Walter Moers

• Name — Walter Moers • Born — 24 May 1957 • Birthplace — Mönchengladbach, West Germany • Occupation — Author, comic artist and illustrator • Genre — Comics & Graphic Novels, Humor, Satire, Fantasy Literature • Website — zamonien.de

• Illustration — Captain Bluebear and Hein Blöd, characters created by Moers, on the Gera in Erfurt Moers was born in Mönchengladbach. According to his own statements, he ended his school career prematurely and initially supported himself by doing odd jobs. He began a commercial apprenticeship, but did not finish it. The odd jobs included his first drawing commissions, such as little bedtime stories for the "Sandmännchen". Moers acquired his drawing skills through self-study. Walter Moers is married and has lived in Hamburg since 1992. He is considered publicity-shy, does not make public appearances, gives his few interviews by e-mail and rarely allows himself to be photographed. The only recordings of him that exist are older photographs and a short film in the NDR archives showing Moers at an exhibition in 1994. Some of the few pictures also date from before 2000, and in the case of some of them it is disputed whether the person depicted is really Walter Moers. His dealings with the public have meanwhile become a kind of trademark, so that he is often dubbed a "phantom". Therefore, biographical information on Moers must be treated with caution, as there are few truly reliable sources.

Walter Moers's Zamonia novels are works of fantasy literature presented as literary fragments of the world of Zamonia. In the course of the publications, Moers's authorship was fictitiously reduced further and further, from author and helper (The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear) to editor and illustrator (Ensel and Krete, The City of Dreaming Books) to second-tier editor (The Alchemaster's Apprentice). The books are characterised by their intermedial and intertextual presentation. Thus, there are many references to other works of literature, film and music. The parallels are sometimes so obvious that the Zamonia novels have been called "plagiarism poetry" and "art of copying". However, the combination of maps, illustrations and texts in which the novels are written also contributes to the intermediality. Both adolescent and adult readers are given as the target audience, although it can be assumed that Moers intended the works primarily for adults. As of 2025 there are eleven books in the series, of which five have been translated to English: • The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear (1999) • Ensel und Krete (2000) (Ensel and Krete) • Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures (2003) • The City of Dreaming Books (2004) • The Alchemaster's Apprentice (2007) • The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books (2011) • Princess Insomnia & the Nightmare-colored Night-mare (2017) • Weihnachten auf der Lindwurmfeste (2018) (Christmas at the Lindworm Stronghold) • Der Bücherdrache (2019) (The Book Dragon) • Die Insel der Tausend Leuchttürme (2023) (The Island of a Thousand Lighthouses) • Das Einhörnchen, das rückwärts leben wollte (2024) (The Squirrel That Wanted to Live Backwards) • Qwert: Ein Prinz-Kaltbluth-Roman in 43 Aventiuren (2025) (Qwert: A Prince Kaltbluth Novel in 43 Adventures)

Moers' style is overall strongly influenced by the tradition of the grotesque. The Zamonia novels are in themselves easy to understand and partly influenced by everyday language, and therefore belong more to popular literature. However, by repeatedly alluding to works that are usually considered "canonical" through intermedial and intertextual references, sometimes even whole set pieces, Moers blurs or negates the sometimes imaginary boundary between "high literature" and "trivial literature". Among the obvious references are the dedication of entire novels; with Ensel und Krete, inspired by the Grimm's fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel, and The Alchemaster's Apprentice, behind which Gottfried Keller's novella Spiegel, das Kätzchen is hidden. In addition, elements from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, William Goldman's The Princess Bride or Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 are evident.

Walter Moers' works have already been translated into over 20 languages, including mainly the Zamonia novels. Because of the many stylistic devices and word creations, translating Moers' novels is considered a particular challenge. For example, the translator of most of the works into English, John Brownjohn, describes how many names had to be Latinised and the large number of anagrams had to be re-imagined. Several works dealt with translation problems based on Walter Moers' works and showed difficulties in translating neologisms and phrasemes.

His best-known comic characters are: • Das kleine Arschloch (English: The Little Asshole), a precocious and irreverent little boy who constantly gets one over on the adults. • Der alte Sack (English: The Old Curmudgeon), a terminally ill old man in a wheel chair who makes sarcastic comments on what he sees. • Adolf, die Nazisau (English: Adolf, the Nazi Swine), an absurd satirical interpretation of Adolf Hitler in today's world. • Käpt'n Blaubär (English: Capt'n Bluebear), a sea-faring bear with blue fur, who spins ridiculous pirate yarns, all of which, he claims, are true.

• Aha! 1985,. • Wenn er gut drauf ist, erläßt er alle Sünden. So treiben's die Klerikalen. 1985,. (1990 republished as Die Klerikalen.) • Hey! 1986,. • Schweinewelt. 1987,. • Herzlichen Glückwunsch. 1988,. • Von ganzem Herzen. 1989,. • „Huhu!" 1989,. • Schwulxx-Comix. 1990,. • Kleines Arschloch. 1990,. • Das kleine Arschloch kehrt zurück. 1991,. • Schöne Geschichten. 1991,. • Schöner leben mit dem kleinen Arschloch. 1992,. • Es ist ein Arschloch, Maria! 1992,. • Der alte Sack, ein kleines Arschloch und andere Höhepunkte des Kapitalismus. 1993,. • Arschloch in Öl. 1993,. • Du bist ein Arschloch, mein Sohn. 1995,. • Sex und Gewalt. 1995,. • Peppi & Co (Moers' Tierleben). 1996 • Buckel & Co (Moers' Gruselkabinett). 1996,. • Vagina & Co (Moers' Liebesleben). 1996,. • Wenn der Pinguin zweimal klopft… 1997,. • Adolf. oder Adolf / 1, Äch bin wieder da. 1998,. • Feuchte Träume. 1999,. • Adolf, Teil 2. oder Adolf / 2, Äch bin schon wieder da!. 1999,. • Schamlos!. 2001,. • Adolf, Der Bonker. 2006,. • Der Pinguin: A Very Graphic Novel. 2012,. • Jesus total – Die wahre Geschichte. 2013,. • Sex, Absinth und falsche Hasen – Eine Weltgeschichte der Kunst. 2013,. • Adolf total – Alles über den Führer in einem Volume. 2016,.

• Die 13½ Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär. Hardcover, 1999, Softcover, audiobook,. • Ensel und Krete. Hardcover, 2000, Softcover, audiobook,. • Rumo & Die Wunder im Dunkeln. Hardcover, 2003, Softcover, audiobook,. • Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher. Hardcover, 2004, Softcover, audiobook,. • Der Schrecksenmeister. Hardcover, 2007, Softcover, audiobook,. • Das Labyrinth der Träumenden Bücher. Print, 2011, audiobook (CD), audiobook (MP3-CD). • Prinzessin Insomnia & der alptraumfarbene Nachtmahr. Print, 2017, E-Book, audiobook (MP3-CD). • Weihnachten auf der Lindwurmfeste. Print, 2018, E-Book, audiobook. • Der Bücherdrache. Print, 2019, E-Book, audiobook. • Die Insel der Tausend Leuchttürme. Print, 2023, E-Book, audiobook. • Das Einhörnchen, das rückwärts leben wollte. Print, 2024, E-Book, audiobook.

• Kleines Arschloch – Der Film. 1997,. • Käpt'n Blaubär – Der Film. 1999,. • Das kleine Arschloch und der alte Sack – Sterben ist Scheiße. 2006 • Drachengespräche. 2007 • Adolf – Er ist wieder da! 2012

• Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher. Volume 1, Knaus, Munich 2017, Volume 2, Knaus, Munich 2018,.

• The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear, 2000 (UK) / 2005 (US), including audiobook, 2010, • Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures: a novel in two books, 2004, including audiobook, 2010, • The City of Dreaming Books, 2006., including audiobook, 2011, • The Alchemaster's Apprentice, 2009 (English Edn), including audiobook, 2011, • The Labyrinth of Dreaming Books, 2012 (English Edn),

• Little Asshole, 1991, Eichborn, • A Wild Ride Through the Night, 2004, including audiobook, 2012,

Works recorded as notable number 7: The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear, Princess Insomnia & the Nightmare-colored Night-mare, Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures, A Wild Ride Through the Night, Ensel and Krete, Weihnachten auf der Lindwurmfeste and The City of Dreaming Books. His recorded genres are fantasy, children's and comedy.

Walter Moers is recorded with the occupation children's writer. Classed in the genre children's literature. Recorded with the occupation comics artist. Classed in the genre fantasy. Classed in the genre comedy. Recorded as writer, screenwriter, children's writer and artist.

• Das Tier. 1987,.

• Wilde Reise durch die Nacht. Hardcover, 2001, Softcover, audiobook,. • Der Fönig. Hardcover, 2002, Softcover, audiobook,.