Anyone interested in the biography of Barbara Stok should actually be reading her 'Barbaraal' comics, a mercilessly realistic account of her private life reminiscent of Joe Matt's 'Peepshow'. In 'Barbaraal', Barbara tells it all about loud music, sex, going out, drunkenness and fear of death. Stok was born in Groningen in 1970, and began her career as a journalist/reporter for the regional press. Since her student days, she has made monthly strips for the Groningen pop-cultural centre Vera.
Barbara started self-publishing her autobiographical 'Barbaraal' comix in 1996. In November, 1998, Barbara was in virtually all Dutch media when her comic book anthology 'Barbaraal Tot Op Het Bot' was published in traditional book format by the literary editor Nijgh & Van Ditmar. Since then, the publisher has released more collections, such as 'Je Geld of je Leven' (2003), 'Nu we hier toch zijn' (2005), 'Op Toer door Spanje' and 'Dan maak je maar zin' (2009).
Now a fulltime cartoonist and comic artist, she has worked for the VPRO, HP De Tijd, Rabobank and Algemeen Dagblad. Barbara also did a monthly one-page comic in the trendy young girl magazine, One. She is also a drummer in the band De Hockeyrockjes.
|
