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Rediscovered 1963 Mosaik Comic to Be Published for Hannes Hegen’s Centenary

The suppressed Digedags episode, shelved for ideological reasons in the DDR, will debut as a May special with restored artwork by former Mosaik illustrators.

Overview

  • Two long-lost 1963 manuscripts by Hannes Hegen, creator of the Mosaik comic, were found in his estate and one will be published on May 16, 2025, marking his 100th birthday.
  • The episode, titled 'Duell an der Newa,' was part of the Erfinderserie, which was canceled in 1964 due to ideological objections by the DDR publisher Junge Welt.
  • The publisher criticized the series for focusing on bourgeois inventors rather than celebrating the working class and demanded changes that ultimately led to the series' cancellation.
  • Former Mosaik artists Ulf S. Graupner and Steffen Jähde have completed the artwork for the episode, staying faithful to Hegen's original manuscripts and designs.
  • Mosaik, first published in East Berlin in 1955, is Germany’s longest-running comic and continues to evolve, with its 600th issue set for release later this year.