Margreet de Heer's Blog
June 4, 2020
And the award goes to: Wasco
As Comic Artist Laureate of The Netherlands, one of my “duties” is to hand the prestigious Stripschapprijs, Holland’s one and only comics prize, to the winner. This year, that’s Wasco, a remarkable artist whose work has influenced comics makers worldwide.
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Despite the current restrictions, I was able to hand him the statuette that comes with the prize, in an almost empty cinema where Wasco was regaled with messages from his friends – you can watch the proceedings (in Dutch) in this YouT...
July 6, 2019
Love & the Celebrity Crush
In my book Love: a Discovery in Comics (just out in stores!) I explore the Seven Year Itch, together with a therapist, who convinces me that what I need is to look about me for a new Love of my Life…
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My favorite actor is Robert Carlyle – on whom I have a Celebrity Crush. Check this drawer of almost all of his movies I collected:
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The picture of him that I used in the book is his incarnation as Dr. Nicholas Rush in Stargate Universe – where he is a tormented brilliant scientist:
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I guess I ha...
June 29, 2019
Love & Marriage
In my newest book Love: a Discovery in Comics I also take a look at the history of the institution of Marriage – mostly in Western countries. I drew this spread:
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…and now I have made it into an animation, using Videoscribe:
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Click here to watch it on Youtube.
Here are a few scenes:
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I’m also reflecting on my own marriage to Yiri – we got officially married in 2009:
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…but we make it a habit to privately “renew our vows” a few times a year, whenever we find ourselves in a special place and t...
June 15, 2019
Love & Religion
In my book Love: a Discovery in Comics I have drawn one chapter about Love from a religious perspective, taking a look at two scriptures: the Kama Sutra and Song of Songs.
[image error] Dutch version of the Kama Sutra spreadThe Kama Sutra is mainly known for its detailing of sexual postures – but it’s so much more! Originally meant for students leaving their guru to go into married life, it gives hints and tips about a lot of things, from decorating your house to recipes for love potions. I drew a 2-page...
June 4, 2019
Love & Romance
When telling ourselves the narrative of our love lives, we are heavily influenced by the tales of love we get fed through books, movies and magazines. I myself am a real sucker for romance novels (especially those set in Victorian England) – which all follow the same formula: there’s a Male and a Female, there’s Attraction, there are Obstacles, and once these are overcome there’s a Happy Ending…
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Romance novels are actually a really interesting subject to study for its feminist content! No ot...
May 14, 2019
TCAF 2019
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival was a blast! It’s one of the biggest and nicest comic festivals I have ever attended, and just like in 2015 (when I was there last) it was wonderful to be there. Even more so, because this time I was Featured Guest and had a premiering book: Love: a Discovery in Comics.
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That’s me, loving my new book – and publishers Jeff Whitman and Terry Nantier in the background.
[image error]The NBM stand with publishers Jeff Whitman and Terry Nantier (left) and comic artists Larry Hanc...May 8, 2019
Ten Tips for a Broken Heart
This weekend, my book Love: a Discovery in Comics will be launched at the TCAF Festival in Toronto! I’ll be there, at the NBM stand, together with colleagues Larry Hancock and Michael Cherkas of The Silent Invasion – and they gave me the idea of bringing some freebies to give away:
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First of all: bookmarks! Because everybody needs bookmarks, right?
But the special attraction is this mini-booklet containing three pages from the book: Ten Tips for a Broken Heart! Because everybody’s heart gets...
April 30, 2019
Love & “The One”
In my upcoming book Love: a Discovery in Comics I dedicate one chapter to exploring the concept of “The One”. Is there truth to the notion that there is one perfect mate for each of us out there? An if so, how do we find them?
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Hopeless romantic as I am, I love to believe in The One. But with 7 billion people out there, I’m not sure there’s only one. Maybe there’s ideal matches for each phase of life that we’re in…
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Want to read more? Love: a Discovery in Comics is out in June!
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April 26, 2019
Love & Sex
In my upcoming book Love: a Discovery in Comics I don’t skirt the subject of sex. I start the chapter with a visit to my younger self, trying to dispense some sage advice…
[image error]Will I listen to my own advice…? Read and find out!Apart from sharing my own thoughts on the subject, there are also a few divinities chipping in:
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I give an analysis of the Kama Sutra, the ancient Hindu text on sex and marriage. The old master Vatsyayana instructs his students with practical knowledge such as this:
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Visualizing Love
In my upcoming book Love: a Discovery in Comics I go on a quest for a new True Love (because the Seven-Year Itch hit me). When it comes to Love, everyone and anyone has well-meant advice, and most of it is rubbish. The one thing that ever really worked for me, and I am not hesitant to recommend to others, is to VISUALIZE what you want.
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Make a list of every little thing you’d like to see in your partner – how they behave towards you and others, what their preferences are in movies, food and h...
