Somebody excitingly exclaimed – Let’s make a zine about hairy tits! This could have been thrown away on a pile of other ideas which sound really amazing when you’re at a party drinking beer. But the next day we still thought it could be a fun thing to do, so we started collecting images of hairy tits, and printed them, very poorly, on the old offset machine of Sint Lucas in Gent.
The book was a success and soon enough the next edition followed. The dunken idea grew into a 6 members collective, quarterly illustration and comics anthology, countless comic festivals, exhibitions, talks and workshops, and many more one-o’clockinthemorning brainstorms. Becoming a collective was a push in the right direction – it allowed us to work on building a platform for ourselves, as well as other upcoming illustrators and comic artists we admire. It was (and still is) a great motivator for producing new material and for taking up the task of a publisher and editor as well as an artist. It gave us the environment (read – shared studio with a constant shortage of coffee) which is constructive and inspirational for us.
Although our styles and sensibilities are very much all over the place, we still enjoy working together and get excited about eachothers works.
Valentine writes and draws stories based on internal monologues, overheard bar conversation and embarrassing dreams. She likes to observe social interactions, that then get translated into short stories, with an added lizard tongue, third eye or magic powers. Jana is writing and painting about war, love, football (about which she knows nothing), computer games and iconography, pop culture of the 90’s, human nature and dubious scientific theories. And when she has nothing better to do, she plays with toy soldiers.
Alexander’s work is a patchwork quilt of sci fi, human behaviour, sex, violence, talking moose, cuss words and technology. In the morning he uses toothpaste, when the sun gets up he does too. Then he draws the ‘quiltt hing’ while keeping his body filled with water and some food. And in the evening, more toothpaste.
Past members of TMH include/ Mathilde Van Gheluwe, Nina Van Denbempt, Chiara Lammens and Nina Vandeweghe
