The comeback of the Digedags: New Mosaic booklet after 62 years!

The comeback of the Digedags: New Mosaic booklet after 62 years!

In the estate of the well-known GDR comic author Hannes Hegen, two manuscripts of his popular series “Mosaik” were discovered, which have been considered missing for over 62 years. These manuscripts come from 1963 and are special because they have never been published, which is largely due to the increasing censorship of the non -compliant behavior of the young world. The two episodes were created at a time when the political pressure in the GDR rose, the announcement was associated with the announcement that one of these stories on May 16, the 100th birthday of Hegens, should appear posthumously. The special issue bears the title "Duel at the Newa" and brings the readers back the famous goblins DIG, DAG and Digedag, which are the main characters of the mosaic series.

The story in "Duel at the Newa" belongs to the inventor series, in which the heroic goblins meet historical inventors from antiquity to the late 19th century. However, the publisher had concerns because the inventors presented belonged to the upscale bourgeoisie and the implementation did not represent the work class's services. For this reason, the manuscripts were not printed. Instead, the publisher saw a need for more seriousness and a stronger connection to the labor movement, which forced to change his concept and to develop the Runkel series, which was demolished early in 1964. Already existing manuscripts and designs were kept in the Hegens archive, which offers a variety of materials for historical research.

The return of Digedags

The new episode "Duel at the Newa" is implemented by the former mosaic drawers Ulf S. Graupner and Steffen Jähde. The drawings are traditional handicrafts that have been put together and colored digitally. This issue appears as a May special for the regular "mosaic" edition, which saw the light of day in East Berlin for the first time in December 1955 and had a large fan base until the fall of the Berlin Wall. The oldest still published German comic magazine has still secured an important place in the cultural history of the GDR.

Hannes Hegen, born on May 16, 1925 in Böhmisch Kamnitz, was a German graphic artist who launched the comic magazine "Mosaik" and created the Digedags. He first presented his concept in 1955 to the Junge Welt publishing house, where the first edition was printed on a large scale. Over the years he developed a variety of stories that enjoyed great popularity, but in 1975 the end of the Digedags, which had previously been published in 229 issues, came after a conflict with the publisher.

inheritance and conversion

After the turn, the project was continued with the Abrafaxen, a new hero group. These characters are very popular to this day and celebrate their 50th anniversary in the monthly expenses in December. Since the changeover and up to the last volume of the Digedag series in March 2007, many new stories have been published on various historical and fictional topics.

The contemporary witnesses of his work, the discoveries in the Hegens' estate and the return of the Digedags to the comic world are an exciting development that could revitalize the history of the history of the GDR comics. The publisher Junge Welt and the mosaic collective seem to keep the spirit of these classic figures alive through new editions and anniversary celebrations. The "mosaic" comics, which are inextricably linked to Hegens inheritance, remain not only part of German culture, but also a bridge to a moving historical past.