A 2023 Cartoonist Appraisal

As a freelance cartoonist, I have to set out my own path and make sure I stay on track. The way I do this, is through the nifty system of writing to myself. I write what my plans are for the year, then every three months or so I review and comment: check! Or: this was a dumb idea. Or: ‘Stop overthinking and just try things!’

Now that we’ve almost reached the end of the year, I like to look at my big projects, see how that went and think about what my goals are for next year. As I was doing this, I figured, why not take you along for the ride? I would love for you to comment. Appraisals are really not meant to be done solo, after all.

Live Cartooning

I did several live cartooning events last year, all for the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. I particularly liked this one in Berlin, where folks could swing by and talk to me about whatever they had on their minds, and I would make cartoons about what they said. I hope to do more of these in 2024, both for the Climate Centre and for new clients.

Tina

I started writing and drawing comics for teen magazine Tina a little over a year ago. This project took a surprising turn this year, but that’s a tale for another post. Of the Tina comics I created in 2023, this one is probably my favorite:

Books

If you were here over the last few years, you might remember I was working on a memoir. I shelved it a year ago and haven’t touched it since. I learned a lot about storytelling this year and hope to apply that to this book in 2024.

I did however successfully crowdfund a book with my comic journals: 5500 Miles of Comics. You can still get the e-book right here.

Climate Conversation Comics

I started making comics about people who do great work for our planet. These comics turned out to be so much more time consuming than I had imagined! Coming from a daily comics practice, I was thinking I could do one every week. Once I got the show on the road, I quickly adjusted my goal one per month, but ended up making just four and a half of these in a whole year:

• We need to show people there’s a better way to live - Antonia Godber

• We all need to start somewhere - Mascha Bongenaar

• Circular economy is simply not possible without a strong community - Daan van Alkemade

• Instead of looking at our carbon footprint, we should focus on our climate shadows - Katharine Hayhoe

I’m glad I made them, but going forward, I wonder if I should take a different approach.

I would love to know what your thoughts are on these comics!

This newsletter

With 5500 Miles of Comics, I rounded off my daily comics practice. I can’t help myself and spit out an autobio comic once in a while and will share them here, but I’m most proud of my posts about climate action and would like to lean into that more in the next year.

Here are some of my personal favourite posts of 2023:

• Give someone your weight.

• Dear Police Officer…

• Half seat and two miles of laces.

• Dropped seeds.

• About those Ugly Christmas Sweaters.

As for the paid subscriptions, I’ve experimented with Sketch & Chat sessions. Those were fun, but I’m thinking I could make those more meaningful by combining it with what I did in Berlin: we have a chat about whatever is bothering you and I draw cartoons about that.

Let me know what your thoughts are, by replying to this email or commenting below!

I’ll be back after winter break, so that leaves me wishing you a wonderful Christmas and peace and love for 2024.