This is just one strip from Aimeé de Jongh’s witty daily comic, Snippers, which could be found on the walls of the Erasmus Huis Jakarta.

De Jongh’s works were on display alongside those of illustrator and graphic novelist Peter van Dongen in the cultural center’s exhibition, “Dutch Comic & Animation: The Next Generation”, which runs until Aug. 31.

Snippers tells the story of Aimée and her roommate Stef, a fictional character based on her real-life roommate, as they go about their daily lives.

“I notice things that happen around me and find the irony or humor in it, and I just draw them,” said de Jongh.

After five and half years, she drew the final episode of Snippers in July. Some of her colleagues questioned her decision to quit a steady job, a rarity in the Dutch comic industry.

“In the Netherlands, we have just four newspapers for the whole country and there’s maybe a couple of hundred cartoonists, so it’s really hard to find a job,” she said.

When it comes to books, it’s even harder — publishers don’t pay comic artists for books, but only publish them. Sales revenue from the books is split between the publisher and the artist. But sales of modern comics like hers are low because of the country’s proximity to Belgium, the origin of classics like Tintin and Lucky Luke, which still dominate the market.

“The industry is the same as it was 50 years ago. They want to keep that tradition alive and it’s hard for us, the new generation, because people see my comic and they don’t want to buy it because it doesn’t look like Tintin,” said de Jongh.

The trend is in contrast to Indonesia’s comic book industry, which De Jongh had a chance to explore when she attended the recent Popcon Asia 2017, held at the Jakarta Convention Center on Aug. 5-6.

“Here in Indonesia, I feel like people are open to everything. You like American comics like Marvel and DC. You like manga from Japan and you even like European comics because I also saw Tintin,” she says. “This is so different from our country. I really like the openness.”

She was also impressed by how young the artists were at Popcon Jakarta and was pleasantly surprised to see that a large number of them were women.

While American comics and Japanese comics were the biggest draw, she also found a group of Indonesian artists with completely unique and original styles.

“I hope these creators will get bigger and bigger so you will have your own world of comics,” she said.

This is her second visit to Indonesia, but her ties to the archipelago go much deeper than a touring artist.

“Both my grandmothers are Indonesian. They both moved with their families to the Netherlands after the Second World War,” she said.

As a child, de Jongh ate Indonesian food at her grandmother’s house on her weekly Thursday visits. All the little traditions, the language and even the furniture are familiar to her.

“When I came here the first time, I thought, wow, this smells like my grandma’s house,” she said.

She hoped her comics will be translated for an Indonesian audience, as part of the reason for her being at Popcon was to promote her work and attract local publishers.

“There are two publishers that are interested in publishing my work. So, it might happen,” said de Jongh.

The comic book artist is also an illustrator and animator. Her latest graphic novel, The Return of the Honey Buzzard, was made into a live-action movie released earlier this year.

Bookseller Simon is the protagonist who, in the beginning of the book, witnesses a suicide that brings back suppressed memories and flashbacks of a suicide in his past. Deeply personal with dark tones, the book is reflective of de Jongh’s drawing from personal experiences and emotions.

Land’s End, a six-page digital magazine comic that she worked on with friend and writer Pieter van Oudheusden, was another such venture. The story revolves around a daughter who loses her father.

When Pieter first approached her to illustrate his story, de Jongh said she refused, having just recently lost her own father. But two years later, a change in Pieter’s life prompted her to change her mind.

“We met for coffee and he told me he had a tumor in his brain and he may have only six months to live. He told me it would mean a lot to him if I finished the comic because he had two daughters,” she said.

What started as her story also became Pieter’s, and she strived to complete the comic, but the journey wasn’t easy.

“It took a very long time, because I realized that when my comic was finished that was the end of our relationship. If I made the last dot on the page, then that would be it,” she recalled.

But as time passed, Pieter’s health deteriorated. When she showed him the finished comic, he wasn’t really able to respond.

“But he did smile. So, I guess that’s good,” she said. Two weeks later, Pieter passed away and Land’s End became his final work and her tribute to him.

She continues to draw and illustrate personal and emotional stories, as she believes it can help other people relate: “If you’re honest about your situation and the things you see in life, then other people will recognize it and they will like your honesty and openness.”

Currently, de Jongh is working on a graphic novel to be released later this year in Dutch and French.

Her works have won numerous awards and have been exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, as well as the Street Arts Center in Los Angeles. She attributes her successes to training and learning every day, and not being complacent. She encourages aspiring artist to network.

“It is easy for an artist to sit inside a room, but you need to get out and meet people and let them know you exist. Then, when they have work for you, they will remember and call you.”

***

The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

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