Tour de Suisse comic: Stories about history

Cycling fans and comic lovers raised over 50,000 francs via crowdfunding in spring 2016. Since then, 30 of the best Swiss illustrators have illustrated small and large episodes from the history of the Swiss cycling race. Journalist Martin Born and designer Marc Locatelli coordinated the unique project as editors. The book will be available from April 10.

"The Tour de Suisse is more than just a cycling race. It is a national cultural asset, as much a part of Switzerland as the first of August, the Lauberhorn downhill and Roger Federer. It is a myth, a part of history, made up of stories written by cycling," announces the press release for the comic.

Marc Locatelli is co-editor of the Tour de Suisse comic. As the designer, he was responsible for coordinating the illustrators: "The result is an impressive book with 80 color pages. It was a pleasure for me to see how much esprit thirty of the best Swiss illustrators devoted to the project. The contributions are diverse and depict the most varied aspects and characters from over 80 years of the Tour de Suisse."

Dramas, heroes, curiosities: new perspectives and details

Journalist and author Martin Born has been following cycling for over 40 years. With his detailed and background knowledge, he supported the illustrators in their storytelling and provided historical facts, footnotes and explanatory texts. He says: "It is an experience to see how these different artists manage to breathe new life into the anecdotes and protagonists. You always discover new details in this comic." The sponsors and crowdfunding supporters were able to immortalize themselves in the work with an autograph Map or on the sponsorship double page. Without the great help from the cycling and comic scene and from many dedicated supporters, this work full of stories would never have been created.

The Tour de Suisse Comic has been published by Edition-Moderne and will be available in bookstores or directly from the publisher Marc Locatelli from April 10. Various exhibitions are currently underway and planned, for example at the Gewerbemuseum Winterthur or at the Fumetto comic festival (April 1 - 9, Lucerne).

The vernissage will take place on April 7, 2017 (from 5:30 pm) as part of the Urban Bike Festival, with many former and active bike icons, slumbers and artists. It is open to the public.

The artists and illustrators: Felix Schaad, Andreas Gefe, Michel Casarramona, Peter Gut, Tom Tirabosco, Pierre Wazem, Lika Nüssli, Res Zinniker, Roger Zürcher, Eva Rust, Tom Künzli, Jan Zablonier, Daniel Reichenbach, Frida Bünzli, Marc Locatelli, Melk Thalmann, Tom Frey, Daniel Huber, Christian Calame, Markus Urfer, Corinne Schroff, Gion Capeder, Daniel Bosshadt, Jehan Khodi, Peggy Adam, Pitch Comment, Aloys Iolo, Nicolas Sjösted, Michael Kiener, Nicolas Kristen

Editors: Martin Born and Marc Locatelli, 80 pages, color, 21x30 cm, hardcover, German and French, CHF 29.80, excl. shipping/packaging, Verlag Edition Moderne - ISBN 978-3-03731-162-2

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