Klassiker der DDR-Bildgeschichte #23

Part of Holzhof Verlag's charming "Klassiker der DDR-Bildgeschichte" reprint series, this 2011 edition spotlights Max & Maxim, the beloved comic duo created by writer Hansgeorg Stengel and artist Karl Schrader. The cover — drawn and inked by Schrader himself — captures the pair in a wonderfully chaotic tangle, one round-faced, bespectacled boy dangling upside-down while his stripy-shirted companion appears thoroughly caught up in the tumble. It's a playful snapshot of the slapstick energy that made these characters enduring favorites of East German comics culture, and this issue even throws in a bonus Knopp und Bob story to sweeten the deal.