Barbara Stok
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Barbara Stok (born 24 February 1970, Groningen) is a Dutch cartoonist, best known for her graphic novel Vincent.[1]
Biography and work
Much of Stok's work is autobiographical; she began drawing comics in the 1990s and self-published Barbaraal, a series of books set in Groningen, often in and around Vera, a center for underground rock music.[2] She never attended an art or design school, wary that she might lose her personal style.[2] Her 2003 graphic novel Je geld of je leven ("Your money or your life") deals with her work as a journalist and the burn-out that followed it.[2] The autobiographical compilation Dan maak je maar zin, deals with the death of the author/main character's brother-in-law and probes the meaning of life. She won the 2009 Stripschapprijs[3] for her oeuvre. [2][4]
Also in 2009, Stok was commissioned by publishing company Nijgh & Van Ditmar and the Van Gogh Museum to write and draw a book on Van Gogh.[5] Her Vincent is a graphic novel depicting Vincent van Gogh's years in and around Arles; it is translated into a number of languages including English. James Smart, in The Guardian, praised it as "a vibrant, sad account of Van Gogh's move to Arles and his struggle with mental illness".[6] That same year she was given a weekly slot in the national daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad.[5]
References
- ^ "Barbara Stok".
- ^ a b c d "Barbara Stok wint Stripschapprijs". Het Parool (in Dutch). 17 August 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ "38 jaar de Stripschapprijs - 1974–2011". Het Stripschap. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ Entfield, Levi (10 September 2009). "Dan maak je maar zin – Barbara Stok". Literair Nederland (in Dutch). Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Strip over leven van Vincent van Gogh". Het Parool (in Dutch). 26 August 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ Smart, James (11 April 2014). "Vincent by Barbara Stok – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 December 2019.