Whitebelts

If Fantasia was an inky graphic novel exploring friendship in middle age, nostalgia for a carefree youth, and the dangers of clinging to the past.

At times fantastical and bizarre, Baitinger's fluid and amorphous cartooning is in a league of its own.

Off to indulge in a bit of boyhood fun, Dietz—a family man in his 40s, judo teacher, and civil engineer—carves out the time in his busy life to go on a road trip with his childhood friend, Volker—a sticky-fingered musician, who’s just caught a cold. 

Their destination is Leipzig, where they’ll visit the third chum in their trio, Acki—a punk squatter who they’ve largely lost touch with, except for calls on birthdays and holidays. You know how it goes…

A comedy of errors and quest narrative, upon arriving in Leipzig, the two are still missing one crucial piece of information: Acki's new address. As our mismatched pair tromp through the city in search of their missing friend, who won’t answer his phone, we’re brought on a wholly imaginative journey with fluid lines that transport us from hotel, to bar, to museum with equal parts elegance and absurdity.