One of the most surprising and refreshing talks at the Hive Summit Aachen came from Henry Kreklow (@kreklow), a factory planner and comic artist. Henrik shared how he first discovered that comics could be more powerful than PowerPoint when trying to inspire people in change processes. Humor and empathy, he explained, reach people on a deeper level than charts ever could. From there, he began creating comics not only for his professional work but also for his own projects.
Henry’s journey took him from factory planning to publishing stories about democracy, history, and even a vegetarian vampire named Graf Rukola. His work "The Aachen Experiment" was groundbreaking in Germany, tackling the Second World War in comic form to engage younger readers with difficult history. The book made national headlines and showed how comics can open conversations that traditional media often avoid.
At the summit, Henry also reflected on the potential of combining comics with blockchain and digital communities. Together with other Hive members, he is now exploring how stories like The Aachen Experiment and even the history of Hive itself could be turned into comic form, reaching people worldwide with both education and humor. The idea of blending art, history, and blockchain opens a new space where community, culture, and technology meet.
Henry closed his session by giving away some of his books, while @detlev the organizer helped him set up his first Hive account. His talk reminded us that behind every innovation, whether in technology or society, it is empathy, storytelling, and community that make lasting change possible.
Presentation: Henry Kreklow – Presentation
Mixed Stream in German and English https://youtube.com/watch?v=0pTVjA_quWU
Speaker Images
All Images / Photography by @louis88
