Guardians in Grunn

Esther van de Bund

Esther van de Bund (1992) is an Arnhem-based cartoonist and illustrator. Her oeuvre is delightfully diverse and includes the cooking comic Smikkelen en Smullen (Syndikaat Publishers), the short horror Detox (Nieuwe Garde Anthology), Bi-Witched in Ripple (A Big Draw Anthology), the self-published 18+ Anthology Sticky Pages and experimental autobiographical comics at Loopvis Publishers and Zone5300. Esther is also an editor and author at the Dungeons and Dragons-inspired Not A Mimic Zine, of which two editions have already been published. In 2024, Esther published her first children’s book at Kosmos Publishers: Floris en Meneer Tortellini en de jacht op de dierendief.

Olivier van Eijk

Olivier van Eijk is a radio play maker, short story writer, poet and philosopher. Above all, he is a storyteller who wants to break through genres and disciplines. Olivier’s texts are interspersed with profound observations and thought experiments, inspired by his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in philosophy. He is now doing a research master in Arts, Media and Literary Studies at the RUG, where he draws inspiration from many art and thought movements for writing his stories.

Janneke Hoek

Janneke Hoek (Groningen, 1995) is an illustrator, comic artist, musician and above all a storyteller.
Her visual work varies in materials and techniques, ranging from decors and furniture made of wood or metal to linocuts, silkscreens and illustrations. Within her work, Janneke explores wonder and playfulness and uses existing stories that fit the environment in which they are presented.
She prefers to work with her hands and therefore analogue because this slows down and provides an extra connection with the material. By having to take the time for each work, discovering unexpected ‘mistakes’ and then using them correctly, her work remains unique and radiates pleasure and craftsmanship.
One of the fixed points of reference within Janneke’s work is nature and especially connecting people with each other and the world in which they live. Man seems to have forgotten her nature, and drifted away to something in which she is separate from what she walks on (and with whom).

Emy Koopman

📸: J. von Engelhardt

 Emy Koopman (Groningen, 1985) is a writer and journalist. After masters in Literary Studies and Clinical Psychology, she obtained her PhD on research into literature and empathy. In the meantime, she had already started writing for hard//hoofd and De Groene Amsterdammer, among others, and on a debut novel. This novel, Orewoet (2016), was nominated for the Fintro Literature Prize and the Bronze Owl.

In addition to her writing, Emy then worked as an investigative journalist for Investico and as a presenter for the VPRO program Paradijs Canada. In 2020, her second novel, the dystopian Het boek van alle angsten (The Book of All Fears), was published. Her third book, Tekenen van het universiteit (Signs of the Universe) (2022), was called ‘an absolute must’ by NRC and was shortlisted for the De Boon Literature Prize. Signs of the Universe was followed by the Spoorslagboekje Kindertrein uit Boedapest (2023), with nominations for the BNG Literature Prize and the Inktaap. Emy’s latest novel, The Woman in the Cellar, will be published by De Arbeiderspers at the end of February 2025.

Madalina Mihutoiu

Madalina Mihutoiu (1998) is a Romanian illustrator currently living in the north of the Netherlands and armed with a BA in Illustration & Animation from Academie Minerva in Groningen. She creates from folklore, fantasy and her love of birds, constantly switching between pen, keyboard and punch needle to bring funky and often zoomorphic characters to life. She is involved in creative coding, storytelling and visual interaction – essential ingredients to create compelling visual stories. She draws her inspiration from cartoons, her surroundings and traditional Romanian masks that are used in rituals throughout the year to scare off evil spirits and bring good luck. She finds peace in craftsmanship and conscious, slow ways of making and always tries to give her work the same magical qualities as the folklore of her country.

Guus Møystad

📸: Sixtine Bérard

Guus Møystad (1992) is a visual artist, writer and storyteller based in Amsterdam. He is a chaotic mixture of identities that never quite come to rest.

This chaos continues in his work, where story, text, image, truth and fiction intertwine and are expressed in various art forms. He draws from history, fantasy and folklore, and is fascinated by liminality – the in-between phases between individual and community, inclusion and exclusion, tradition and innovation – and the boundaries and vulnerabilities of the body.

His comics and illustrations have appeared in various print and online magazines and platforms, including De Lage Landen, Stripgids and Hard//Hoofd. He also self-publishes his work and produces the cyberzine Brieven uit Skemer.

Bart Nijstad

Bart Nijstad (1979) is an artist, teacher and illustrator, living in Groningen, the Netherlands.

“My artistic vision is centered on unraveling the inner river of images that constantly flows through my mind. I draw inspiration from a kaleidoscope of memories, comic books, movie scenes and fragments from paintings. Through automatic drawing techniques I strive to organize this flow and give meaning to the visual chaos. I am attracted to images that defy logic, that seem to be in the wrong place and exist in a realm where humor, the grotesque and absurdity are interwoven.

The drawings form the basis for my further artistic expression. In paintings, zines and murals I create opposing worlds in which the familiar and the strange collide. Recognizable motifs evoke a sense of comfort, while dream images and unreal compositions question the boundaries of our reality.

My goal is to evoke a sense of unrest and curiosity in the viewer. By playing with the meaning of the image, I challenge the interpretation of the observer. The viewer is invited to wander through my inner landscapes and to delve into the layering of the presented images.”

Richard Nobbe

📸: Henk Veenstra

Richard Nobbe (Winschoten, 1993) is a poet and (radio) columnist, was city poet of the municipality of Oldambt, has published several times in Op Ruwe Planken, toured with the Poëziebus, made theater, was in the finals of the NK Poetry Slam and won two prizes at Write Now! In 2024 his poetry debut, Waar Iemand Woont, was published by Uitgeverij Passage.

Niek van Ooijen

Niek van Ooijen is a comic artist, illustrator, drawing teacher and cultural entrepreneur. From his studio at the Zwolle breeding ground De Achtergracht, he makes comics, posters, portraits, illustrations and infographics for various companies, institutions and individuals. He also regularly goes out to give lessons and workshops or to draw live somewhere. At the moment he is mainly very busy with an autobiographical graphic novel about the time he lived and studied in the comic city of Angoulême. This graphic novel is expected to be published by Oogachtend in late 2025/early 2026.

In his work, Niek likes to focus on nature, the human inner world, and fiddling around with precise and detailed, yet graceful drawings.

Sterric

Sterric (Amsterdam, 1993) is a comic artist who works from Rotterdam. Sterric obtained a bachelor’s degree in Illustration at the Willem De Kooning Academy in Rotterdam with a notable exchange to the School of Visual Arts in New York. With the publication of the graphic novel De Vloek van Rood (Scratch Books, 2021), Sterric made a sparkling debut in the comic world and has not left since. Sterric has worked on various historical and social comics since their debut and is now working on his next comic series Detective Jackdaw. Sterric is always looking for the intersection between pop culture and social impact. In his opinion, story is an important way in which people learn to interpret the world around them and form ideas. Sterric tries to touch that intersection, with fantasy and fable Sterric tries to make an impact in our society for a more inclusive society.