Marieke Nijkamp was born and raised in the Netherlands. A lifelong student of stories, language, and ideas, she spends as much time in fictional worlds as she does the real world. She loves to travel, garden, roll dice, and daydream.

Sylvia Bi is a senior designer at Random House Children’s Books, working in the Random House Graphic imprint, and has previously worked on picture books at Dial Books for Young Readers. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Sylvia wants to introduce her audience to diverse, vibrant worlds through the power of a (digital) pen! In her spare time, you can catch her moonlighting as a freelance illustrator, expanding her collection of earrings, and consuming a terrifying number of fantasy novels. 

I had the opportunity to interview Marieke and Sylvia, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourselves?

Marieke: I’m Marieke Nijkamp (she/they), I’m the co-creator of Ink Girls and Clock Hands and the author of the Splinter & Ash trilogy, as well as many books, comics, and graphic novels for young adults and older readers.

Sylvia: I’m Sylvia Bi, the illustrator of Ink Girls and Clock Hands. I’m also a book designer by day, a lover of frogs, and a collector of funky earrings.

What can you tell us about your project, Clock Hands? What was the inspiration for it?

Marieke: Sylvia and I created Ink Girls together, which takes place in the same world, and features a printer’s apprentice fighting to get justice for her teacher, who was arrested for sedition. Creating that story together was such a joy, and the world felt so vibrant, that it only made sense to tell more stories set in Siannerra. Especially because there were sides of the city we hadn’t explored yet: In Ink Girls, Cinzia is a member of the city’s guilds. She belongs to the city and feels comfortable there. In Clock Hands, Vale doesn’t belong to the guilds, which means they don’t really get a fair shot at life in the city. They learn to stand up to the inequality of the system and demand a better future for themself and their community.

Sylvia: I was inspired by Marieke, haha! I already was familiar with Siannerra because of Ink Girls, but I loved how the world view shifted from more privileged guild workers to the guildless, which in turn inspired me to reconsider all the visual choices I’d previously made. That then took me down a rabbit hole of working-class clothing references, normal Italian architecture, and of course, clock towers. I really enjoyed Hugo when I read that book many years ago, so that was definitely a subtle inspiration.  

As a creative, what drew you to the art of storytelling, especially graphic novels/comics?

Marieke: I’ve always been a storyteller, for as long as I can remember. Stories are essential to me, and I’m always tinkering with some idea or other. Most of the time, that initial creation process is pretty solitary. Just me and my computer. One of the things that draws me to graphic novels and comics is that it’s incredibly collaborative. And I love that it’s a specific way of storytelling where I can play with text and subtext and visuals all at once. I fell in love with it from the moment I wrote my first script page. 

Sylvia: I’ve always loved reading and creating stories. As a kid in elementary school, I’d daydream fantasy worlds, magic powers, and epic battles for me and my friends during class. Then I started drawing them out! So many years later, graphic novels are still my favorite form of storytelling because the combination of art and text allows the creator to reiterate (or subvert) themes that otherwise are limited to just one medium. I also love the “WOW” factor that comes from seeing an epic scene drawn out, that made me fall in love with art as a kid.  

How would you describe your creative process? What was it like collaborating together?

Marieke: We’d already worked together on Ink Girls, and with Ink Girls, I’d written the script before Sylvia came on board, I only had an idea of what I hoped the world and story would look like (and let’s face it, Sylvia far surpassed my wildest dreams!). With Clock Hands, I knew what an amazing artist Sylvia is, so it was far easier to write the script with that in mind!

Sylvia: When I first read the script for Ink Girls and Clock Hands, I immediately loved Marieke’s rich worldbuilding and immersive descriptions. My creative process begins with sketching out characters in different poses and interactions, to get a feel for their character. Since Siannerra immediately felt like a real place, that made designing the main characters and settings very easy. I also appreciated how collaborative Marieke was – if I ever wanted to adjust panels or scenes for better visual flow, they were always open to it!

What are some of your favorite elements of writing/illustrating? What do you consider some of the most frustrating and/or difficult? 

Marieke: I love it when I’m just able to get lost in a story. When the words flow, and that’s my entire focus. It feels a bit like magic. On the flip side, when you get stuck on finding the right words or the right turn of phrase, sometimes that all grinds to a halt and you have to push to find the momentum again.

Sylvia: My favorite part AND the most difficult part of illustrating is the problem solving! It’s very frustrating when a page isn’t flowing the way it should, or there’s too much visual information and text on the same page. But when I finally make a breakthrough and solve the problem, it’s the best feeling ever. 

As a creative, who or what would you say are some of your greatest creative influences and/or sources of inspiration in general?

Marieke: People. The world. I’m just constantly curious about life, the universe, and everything, and that filters through into my stories.

Sylvia: Other forms of media really inspire me – especially when they verbalize things I’ve felt but can’t put into words. I respect and appreciate those kinds of stories, because they prove that not only are human experiences universal, but also if I push myself, I may be eloquent enough someday to inspire others in the same way.

Aside from your work, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

Marieke: In the warmer months of the year, when I’m not writing, I love tending to my vegetable garden. It started off small—just a few strawberry and tomato plants—and now it’s a pretty sizable patch of pretty much everything. It’s one of my favorite things, to be so close to nature, and if you’re at all curious if you could grow some berries or flowers or beans… definitely give it a try!

Sylvia: I LOVE collecting earrings. I’d estimate I have at least 80 pairs. My favorite kind to buy are handmade ones from small creators, and my current favorite earrings were made by Sophie Page, Hot Fluff, and rynoook.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but that you wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

Marieke: I mean, I’d love for someone to ask if they can turn this story into an animated movie 😉

Sylvia: I second Marieke’s question, and raise it… Animated movie duology!? 😉😉

What advice might you have to give for aspiring storytellers out there?

Marieke: Find the stories you’re most excited about and figure out the most you way to tell them. Because you’re the only one who can share your stories with the world and make them shine.

Sylvia: Tell stories because they mean something to you, and not because you want anything that comes along with being a writer/artist. Fame, money, more book deals are never guaranteed, so the most important thing is to have a story that you love and want to tell it simply because it matters to you. 

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

Marieke: I have two other middle grade projects coming out this year. Splinter & Ash: The Lost Crown, the third and final book in my Splinter & Ash trilogy, about two outsiders—a nonbinary squire and a disabled princess—saving their home together. And Boundless: 17 stories starring disabled kids, an anthology with, well, seventeen stories starring disabled kids, with all kickass authors.

Sylvia: I’m currently working on my own original standalone graphic novel! It’s in a very early stage, so I don’t have much to share, but I can say that it’s loosely inspired by Journey to the West.

Finally, what books/authors (LGBTQ+ or otherwise)  would you recommend to the readers of GeeksOUT? 

Marieke: I just read Victoria Zeller’s One of the Boys, a YA novel about a trans girl returning to her high school football team, and I absolutely loved it. What a fantastic book. I also just read Kate Wheeler’s Goat Magic and Trung Le Nguyen’s Angelica and the Bear Prince, both of which had their own kind of magic, and both of which I loved.

Sylvia: My current favorite read is Just Between Us, a YA lesbian figure skating graphic novel by Adeline Kon. If you’re a fan of figure skating, or good literature, I’d highly recommend. I also really enjoyed the Atana and the Firebird duology by Vivian Zhou, and Harper Sharp: Kid Detective by Jarrett Williams – two graphic novels with gorgeous art!