'Jorik + Jakkals' (November 2016).
Daniël du Plessis is a South African designer, illustrator, cartoonist and artist, as well as a part-time comic art and illustration lecturer at the Open Window School of Visual Communication. Since 2009, he regularly makes comic pages for the Sunday newspaper Rapport, including his 'Jorik + Jakkals' feature (2016- ). The comic artist Daniël du Plessis should not be confused with the painter Daniel du Plessis (b. 1953), who is also from South Africa, but resides in the USA.
Early life and education
Daniël du Plessis studied graphic design at the Tshwane University of Technology and obtained his BTech cum laude in 2002. He furthered his studies at the University of Stellenbosch and received his Master’s degree cum laude in 2006. The focus of his Master’s thesis was on analysing the evolution of popular culture in general, with specific focus on South African visual narratives.
'Space Dust' (Africa Comics, 2002).
Academic work
Daniël du Plessis has facilitated design and fine art projects on a freelance basis at the University of Stellenbosch, the Open Window School of Visual Communication, the Inscape Design College, the Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Pretoria. He has also facilitated fourth year graphic design students at the Department of Visual Arts of the University of Pretoria as a study leader. From 2008 to mid-2014, he was a core member of the lecturing staff at the Design School of Southern Africa, with a specific focus on illustration and cultural studies.
'Vyftig Skakerings Van Grys' (Rapport, July 2012).
Graphic design and comics
Du Plessis has working experience in book design, including layout, typography, illustration, image manipulation and preparing publications for print. His clients include publishing houses such as Protea, Macmillan, Clever Books, Lapa, Tafelberg and Juta. Illustration work by Du Plessis has appeared in Garth Walker's graphic design magazine iJusi. Since 2001, his comics have appeared in local and international publications, including several editions of Bitterkomix magazine by Anton Kannemeyer and Conrad Botes and the 2006 'The Laugh it Off Annual'.
'Jorik + Jakkals' (26 November 2017).
Du Plessis was also represented in the 2002 and 2003 editions of the Italian 'Africa Comics' anthology by Edizioni Lai-momo and the 2005 'BD Africa' anthology of the French publishing house Albin Michel. Working with Pieter Hugo, Reta Smit and other writers between 2009 and 2015, Du Plessis regularly created satirical comic pages with literary references for Rapport, a South African Sunday newspaper. Since 2016, Du Plessis creates the weekly social commentary strip 'Jorik+Jakkals', starring a boy and his dog, for the Sunday backcover of Rapport.
Recognition
In 2010, Du Plessis won a prize in the Fumetto Comic Competition in Lucerne, Switzerland, with his comic story 'The Naked Ape'. His artwork has been showcased in both local and international group exhibitions.
Artwork for the children's book 'Virus' by Jaco Jacobs (Lapa, 2011).