The German nineteenth-century artist Wilhelm Busch is regarded as one of the founders of modern-day comics. He pioneered several elements which have become staples of the medium, such as onomatopeia and expressive movement lines. His iconic series 'Max und Moritz' (1865), about two naughty young boys, was the first children's comic in history. Its success proved that young readers were the most important market for comics, which has been both a blessing as well as a curse for the medium. 'Max und Moritz' were translated all across the globe and inspired countless gag comics about mischievous children, some even blatant rip-offs like Rudolph Dirks' 'Der Katzenjammer Kids'. Because of their subversive tone Busch' series also became the first comics to be subject of a media scare. In some countries his work was even banned. Busch is the first significant German comics artist and therefore the historical starting point of all German-language comics that followed. He is also one of the few 19th-century comics artists whose work is still read today and recognizable to a large cultivated audience. Particularly in his home country he is revered with the same awe and respect usually reserved for novelists, writers and graphic artists.
