Our project biography team presents: a graphic novel entitled “The Grumpy Philosophers Bar”, which dives into the language of affect, the shadows of Enlightenment, and the dynamics of emotional repression—with plenty of irony and the occasional slap in the face. The setting: a fictional bar where the guests (recognizable as our colleagues) discuss the language of emotions, the pitfalls of enlightenment, and the side effects of perceived coldness—sometimes profoundly, sometimes absurdly, often both at the same time.

The graphic novel draws on one of the CRC’s philosophical subproject D09, led by Prof. Dr. Jan Slaby, which has shaped the interdisciplinary discussion of affect theory across all three funding phases. The aim of the project is to further develop the concept of affect—relational, transformative, and always open to debate. From early work on relationality and transformative potential to current inquiries into the dynamics of the unfelt in the wake of ecological and colonial crises, this project has always stirred things up—now also in comic form. 

Side effects may include: feeling intellectually tipsy.

Illustrator: Jens Nordmann