History ComicStrip / Nero

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Certain albums are so mindbogglingly surreal that one wonders whether Sleen was using something?

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''ComicBook/{{Urbanus}}'' comes close with its anarchic and absurd comedy and very loose drawing style.

''Nero'' started off as a children's comic, but [[GrowingWithTheAudience gradually changed into a series for adults]]. While other comic book series aim for timelessness, ''Nero'' took full advantage of its status as a newspaper comic. [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical References and shout-outs to current events]] were often integrated in the plot. Instead of removing these jokes in the album version, like ''ComicBook/SuskeEnWiske'' did, '"Nero'' kept all of them intact, even though many of them became less comprehensible to modern day readers as TimeMarchesOn. Because author Marc Sleen was originally a political cartoonist, he regularly gave [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed real life celebrities of the day a cameo in his stories]].

''Nero'' is one of the iconic Flemish comic strips, along with ''ComicBook/SuskeEnWiske'', ''ComicBook/{{Jommeke}}'', ''ComicBook/PietPienterEnBertBibber'' and ''ComicBook/DeKiekeboes''. One of the all time PrintLongRunners ''"Nero"'' was published in newspapers from 1947 until 2002. Author Marc Sleen (1922-2016) drew the comic singlehandedly from 1947 until 2002, while working on dozens of other comic strip series until 1965 (!), which in 1992 won him a mention in the Literature/GuinnessWorldRecords book. Because of his failing eyesight Sleen hired an assistant, Dirk Stallaert, who was meant to be his successor. Stallaert drew ''"Nero"'' for ten years, but in 2002 Stallaert made public that he wanted to work for ''ComicBook/SuskeEnWiske'' instead. Sleen then decided to quit his comic strip series all together, after 55 years of continuous publication.

Nero's characters are:

''"Nero"'' started off as a children's comic, but [[GrowingTheBeard gradually changed into a series for adults]]. While other comic book series aim for timelessness ''"Nero"'' took full advantage of its status as a newspaper comic. [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical References and shout-outs to current events]] were often integrated in the plot. Instead of removing these jokes in the album version, like ''ComicBook/SuskeEnWiske'' did, ''"Nero"'' kept all of them intact, even though many of them, as TimeMarchesOn, became less comprehensible to modern day readers. Because author Marc Sleen was originally a political cartoonist he regularly gave [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed real life celebrities of the day a cameo in his stories]].

The stories were always whipped out on deadline, which caused many [[BizarroEpisode strange stories]] full of weird plot changes and continuity mistakes. Still ''"Nero"'' is still held in high regard for its ironic and anarchic comedy, unpredictable plot developments, [[CloudCuckooLander wacky characters]] and Sleen's highly personal vision.