Cover for Scherven

Currently I'm still working hard on Splinters (the Dutch title is Scherven). I am coloring the last set of pages, put in the text at those pages, create the titlepage etc.... In other words, still a lot to do. I hope to finish the book around the end of january. The planning is it will appear in may 2010.

In the meanwhile I like to show you the cover as it is now (It might slightly change in the next weeks). On the illustration you see Victor biking away from his village. In the background a formation of bombers, on its way to bring destruction. It is an image taken from one of the last scenes of the book and is made in a graphic style that refers to the propaganda posters that appeared during wartime. Also the use colors on the cover refers to that period as does the typography. Not only in the book but also on the cover I try to catch the atmosphere of the war as good as I can.

Cover Souvenirs Perdus

Lately I have finished the reworking of the stories that are going to appear in Souvenirs Perdus (I showed you some in my last post). Now I can show you the provisory cover of the book. The design is made by the graphic designer of La Pasteque. He has created a clean, strong lay-out in which Muis, showing his biceps, plays the mainrole.The used colors are crisp and clean, just as they are inside the book. The typography is clear and contemporary.

The plan still is to bring out the book in the second half of next year. I will keep you informed (also about the definitive cover)!

Pages Souvenirs Perdus

Currently I'm working on the last part of Splinters (Dutch title will be 'Scherven'), but I'm also reworking the pages for the French translation of 'Verzamelde Herinneringen', Souvenirs Perdus, which will appear next year at La Pasteque.

The adjustments I make have to do with the coloring. I wasn't 100% happy with the print-result of the Dutch edition. I found the colors a bit too heavy and saturated, so I'm making them a bit lighter and brighter.

I will also change the textballoons -no black outlines but with a shadow underneath- and remove the outlines of the images. It gives the pages a 'blonder' and more accessible look. Here I show some different pages.

The reason there is no text in it is that La Pasteque will do a new lettering. I hope I can show you the definitive cover of Souvenirs Perdus soon!

Last Stripelmagazine

I had the honour to deliver the image for the cover of the last issue of the Belgian Stripelmagazine (# 12). In the last issue you can also find the interview that was already published on the Stripelmagazine website. Stripelmagazine will continue on the internet as a digital magazine. Every week there will be a new issue with interesting articles and interviews. Take look at their site!

Alan's War

Emmanuel Guibert already made a lot of different books. Not long ago I read Alan's War. A book about American G.I. Alan Cope's memories of the Second Worldwar, written and drawn by Guibert. A very moving story of a soldier who was transported to France to fight against the enemy. The images are done in subtle grey-tones which give the story even more dimensions.

I really recommend this book. Language can not be the problem, Alan's War is available in French, English and Dutch.

Muis does New York

Dutch comic promotor Gert Jan Pos is working hard to spread comics from the Lowlands. A couple of weeks ago he was in the Big Apple to give a presentation called 'Understanding Dutch comics' at the famous Parsons, the new school for design. And look who was also there: Muis travelled together with Gert Jan to open the presentation!

Carnets de Guerre

Jacques Martin is especially known from his Alex and Le Franc stories. But a while ago, in a shop in Paris, I found a carnet with drawings about the Second Worldwar made by him. I was really impressed by the realistic style and the dramatic atmosphere of the images. All where made in soft grey pencil. Carnets de Guerre is edited by Casterman.

Splinters cover

It becomes clear to me when I will finish the first book of Splinters. The plan now is that it wil be published spring 2010 (may/june). That's why I have done some work on the cover. But also Oog & Blik / de Bezige Bij needs a first impression of the cover for their 2010 catalogue.

I've done some sketches, but as I see it now it will be the drawing in the middle. It shows Victor in a hurry on his bike. (Where is he going?) It refers to a scene in the book. I hope to show the definitive version within some weeks.

I have also worked on the cover of the french translation of 'Verzamelde herinneringen': 'Souvenirs Perdus'. I hope to show it to you soon.

Last pages

I'm back from holiday in France, the country of 'la bande dessinée". Two weeks in Brittanny and a couple of days in Paris.

We had a good time with nice, sometimes really hot weather. I had enough time to make sketches of the last pages -some 55- of Splinters. Including the background quire it brings the book to some 250 pages. And this is only the first book...

Pages in color

A while ago I showed some black and white artwork of pages I'm currently doing for Splinters.

Now I am in a cycle of coloring some 40 pages. I do my coloring digitally on my Mac. First in Illustrator and after that I transport the basically colored pages to Photoshop and change them into sepia.

After that I use a filter to give them a more authentic atmosphere. Here are some examples of the part of the book I'm doing right now. When I've finished this cycle I have to draw 60 more pages, and then Book One of Splinters is ready to publish! Hopefully somewhere next year.

Muizentheater

Peter van Dongen is one of my favourite Dutch artists. He's especially known for his two Rampokan books and a lot of illustration-work. But he made his debut in 1990 with Muizentheater, a story about two boys: Daan and Henkie. The two brothers grew up in Amsterdam in the thirties, a period of worldwide crisis. Their father is an alcoholic and their mother earns some extra's with her body. Not an ideal situation for two young boys in their childhood. The younger Daan joins the upcoming Nazi's, the other one, Henk, becomes a cool and hard one. The end of the story is not a happy one.

The artwork is in a very crispy black and white and you can feel the influence of Hergé. Want to find out? Read Muizentheater and don't miss the two Rampokan books!

Interview on Stripelmagazine

In the new edition of the online version of Stripelmagazine there's an interview about the translation of 'Verzamelde Herinneringen' in French and about my new book Splinters.

If you want to read it go to Stripelmagazine. The interview will also appear in the paper version of the magazine later this year.