magazine pages collected by Alain Van Passen, a devoted Belgian comics collector active from the earliest days of the comics clubs, lies a long-forgotten history of vibrant, surrealist, and even ‘visionary’ images. His pristine collection, built over decades of searching and exchanging comics, offers unprecedented insight into the diverse trajectories of twentieth-century popular publishing. Focusing on comics magazines published between 1935 and 1965, this catalogue reveals a ‘lost world’ of French and Belgian comics, as well as the translations and reworkings of American, British and Italian strips. Ten concise and colourful chapters introduce readers to the zany and fascinating pages and panels across genres such as humour, science fiction, history and adventure. Shedding light on often-forgotten or little-known artists, this volume traces a counter-history of French-language comics. Richly illustrated with largely unseen material, it offers the reader an introduction to the visionary art of French-language comics.Foreword by Dan Nadel and afterword by Tine Anthoni.