About the project

After Brexit and the US elections of 2016, there was a tension in Europe about what the March 2017 Dutch parlementary elections would bring. It inspired me to create a short comic to motivate especially young people to come out to vote that year and make their voices heard.

The story is a brief reflection on the events that influence us growing up, making us who we are today. And it's a reminder that we can use who we are to make a positive impact and hopefully influence others for the better.

Cartoonists, unite!

I felt so strongly about these elections that I decided to launch a campaign around it to stimulate voter turnout. The platform for this campaign was named 'Tekenen voor de toekomst', which translates to both 'Drawing for the future' and 'Signing for the future'. Fellow illustrators and cartoon artists joined the cause and also made a comic with their personal call-to-vote.

The platform eventually showcased the works of six different artists: Merel Barends, Roxane van Beek, Vera van Groos, Aimée de Jongh, and Masha Pikulina. The comics were shared and promoted one by one in the days leading up to the elections on March 15, 2017 to generate attention. Visit the platform here or see some previews below. Big thanks to Taddeüs Kroes for helping us to get the beautiful website up and running quickly.

The Dutch elections eventually saw a voter turnout of 81.9%, the highest since 1986. Contrary to what some feared, the right-wing nationalist PVV did not become the biggest party.