They can be completely black pages, just like famous cartoonist Barbara Stok used to make, or pages with only text or images. In comic strips, there really are no rules. In the words of Aimée Terburg, ‘Experiment!’ So that's what I'm going to do! And I’m going to do it during the cartooning workshop at the Groninger Museum. I’m very interested!
Barbara drew a comic strip about Groningen print artist H.N. Werkman to celebrate Werkman Year. In the book De Omslag (The Turning Point), she describes the moment Werkman decided to focus entirely on art after his printing business went bankrupt. Barbara has also created many autobiographical works. Her comics were not only combined into anthologies, but they were also published in various newspapers such as the NRC Handelsblad.
Today we are creating our own autobiographical comic, with the theme: De Omslag. We will be taught by Aimée Terburg (artist, huge comic book enthusiast and wonderful storyteller). Barbara and Aimée are good friends. Aimée teaches because Barbara ‘can’t’, the comic duo says. And even though there are basically no rules, there is still plenty to learn.
‘While drawing, you have to let go of whether it's going to be a success,’ Barbara says. This is the only way to create autobiographical work. ‘When you draw, you shouldn't think about the people who will read it later, and what they’ll think of it, otherwise it won't work.’
Barbara is not afraid to expose herself, sometimes literally, at least in comic book form. Barbara: ‘When a comic comes out, I warn my parents to skip pages 27 to 37.’
Now it is my turn to expose myself, in my case a bit less literally. I dive deep into my psyche and choose the rawest turning point in my life that I can think of. My comic will have everything: dismissal, depression, the tax authorities — but with a happy ending, as Barbara's comics often do.
‘Are the words thoughts or spoken?’ is the next choice Aimée asks us to make. ‘Actually, comic book drawing is a higher art form than, say, film,’ she tells us with conviction. Comics not only use images and text, but there is a distinction between thinking and speaking in the text. You can see what all the characters are thinking, and as a result, read the story from different perspectives. As a journalist and copywriter myself, I turned out to be a visual thinker while drawing my cartoon. You can still surprise yourself!
‘Next, ask the person next to you to put on their best cartoon face,’ says Aimée.
‘Barbara asks me that on a regular basis, too.’ After all, small traits say a lot: ‘How do you look when you think?’ she asks when a participant gets stuck. I put on my most pensive face and: ‘That's it!’ says Aimee, ‘Pupils tilted upward: that's how you look when you're thinking!’
And with all the pupils in the right place, we conclude the workshop. All the elements of Barbara's comics can be seen on our A4 sheets. From funny and very recognisable dilemmas about packing for a cycling holiday to intense turning points, like when having children turns out not to be an option.
Impressed by what my fellow participants and I have put to paper in an hour, I admire their work. Nevertheless, I'll stick to therapeutic cartooning for now:
In other words, unpublished.
Text: Meike Leurs