We also asked Maaike to describe the essence or theme behind her comics herself.
She wrote: “I’m drawing very personal comics about my life and everything that interests me. It can be autobio or political or both, but in the end, I draw what's on my mind and what's important to me.”
The artist told us more about her typical day when working on a new comic.“I’m a freelance illustrator so I can plan my own working day. I usually wake up late and scroll the news and Instagram before breakfast. This usually gives me a lot of inspiration, so then I get up to sketch my new ideas on my iPad.
After some work, I take a long walk, make some mistakes, and when I get back I continue drawing. In the evening/at night I finish the comic I plan to post the next morning.”
We were wondering whether Maaike has ever scrapped a comic idea after starting it. She replied: “Oh yes, I do this all the time! I have a huge file with idea sketches and only finished 10% of them. The sketches or unfinished comics that are left behind either don't work well enough, or a new idea for a comic pops up that gets priority. I have more ideas than I can draw!”
Maaike shared a time when a reader’s response really made her feel good about her work.
“I'm touched by all the people who share my comics, especially the anti-racism and political ones. Someone recently told me they saw my work used in an anti-racism presentation, and I felt so honored.”
Lastly, the artist added: “I wish people would realize more how amazing comics are. They're such a great way to tell a story in a simple, fun, and quick way and can reach a lot of people. Of all art forms comics seem most underrated to me, while they have enormous potential.”
