Sandra de Haan - Portfolio

Blue & Bottle - it’s in the air

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The two grumpy flies have yet again found something to complain about: the Dutch weather!

on Google+

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This is what happens if you're a late adopter like me. Seven months after my friends discovered Google+ I finally decided to join them.

The mystery called UGG

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What's with the uggly Australian boots?

Blue & Bottle read The shallows by Nicholas Carr

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After reading the book: The shallows, what the internet is doing to our brains, Blue tries to save Bottle's degenerating brain.

Graphic novels only

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Many Dutch bookstores prefer selling graphic novels instead of comics (strips) because they think they're literature.

Dutch bookstores didn't sell a lot of comics until quite recently. This changed when the term graphic novel came along, giving comics a new aura of serious art. It's a sort of hype now in the Dutch comic arena. Some publishers are using this word to upgrade the books they would formerly market as comics (strips in Dutch). The general idea: graphic novels are literature and comics are not. In the Netherlands comics are still perceived as low culture and mainly made for children. Bookstores don't want to miss the boat but are sometimes not too well informed. So they order any comic book that's been labeled graphic novel by its publisher, no matter how good or how bad it is. As long as it's a hardback a few inches thick. The use of the term graphic novel as a marketing tool has caused quite a stir among Dutch comic creators.

Blue & Bottle are having a ball

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Living on the edge, Blue & Bottle know just how to do that. And they love it!

Film Festival

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During the International Film Festival Rotterdam I made a comic every day. Getting tickets can be quite time consuming.

Toys for grown ups

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Men talking about their cars. Some have never really left the playground it seems. But aren't they cute!

This is quite an old comic. My style of drawing has changed quite a bit over the years, but I still like the story.

Blue & Bottle

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Aliens are taking over our low lands! Well, looking a bit closer, aliens is not quite the right word.

Blue & Bottle don’t believe in glass

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Ever seen a pigheaded fly?

Blue & Bottle

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Dumb & Dumber in the world of insects. Hosting a housewarming party.

Flat pen

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My desk is covered with useless fineliners. Squashed flat long before they are empty... help!

Sandra calling…

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Flipping through your full address book, you can't seem to find anyone to give a call. Ever been there?

Hair

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Every once in a while a few hairs need trimming. Guess my surprise...

Pink stinks

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British feminist mothers have started the Pink Stinks movement. Pink should be banned because it deminishes a girls career opportunities.

Chamber of Commerce

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This year all self-employed people have to be registered at the Chamber of Commerce. Some companies are very happy with this new law.

Blue Tit

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I saw a young Blue Tit fly into a windowpane at the entrance of the tunnel. The tunnel-guard was not too pleased as I tried to resque the poor thing (true story!)

Freehand is not dead!

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Adobe bought Macromedia Freehand with only one goal: to kill it. And that sucks big time! For how long can we still enjoy this fine piece of software?

Tick tock

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The closer you get to the big 4.0, the more women in your social circle have kids. Motherhood is like a religion to them. And I am the pagan...

New: RSS

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The easiest way to never miss a new comic on this site: follow me on RSS.

Lust for power

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Feminists, I sometimes wonder if they still exist. But they do: last week I met two ambitious grrrls in brainstorm mood.

A nice hobby

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In a Rotterdam café I ran into a colleague from the newspaper I worked for back in 2004. I had never met her before, but that was not very surprising.

Bastard

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Who is the last person you want to see when having a drink with friends in your favourite club? Your ex. Or maybe that is not entirely true...

Scream-sneeze

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Some people scream when they sneeze. The spectacle is disgusting enough, but the pleasure they get out of it is even more disturbing.

Lifecasting a gogo

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Loads of people document their entire lives on blogs. Exhibitionism can be interesting, depending on the nature of the pictures shown...

Crappy story

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Some people can only go to the bathroom when they are feeling sufficiently relaxed. My house seems to be having a laxative effect. Is this a compliment?

Spidermoth alert

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Spidermoths cover whole trees and cars in webs. It is like a sci fi horror movie out there. And right behind my house!

Draw your freedom

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The European Solidarity Centre in Poland organises a comic contest: draw your freedom. This is my submission.

Comic workshop

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I recently started doing comic workshops with children, age 8 to 10. If you know nothing about teaching, beginners errors are unavoidable.

Garden work

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One of the advantages of freelancing is that sketching can just as well be done in the garden. I do it all the time. With sometimes meagre results.

The BBC

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The BBC, once a shining beacon of quality in European television. Now reduced to the level of Rai Uno. Do we even care?

This one is a few years old, but I still like it. So here it is: adventures of a TV junkie.

Hell is other people

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Train travel is not for pussies. It is a real urban jungle out there. Make sure to take some earplugs.

Empty

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When I was feeling very low, I noticed that the batttery of my mobile was empty only one day after recharging it. No coincidence I guessed.

This is an old one. The drawing of faces has changed a bit over the years.

Tarty

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My friend Jenny likes to dress up for an evening at the movies. Why bother? No one will notice.

Crisis

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The media are totally obsessed with the global finacial crisis. How to get away from all that?

Strawberries

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Growing strawberries in your own back yard. Definitely unsprayed? Better not count on it.

International Film Festival Rotterdam 2008

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The iFFR publishes a daily paper during the 10 day festival, called The Daily Tiger. I did some comics for it.

Toilet talk

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Times are rough, so I got a parttime job at an office. Very soon I started missing my old freelancing life at the oddest moments.

Oyster

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My boyfriend loves seafood, unlike me. But we regularly end up in fish restaurants anyway.

Curb your enthusiasm

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Larry David is the king of the faux pas. The embarrassing typical Jewish humour took some getting used to.

Reality show

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Tired and bored I sometimes watch reality shows I would normally skip. One evening I fell asleep and had the craziest dream.

Hippy offspring

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Ever wondered what it is like, having hippies for parents?

Amsterdam Weekly

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My favourite pastime, when I visit Amsterdam is sitting at sidewalk cafés.

Eddie Scissorhands

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What are those scars on your wrist, my friend asked. No, I am not depressed. It is just a bad tempered Belgian hare.

Breathtaking beauty

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At the gym I sometimes see a rather peculiar guy. He likes drawing attention by showing off his breathing skills.

The stalker

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Stalking could happen to anyone. I did not realise that until it actually happenend to me. A true story (except for the ending).

Old farts

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Some old farts in the audience at the Rotterdam film festival handed me the idea for my next story on a silver plate.

iFFR: Rachel getting married

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A good film I saw at the Rotterdam festival. The audience was about as annoying as the lead actress.

A good film I saw at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2009 was 'Rachel getting married'. Me and July had a good time, despite the numerous frat rats in the audience Suits, striped ties, Rolexes and big mouths. And a style of their own in every way.

Gunnysack

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Going to gallery openings can be a lot of fun. The people there sometimes get more attention than the art on the walls.

Dutch Splendor

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Publishing your own comix can easily lead to stacks of cardboard boxes blocking your hallway. What can you do?

Cute cottage

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Looking out of a train window my friend Lucy spotted her dream cottage.

Bunny yawn

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I never even knew rabbits could yawn until I got Ed and Brother. A free comedy act every day. In my own back yard!

Green

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The Dutch like to think they are doing a lot to save the planet. But how much are they actually willing to give up?

The splits

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Being a power feminist is a fulltime job.

Stressless

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Ever seen the ads for Stressless furniture on television?

Global crisis

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Bad news is good news for comic artists.

Comic festival Angouleme

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My first trip to the famous comic festival in France.

Old Dutch winter

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A wintery tale of Dutch folklore

Urban archeology in 3422

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What will urban archeologists excavate in 1400 years time? Cars? Mobile phones? Pacemakers? Find out here.

Necrivia

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The yoghurt to end all yoghurts! A very effective snack for stressed out women.