Summer Summary
I know what I did last summer and I want you to know it, too.
Time for a roundup of random things I did over the past months, and a sneak peek into the near future!
The graphic novel
Media interest for the graphic novel ‘Jij gaat dood’ (‘You’re going to die’) that I made with Nina Blom kept going, and in early August, we even appeared on national TV, in the program Hart van Nederland.
The mission to generate more awareness about the kind of abuse that most people know as Munchausen by Proxy never stops, and Nina is back at giving lectures about her experiences. Our graphic novel got a few new reviews, one of them even a 5-star!
StripGlossy
My comics appeared in not one but TWO editions simultaneously of comics magazine StripGlossy - both dedicated to the late Dutch comic artist Piet Wijn, who used to work for the famous (in Holland anyway) Toonder Studios. Much of the work of the great Marten Toonder, such as ‘Heer Bommel and Tom Poes’, was actually drawn by the humble Piet Wijn.
This prompted me to try my own hand at a Bommel comic, featuring my comic character StripGekkie (which translates as ComicLoony, and who has absolutely nothing in common with StripGlossy’s chief editor and publisher Seb van der Kaaden).
I was pretty chuffed at how it turned out:
I also drew a few promotional illustrations for this double feature of StripGlossy, showing how the two covers (by Schwantz) make for an infinite line-up:
StripGekkie is not my only comic in StripGlossy - it also features my Mijntje comic, as well as ‘Z-Man’ which is drawn by my husband Yiri Kohl on my scripts.
Buy StripGlossy and find out!
:D
Tina Things
Magazine Tina came out with Fiona’s Bird Vlog you already know about, drawn by Mars Gremmen - but also with my 10-page story ‘Kimmie en de Tijdring’ (’Kimmie and the Time ring’) drawn by Kimberly Legito-Geelen. It was a joy to work with her and her husband Geo Legito-Geelen, and look at the result:
It was quite a challenge for me to write such a longer magical adventure story, but I think it turned out quite entertaining. I used to love mysterious stories as a kid, so I hope the Tina readership does as well.
Very soon I will be able to ask them myself, since this weekend is the Tina Festival! For two days, amusement park Duinrell will be the home of about 30.000 girls and their mothers (and a few fathers and brothers, too). I will be giving out drawings and autographs. This is the second time I’m participating and last year was a blast.
At the moment I’m in the middle of preparations for this grand happening. The second Casa Kiki album will be out and I made this incentive - just for people buying one or more albums:
It’s Kiki as a paper dress up doll, with all the outfits she wears in her first album!
I also ordered postcards to give away:
Top right is for Marrie&Merrie, the comic about a girl and her cranky horse I make with Dorith Graef (we actually came up with the idea during last year’s festival!). The bottom card is not actually in print, I decided to go with the top left one, but I wanted to show it here anyway.
And…
…I bought an iPad, as you know. I think I love it. I made the entire Kiki dress up doll above on it (well, with a little bit of Photoshop for layout and lettering). And I also made this (you may have seen it on my insta):
And oh! I went to see the Barbie movie, and had a blast.
That’s it! Summer’s almost done.
Next week: a report on the Tina Festival!