Book Allies
Building a support base for my graphic novel in the span of two gorillas
Yesterday was my birthday, so I treated myself to an afternoon out at the zoo. Dedicated followers will know that Artis, the Amsterdam Zoo, is the beating heart of my graphic novel in progress, Wolf House Fables. The concept was initially inspired by the stories of people hiding in the zoo from the Nazis during World War II and my interest in how storytelling helps us process traumatic experiences.
When I was applying for subsidies in 2023, I reached out to a few related institutions for letters of recommendation and collaboration. I was fortunate to strike up supportive relationships with The Dutch Resistance Museum (Hoi, Liesbeth!) and NIOD (Hey, Kees!). The ornate gates of Artis, however, remained impenetrable.
Artis gives annual tours related to World War history at the beginning of May, so I went this time with my trusty sketchbook in hand. I figured, at the very least, I’d learn more interesting facts, and, at best, I might make some headway with establishing a relationship with Artis.
The tour was led by a volunteer named Gerrit. At one point, as we were walking between sites of interest, he asked me why I was so keenly taking notes. I blurted out some information about my book, mentioned that I had brought a synopsis that I could leave with him, and added that I’ve worked for The New Yorker and New York Times (I swear, I work this into conversation so often, I should just have it tattooed on my forehead).
Gerrit treated me to a coffee in the staff breakroom after the tour and said he would forward my information to Wessel Broekhuis, staff historian and liaison for the educational department. I met with Wessel in the summer and then had the pleasure of wandering the grounds with him on my birthday, learning many more interesting tidbits specific to my scenario.
A pivotal character in my book sleeps in the attic of the Wolf House at night. Dove is based on a real person, Duifje van den Brink. Have a look at how I depict her in my previous post about character studies.
When I call Artis a zoo, I might be shortchanging it a little. The full name of this institution is Natura Artis Magistra, Latin for nature is the teacher of art. It’s also dedicated to inspiring visitors with the wonders of nature, hosting residencies for artists, and educating the public. Here’s their mission statement.
So I’m utterly over the moon that Artis has become one of my book allies and that they are interested in hosting an eventual book launch for Wolf House Fables. Now all I have to do is finish the book proposal, hook a US and a Dutch publisher, and then write and draw it in its entirety. Appletje-eitje, right?
Before leaving the zoo, I returned to the gorillas and found one forlorn soul who seemed glad to receive some individual attention. He crept over from the far wall to lean against the glass next to me, occasionally peeking at my sketchbook as I drew.
Birthday Week Sale
Get 20% off of everything in my webshop during my birthday week! Valid through October 20th with a minimum order total of €30 / $30. Enter the coupon code BirthdayBumps20 at checkout.
What are birthday bumps? It’s a British thing. I’m too old to be subjected to such nonsense, but when my son was little we used to hurl him around like a sack of potatoes as shown in the video below.
How awesome! Artis is a great place!
Bravo!!