Why the Frankfurter Buchmesse was such a Shock for us

When Darja and I decided to take our dragon manga series Drach-oc to the Frankfurter Buchmesse last October, we went in with modest expectations. A mini booth, a few hundred of our beloved vegan chocolate, and a stack of Drach-oc Special Edition manga books—we thought we’d have a few friendly chats, hand out some chocolates, and introduce our dragon world to passersby.

Well, we couldn’t have been more wrong!

In the most delightful twist, not only did we sell out of all our vegan chocolate (yes, almost every last piece!), but we also found ourselves staring at near-empty shelves where 200 manga books had once stood. It seems the allure of dragons, stories of fiery friendship, and vegan chocolate shaped like dragon eggs hit a sweet spot—or tugged at a heartstring (or whatever that funny phrase might be!).

Darja, the visual genius of our duo, and the incredible artist behind Drach-oc, took on the unexpected role of signing superstar. She signed over 100 copies, each time leaning in with her Estonian-English accent, smiling warmly, and asking, “What is your name?” She added her own little touches—a dragon face here, a doodle there—giving each book a piece of her energy and humor. I could see her settling into it, like she was the queen of our little dragon realm, commanding the crowd with pen and smile.

And as the author, I couldn’t escape the excitement either. A handful of enthusiastic fans insisted I sign their copies! There I was, pen in hand, feeling like an official author at the Frankfurter Buchmesse, wondering how on Earth we ended up in this surreal moment as a couple of “latecomers” with no expectations and a lot of dragon stories.

For us, this whole experience was a jolt of motivation—a reminder of why we love creating. Our vegan dragon egg chocolates, which some chocolate aficionados claimed were the best vegan treats they’d ever had, and our fire-breathing dragon characters struck a chord with people.

It’s a thrill to share the tales of Drach-oc, Mizuki, Tongtongi, Hikari, and the rest of the crew, who embody everything from fierce loyalty to a bit of gold-hoarding greed. We pour ourselves into these stories, both the dramatic and the laugh-out-loud funny moments, knowing they’ll resonate with readers in ways we may never fully understand.

And the best part? You don’t even have to wait for the next convention to dive into the world of Drach-oc! Every Sunday at 11 a.m. CET, we are publishing a short episode for free on the Webtoon app. It’s our way of sharing the adventures with our growing fanbase, page by page, week by week. So, if you’re curious about what fire-breathing chaos or tender dragon friendships will unfold next, set your alarms and join us every Sunday. Read the manga now!

The Frankfurter Buchmesse taught us that the world needs more dragons, more chocolate, and a lot more laughter. And it reminded us of the magic that happens when two creators bring their worlds together, making something bigger than both of them.

Here’s to more surprises, more sold-out shows, and many more pages filled with dragons (and maybe, just maybe, a few more author signatures)! Until next time, keep breathing fire, eating vegan chocolate, and tuning in every Sunday for your next adventure in the dragon world.