Fix & Foxi XXL

The protagonists of Rolf Kauka’s most famous comic series, Fix & Foxi were the most popular comic figures across German-speaking countries in the 1960s/70s, only to be matched in their popularity by Mickey Mouse. The magazine that shared their names could always be found at newsagents between 1953 and 1995.

During its heyday, the Fix & Foxi magazine appeared in Germany on a weekly basis with a circulation of up to 400,000 copies. In total more than 780 million copies were sold. When the first American comics flooded the market in western Germany during the early 1950s, Kauka seized the opportunity of creating a home-grown German product. With its origins in Germany, the magazine went on to become an international success that was marketed across Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Mexico and Brazil. The purchase of foreign licenses for the Fix & Foxi magazine ended up paving the way for the growth of Franco-Belgian comic culture across Austria and Germany. Important Franco-Belgian comic classics including the Smurfs, Spirou and Lucky Luke made big appearances in Kauka’s magazine.

With approximately 200 original pieces spanning from the time of its inception to 1972, Karikaturmuseum Krems’ Fix & Foxi XXL is the most comprehensive exhibition to date on the subject. Comic strips, documents and historical material shed light on the successful comic’s genesis up until the time its characters became cult figures on television.

Curator: Gottfried Gusenbauer, artistic director of the Karikaturmuseum Krems