If you grew up in a Western country and are old enough then you probably know about MAD Magazine.
Many countries had their own versions, but the UK edition stopped being published in the mid-90s, so every time I went to visit Germany I tried to get the latest German version. Towards the end of German MAD’s life this wasn’t very easy: the only places I found that sold the magazine were newsagents in train stations of towns with at least 100,000 inhabitants. I happened to be in Germany when the last issue was published and I have to say no one in the German media made a fuss about it being the last issue. It might also not have been known that this is the last issue when it was published, as I don’t see any indication of that in the actual issue.
As is the case with news though, sometimes more relevant news are overshadowed by less relevant news. When the US version of MAD Magazine announced it would stop publishing issues based on mainly new content, this news spilled over the Atlantic and somehow was big news in Germany: on TV and also in popular newspapers and magazines. The news was usually presented as if MAD Magazine will stop being published, even though no one seemed to care when the German version stopped being published and even though the US version MAD is still being published, to this day, it is just mainly made up of reprinted articles, with the occasional new content sprinkled in between.
Why do I mention all of this? Because I want to show you a page form the current (June 2025), reality-TV themed issue:
Did you always want to know what happens inside a band’s tour bus at a music festival? Well, you are in luck: Volume Five of Giant Days, a comic book about life as a student, set in Northern England, shows what exactly is going on in there. The following page shows the moment Esther, one of the protagonists, enters the band’s bus.
When a few pages later heavy rain starts, turning the festival grounds into mud, life and society at the music festival start to break down:
The images in this blog post has been taken from Giant Days, Volume Five. I believe that the use of the images shown in this blog post falls under “fair dealing” as described by the UK Copyright service.
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of visiting Montblanc Haus in Hamburg, located just next to Montblanc’s headquarters and manufacturing site.
The Montblanc Haus in Hamburg
The visit was part of a trip to Hamburg with my wife and son. We didn’t really know what to expect, so I thought we’d see a small exhibition about Montblanc’s past plus a gift shop, situated in a crammed building. The reality was quite different, though: when we arrived we were greeted by the view of a very modern, purpose-built building.
2 meter high metal shopping bags outside the Montblanc Haus
The surface of the building is wavy in a mesmerising way, showing what I assume is the mountain panorama of Montblanc, the highest mountain of the Alps. Even the landscaping of the outside area was aesthetically in line with the Montblanc Haus.
The outside landscape, as seen from the cafe
The reception staff was extremely friendly. To entertain children there is also a treasure hunt activity to keep them busy. The exhibition itself is spread over two floors. The building has a third floor, which wasn’t open on the day of our visit.
Montblanc fountain pens, arranged as a mountain
I won’t be able to relay the impressive exhibition here, so I am not even trying, but just to give you a quick overview: the ground floor is focussed on Montblanc’s history.
Montblanc inkwells over the years
The first floor is looking at the production process of Montblanc’s fountain pens as well as the importance of writing.
A letter, handwritten by Albert Einstein. One of a few dozen letters by influential people.
The last part of the first floor is linked to one of Montblanc’s latest campaigns: Wes Anderson’s advertising. You can be part of the set (or a copy of the set) used in the 100 Years of Meisterstück campaign video.
I am always impressed by Montblanc’s ability to release pens that are very different to each other. If you look at Pelikan’s piston fillers, Kaweco’s Sport or Lamy’s Safari, AL-Star or even the latest pine green Lamy 2000, the ‘achievement’ of the manufacturers is that you get the same pen in a different colour. It reminds me of my factory tour of Staedtler’s facilities: I mentioned the limited edition colours of the Mars Micro 775, which I was quite keen on, but they were hardly aware of it and mentioned “but it’s just the same pen in a different colour”. Montblanc on the other hand brings out new pens that are very different to each other and are often only available for a few months – with a price tag to match.
The Wes Anderson set
There was also a Montblanc shop, selling stationery and more. This includes a special Montblanc Haus fountain pen and ink. Ms Wergin from the shop explained to me, that the ink’s recipe is quite special and was developed specifically for calligraphy. It can however also be used in standard fountain pens without problems. Its consistency is supposedly a little more liquid than that of Montblanc’s main black ink, which helps it dry faster.The ink also consists of several colour pigments, which should give it a particularly deep and rich colour.
The shop in Montblanc Haus
I didn’t get round trying the ink out yet, as my currently used pens were just recently inked, but I am looking forward to trying it out soon.
By now, the new school year has started in most countries, and this year, I saw something I hadn’t seen before: Here in Northern Germany, in the states of Bremen and Lower Saxony, I have noticed houses decorated with large pencils. This is not very common, I only spotted a handful of houses like this, and seems to indicate that a child living in the house is starting primary school.
One of the houses with pencil decorations also had a Danish flag, so I wonder if this is a Danish tradition that has spread to Northern Germany.I have never observed this in England or Southern Germany.
Bremen’s libraries are offering a holiday programme for children. It’s called Sommer Blub.
Using a Noris as part of the logo is of course an excellent choice: What symbol to use if you want to show creativity: a pencil! What pencil to use if you want to show a typical pencil: a Noris!
