Sondermann is a cartoon character of the painter and cartoonist Bernd Pfarr, which appeared, until August 1994, in a column of the same name by the writer Simone Borowiak and, from 1987 to August 2004, regularly in the satirical magazine ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...

''. Model for the name was Gerhard Sondermann, the first publisher of ''Titanic''. Sondermann is a creation of an illustrator, who, as Bernd Pfarr himself once said, wants "to drive reality out of the pictures" ().

The comic

The world of Sondermann is subject to its own, individual laws: "Negro scrubbing" (German: "Negerschrubben") is a traditional ritual at Sondermann's company, Sondermann and his boss subdue their hunger by "huddling softly together" (German: "sich weich aneinander schmiegen"), consuming a Schnitzel and taking out the trash are common yoga exercises, and Sondermann defeats God (German: "den lieben Gott") in Tennis. Sondermann's world is populated by strange creatures: * a neighbor, Schulze, who often "comes to detonate" (German: "zum Sprengen kommt"); * God, as mentioned above; * the blowdryer-armed super hero Supererpel, who is not actually that heroic; * the brothers Strittmatter, also neighbors of Sondermann, who are penguins and "detonate saurians in their spare time" (German: "in ihrer Freizeit Saurier sprengen"); * Mr. Sharp, "lord over seven flies" (German: "Herr über sieben Fliegen"), who is for inexplicable reasons unbeloved by Sondermann, and is also a penguin and the "latest stallion" (German: "neuester Stecher") of Sondermann's mother; * Herr Detlev Siehlbeck, who always carries a dead fish with him and expects that people pet it; * a small dog named Willi, whose "freethinking remarks about the preparation of his food" (German: "freigeistige Ausführungen der Zubereitung seines Fresschens betreffend") impress the

Weltgeist ''Geist'' () is a German noun with a significant degree of importance in German philosophy. ''Geist'' can be roughly translated into three English meanings: ghost (as in the supernatural entity), spirit (as in the Holy Spirit), and mind or inte ...

so much that they cause metaphysical levitation in it; * and not least Sondermann himself: accountant, single and eager to learn, with a pronounced artistic side, while not insusceptible to erotic or homoerotic attraction. Early Sondermann episodes mostly limited themselves to the master-servant relationship between Sondermann and his boss. The pandemonium of the above-listed characters grew gradually out of this fundamental conflict. According to writer Robert Gernhardt, the character very soon developed a "life of its own" (German: "Eigenleben"), for which even the editorial staff of ''Titanic'' was not prepared.

Sondermann Award

Since 2004, the name of Bernd Pfarr's character also denotes an audience prize for comics awarded by and at the

Frankfurt Book Fair The Frankfurt Book Fair (German: , FBM) is the world's largest trade fair for books, based on the number of publishing companies represented. The five-day annual event in mid-October is held at the Frankfurt Trade Fair grounds in Frankfurt am ...

in collaboration with the magazine '' Comixene'', the ''

Frankfurter Rundschau The ''Frankfurter Rundschau'' (''FR'') is a German daily newspaper, based in Frankfurt am Main. The ''Rundschaus editorial stance is social liberal. It holds that "independence, social justice and fairness" underlie its journalism. In Post-wa ...

'', and ''

Spiegel Online ' () is a German news website. It was established in 1994 as ''Spiegel Online'' as a content mirror of the magazine ''Der Spiegel''. In 1995, the site began producing original stories and it introduced ''Spiegel Online International'' for artic ...

''. Some of the prizes include a cash sum.

Recipients 2004

*International comic: ''

Asterix and the Class Act ''Asterix and the Class Act'' (, "Asterix and the Gaulish return; ''la rentrée'' is the French return to school after the summer break) is officially the thirty-second album of the Asterix comic book series, by René Goscinny (stories) and Albe ...

'' by

Albert Uderzo Alberto Aleandro Uderzo (; 25 April 1927 – 24 March 2020), better known as Albert Uderzo (), was a French comic book artist and scriptwriter. He is best known as the co-creator and illustrator of the '' Astérix'' series in collaboration wit ...

and

René Goscinny René Goscinny (; ; 14 August 1926 – 5 November 1977) was a French comic editor and writer, who created the ''Asterix, Astérix'' comic book series with illustrator Albert Uderzo. Born in France to a Jewish family from Poland, he spent his chil ...

*Domestic comic: ''Nichtlustig 2'' by Joscha Sauer *International

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

manhwa Manhwa () is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to Korean comics. Modern Manhwa has extended its reach to many other countries. These comics have branched outside of Korea by acce ...

: ''

Angel Sanctuary is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaori Yuki. It was serialized in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine '' Hana to Yume'' from July 1994 to November 2000. It follows Setsuna Mudo, a human teenager who, as the reincarnation o ...

'' by Kaori Yuki *Domestic manga: ''Without Identity'' by Sascha Schätzchen *Newcomer 2004: Joscha Sauer (''Nichtlustig 2'')

Recipients 2005

*International comic: ''Onkel Dagobert'' by

Don Rosa Keno Don Hugo Rosa (), known as Don Rosa (born June 29, 1951), is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his comics about Scrooge McDuck and other Disney comics, Disney characters. Many of his stories are built on characters an ...

*Domestic comic: ''Die Chronik der Unsterblichen'' by Wolfgang Hohlbein, Benjamin von Eckartsberg and Thomas von Kummant *International manga/manhwa: ''

One Piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, as he explores the Grand Line in search of the myt ...

'' by

Eiichiro Oda is a Japanese manga artist and the creator of the series ''One Piece'', the best-selling manga in history and the best-selling comic series printed in volume. With more than 520 million copies of ''One Piece'' in circulation worldwide ...

*Domestic manga: ''

Dystopia A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...

'' by Judith Park *Cartoon: ''Shit happens!'' by Ralph Ruthe *Newcomer 2005: Arne Bellstorf (''Acht, neun, zehn'') *Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Rudi Hurzlmeier

Recipients 2006

*International comic: ''

Sin City ''Sin City'' is a series of neo-noir Comic book, comics by American comic book writer-artist Frank Miller. The first story originally appeared in ''Dark Horse Presents Fifth Anniversary Special'' (April 1991), and continued in ''Dark Horse Prese ...

'' by

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book artist, comic book writer, and screenwriter known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'', for which he created the character Elektra, and ...

*Domestic comic: ''Adolf – der Bonker'' by Walter Moers *International manga/manhwa: '' Shinshi Doumei Cross'' by

Arina Tanemura is a Japanese mangaka, manga artist, illustrator, and character designer. She made her professional manga debut in 1996 with the One-shot (comics), one-shot ''The Style of the Second Love'' in the shōjo manga, ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Ribon ...

*Domestic manga: ''Jibun-Jishin'' by Nina Werner *Cartoon: ''Shit happens!'' by Ralph Ruthe *Newcomer 2006: Moki (''Asleep in a foreign place'') *Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Greser & Lenz

Recipients 2007

*International comic: '' Calvin & Hobbes'' by

Bill Watterson William Boyd Watterson II (born July 5, 1958) is an American cartoonist who authored the comic strip ''Calvin and Hobbes''. The strip was syndicated from 1985 to 1995. Watterson concluded ''Calvin and Hobbes'' with a short statement to newspa ...

*Domestic comic: ''Cash – I see a darkness'' by Reinhard Kleist *International manga/manhwa: ''

Death Note ''Death Note'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. It was serialized in Shueisha's Shōnen manga, manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2003 to ...

'' by

Takeshi Obata is a Japanese manga artist that usually works as the illustrator in collaboration with a writer. He first gained international attention for '' Hikaru no Go'' (1999–2003) with Yumi Hotta, but is better known for '' Death Note'' (2003–2006) ...

and Tsugumi Ōba *Domestic manga: ''Gothic Sports'' by Anike Hage *Cartoon: ''Shit happens!'' by Ralph Ruthe *Newcomer 2007: Dirk Schwieger *Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Rattelschneck ('' Stulli, das Pausenbrot'')

Recipients 2008

*International comic: ''Prinz Eisenherz'' by

Hal Foster Harold Rudolf Foster, FRSA (August 16, 1892 – July 25, 1982) was a Canadian-American comic strip artist and writer best known as the creator of the comic strip '' Prince Valiant''. His drawing style is noted for its high level of draftsmanship ...

*Domestic comic: ''Die Sache mit Sorge'' by Isabel Kreitz *International manga/manhwa: Volume 44 of ''

'' by

*Domestic manga: ''Stupid Story 1'' by Anna Hollmann *Cartoon: ''Shit happens!'' by Ralph Ruthe *Newcomer 2008: Barbara Yelin *Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Stephan Rürup

Recipients 2009

*International comic: ''Der Dunkle Turm'' by

Jae Lee Jae Lee (born 1972) is an American comics artist known for his interior illustration and cover work for various publishers, including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment. Career Jae Lee's first work for Marvel Com ...

et al. (illustration),

Peter David Peter Allen David (September 23, 1956 – May 24, 2025), often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Grea ...

and

Robin Furth Robin Furth is the personal research assistant to Stephen King and the author of Stephen King's '' The Dark Tower: A Complete Concordance'', which was published by Scribner on December 5, 2006. It is a compilation of her two previous encyclopedic ...

(text), based on The Dark Tower by

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

*Domestic comic: ''Prototyp'' by Ralf König *International manga/manhwa: Volume 48 of ''

'' by

*Domestic manga: ''Stupid Story 2'' by Anna Hollmann *Cartoon: ''Nichtlustig 4'' by Joscha Sauer *Newcomer 2009: Michael Meier *Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art:

Kamagurka Luc Zeebroek (born 5 May 1956), better known as Kamagurka, is a Belgium, Belgian cartoonist, playwright, comic strip artist, painter, comedian, comedic singer and television producer, known for the Absurd humor, absurd nature of his work. He cre ...

Recipients 2010

* Comic: '' Asterix and Obelix's Birthday'' by

and

, Egmont Ehapa * Manga/Manhwa: ''

Legend of Zelda is a media franchise, video game series created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo; some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flags ...

1'' by

Akira Himekawa is the pen name of a duo of female Japanese comic book artists.Neild, Barry." CNN. September 10, 2010. Retrieved on September 10, 2010. When writing original works, the pen name is spelled as The artists have worked together since 1991 and have ...

, Tokyopop * Cartoon: ''Das schwarze Buch'' by

Uli Stein Ulrich "Uli" Stein (born 23 October 1954) is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Between 1978 and 1997, he made 512 appearances in the German Bundesliga. Club career Stein began his career in 1978 with Armi ...

, Lappan * Webcomic (endowed with 1,000 Euro): ''Beetlebum'' by Johannes Kretzschmar. * Newcomer 2010: Felix Mertikat and Benjamin Schreuder (''Jakob'') * Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Ari Plikat

Recipients 2011

* Comic international: ''Das Leben von Anne Frank'' von Ernie Colón (drawings) and Sid Jacobson (text), Carlsen * Domestic comic (national): ''Haarmann'' von Isabel Kreitz (drawings) and Peer Meter (text), Carlsen * Manga international: ''

Fairy Tail ''Fairy Tail'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from August 2006 to July 2017, with the individual chapters collect ...

'', 4th part, by

Hiro Mashima is a Japanese manga artist. He gained success with his first serial '' Rave Master'', published in Kodansha's '' Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1999 to 2005. His best-selling work, '' Fairy Tail'', published in the same magazine from 2006 to 2 ...

, Carlsen * Domestic manga (national): ''Die Wolke'' by Anike Hage, after Die Wolke von Gudrun Pausewang, Tokyopop * Webcomic (endowed with 1,000 Euro): ''Entoman'' von

David Füleki David Füleki (born 24 August 1985 in Zschopau, East Germany) is a German comic artist. His comics were and are published by the publishing houses Carlsen Verlag, Tokyopop, New Ground Publishings, Delfinium Prints, the manga anthology ''Shounen ...

* Newcomer 2011: Asja Wiegand * Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Eugen Egner

Recipients 2012

* Comic international: ''Habibi'' von

Craig Thompson Craig Matthew Thompson (born September 21, 1975) is an American graphic novelist best known for his books ''Good-bye, Chunky Rice'' (1999), ''Blankets (graphic novel), Blankets'' (2003), ''Carnet de Voyage'' (2004), ''Habibi (graphic novel), Hab ...

, Reprodukt * Domestic comic (national): '' Steam Noir'' von Felix Mertikat (drawings) und Benjamin Schreuder (text), Cross Cult * Manga international: '' Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' von

Naoko Takeuchi is a Japanese manga artist. She is best known as the author of ''Sailor Moon'', one of the most popular manga series of all time. She has won several awards, including the 1993 Kodansha Manga Award for ''Sailor Moon''. Takeuchi is married to ...

, EMA * Domestic manga (national): '' Stupid Story 3'' von Anna Hollmann, Tokyopop * Webcomic (endowed with 1,000 Euro): '' Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof'' von Sarah Burrini * Newcomer 2012:

Aisha Franz Aisha Franz (born 1984) is a German illustrator and comic book artist based in Berlin. She is known for her internationally published graphic novels and zines. Life and career The daughter of Colombian- Chilean immigrants, she was born in Fü ...

* Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Christoph Niemann

Recipients 2013

* Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Hilke Raddatz * Sponsorship award: Katharina Greve

Recipients 2014

* Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Ernst Kahl * Sponsorship award: Sebastian Lörscher * Scholarship: Leonard Riegel

Recipients 2015

* Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Michael Sowa * Sponsorship award: Leonard Riegel * Scholarship: Ella Carina Werner

Recipients 2016

* Bernd-Pfarr-special-prize for comical art: Thomas Kapielski * Sponsorship award:

Jan Böhmermann Jan Böhmermann () (born 23 February 1981) is a German Satire, satirist, journalist, podcast and television host. He also worked as a writer, producer, radio host, and is best known for his activism through publicity stunts. Early life and edu ...

* Scholarship: Fabian Lichter

Recipients 2017

* Sondermann-Preis für Komische Kunst: Hans Traxler * Sponsorship award: Kathrin Fricke * Scholarship: Daniel Sibbe

Recipients 2018

* Sondermann-Preis für Komische Kunst:

Otto Waalkes Otto Gerhard Waalkes (born 22 July 1948), also known as simply Otto, is a German comedian, actor, musician, writer, and comic book artist. He became famous in the 1970s and 1980s in Germany with his shows, books and films. His best known tradema ...

for life work * Sponsorship award: Anna Haifisch * Scholarship: Paula Irmschler

Recipients 2019

* Sondermann-Preis für Komische Kunst:

Nicolas Mahler Nicolas Mahler (born 1969) is an Austrian cartoonist and illustrator. ''Die Zeit'', ''NZZ am Sonntag'', ''Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung'' and ''Titanic (magazine), Titanic'' print his comics. He is known for his comics ''Flaschko'' and ...

for his comics based on masterpieces of world literature * Sponsorship award: Stefanie Sargnagel * Scholarship: Adrian Schulz

References

{{Reflist German comic strips German comics characters Fictional German people German comics titles 1987 comics debuts Comics characters introduced in 1987 2004 comics endings Satirical comics Comics awards Fiction about God