Ralf König
Ralf König is one of the best known and most commercially successful German comic book creators. His books have been translated into many languages. He has resided in Soest, Dortmund and Berlin and now lives in Cologne.
Biography
After attending a German Hauptschule, König completed an apprenticeship, learning the trade of a joiner.
In 1979, he came out as a gay man, and about this time he created short comics stories that appeared in the Munich underground magazine Zomix and the gay periodical Rosa Flieder. He returned to school from 1981 to 1986, attending the public Kunstakademie Düsseldorf and pursuing a major in free art. Also in 1981, his early collected comics were published by the gay publishing house Verlag rosa Winkel as SchwulComix. In 1987, he wrote The Killer Condom, his first comic with a continuous story, which was later produced as a film.
In the German-speaking world, König's comics have a vast homosexual fan base. Despite initial skepticism about the prospect of a broader audience due to his works' frequent setting within the gay milieu, his comics have achieved considerable popularity among heterosexual readers as well. A few of his comics have been adapted into films, and several have translated into other languages. By 2008, his total publications exceeded 5 million copies.
Since November 2017, König is an Ambassador of intaktiv e.V., an association against ritual circumcision of male children.
Style
König's stories are drawn in an expressive cartoon style. Consistently written with humour, they occasionally deal with serious themes such as the tension between sexual freedom and the risk of AIDS infection. His work has repeatedly portrayed daily routines of gay life, often based on personal experiences of himself and his friends. He has also written works that deal centrally with heterosexuals and with religious themes, criticizing literalist readings of the bible as well as Islamic fundamentalism.
Awards
Joop Klepzeiker Prijs, 1988Best German comic creator, Grenoble, 1990Max-und-Moritz Prize, 1992Best International Comic Creator, Barcelona, 1992Bundesfilmpreis for the movie Der bewegte Mann, 1995Goldene Leinwand mit Stern for the movie Der bewegte Mann, 1995Goldener RIK, Köln, 2002Zivilcourage-Preis des Berliner CSD, Berlin, 2004Prix Alph’Art, Angoulême, 2005Premio miglior storia lunga, 2005Max-und-Moritz Prize, 2006Max-und-Moritz Prize, 2010
Works
Comics
Sarius, 1981Das sensationelle Comic-Book, 1981SchwulComix, 1981SchwulComix 2, 1984Macho Comix, 1984SchwulComix 3, 1985SchwulComix 4, 1986Kondom des Grauens, 1987Der bewegte Mann, 1987Lysistrata, 1987Pretty Baby, 1988 Comics, Cartoons, Critzeleien, 1988Safere Zeiten, 1988Beach Boys, 1989Prall aus dem Leben, 1989Bis auf die Knochen, 1990 Heiße Herzen, 1990 Zitronenröllchen, 1990Schwulxx-Comix, 1990 Deutsche Tuntenpost, 1991Bullenklöten!, 1992...und das mit links!, 1993Konrad und Paul, 1993Konrad und Paul 2, 1994Konrad und Paul 3, 1997Jago, 1998Superparadise, 1999 Poppers! Rimming! Tittentrimm!, 2001Wie die Karnickel, 2002Sie dürfen sich jetzt küssen, 2003 Suck my duck, 2004Roy und Al, 2004Dschinn Dschinn: Der Zauber des Schabbar, 2005Dschinn Dschinn 2: Schleierzwang im Sündenpfuhl, 2006Trojanische Hengste, 2006Hempels Sofa, 2007Stutenkerle, 2008Prototyp, 2008Archetyp, 2009Antityp, 2010Der Dicke König, 2011Elftausend Jungfrauen, 2012Herbst in der Hose, 2017Santa Claus Junior, 2017Stehaufmännchen, 2019
English translations
Some of König's books have been translated into English. First was Kondom des Grauens, published as The Killer Condom. The two-part book Der bewegte Mann/''Pretty Baby appeared as Maybe... Maybe Not /Maybe... Maybe Not Again!. Later translations include Bullenklöten as Bull's Balls, Roy und Al as Roy & Al and Down to the Bone''.
Films
Der bewegte Mann, 1994Kondom des Grauens, 1996 Wie die Karnickel, 2002 Lisístrata, Spain 2002
Documentary
A 2012 German documentary film directed by Rosa von Praunheim named König des Comics follows König's life and work. Besides König, those interviewed include Hella von Sinnen, Ralph Morgenstern, Joachim Król as well as friends and admirers of the cartoonist, like a Swiss fan who visits his beloved writer, a couple of friends who played important roles during König's youth, a comic book seller etc. The film also includes clips from König's comic public readings. It was screened at various festivals such as Berlin, Buenos Aires, and San Sebastian. It reached a wider audience than most of von Praunheim's documentaries and it is available for streaming on digital platforms.