Merz Akademie, Hochschule für Gestaltung, Kunst und Medien, Stuttgart

At Merz Akademie Stuttgart, comics are an academic discipline. Featuring Germany’s first Professorship for Comics and Comic Research, this state-recognised university sets new standards in Visual Communication. Students don't just master the craft; they explore narrative structures and artistic boundaries. In creative labs and events like the "24-Hour Comic Session," aspiring artists* and storytellers* develop their own authorial voice—experimental, theoretically grounded, and cutting-edge. Here, drawing becomes a narrative statement within a vibrant media culture.