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ABOUT
MIK

MIK maikel verkoelen online comic creator motion comic creater StudioMIK MIKBook.nl MIKBook

Robbing banks in the middle of the day. Jumping over deep ravines with a car while a truck explodes in the background! I was 6 years old and I had the police chasing me early on... in my imagination, of course.

 

I spent hours on the carpet playing with my toys. In my fantasy; image, sound and music were all connected. Later this turned into drawing and a fascination for all kinds of music. I made a first version of MIKbooks in Flash around the age of 20. Unfortunately, the internet was not yet ready for 30 MB of data. And so I continued to draw. With my favorite music on, in the background. ​

 

The fascination remained. The technique improved. And now 20 years later, digital illustration is easier than ever. The internet grew fast and since HTML5 it is finally possible to bring all my passions together. Comics with experience. Sound. Music and gameplay. ​ As an illustrator I am always looking for new challenges and creativity is a big part of that. Creating interactive comics opens up a world of possibilities. It's new. It is exciting. And I believe, a great addition to the ever-growing world of comics!

MIK cartoon drawing thinking about MIKBook motion comics interactive comics interactieve strips

MIK lives and works in Nijmegen, together with his girl and their dog Bo. On the edge of a beautiful park. You see him there more often, daydreaming and humming, working on ever new stories.

 

Mostly by bike, because pollution is a real thing. And healthy for his diabetes. ​ Born and raised in the always beautiful Limburg, loving a good beer. Which in turn is not that good for his Diabetes. He graduated Design in Sittard, meanwhile knocked on the door for a 6-week internship with illustrator Wout Paulussen, after which he quickly found a job at an advertising agency. And especially found what he didn't want to do. ​ After 3 years of designing, he made the decision to started as a freelancer under the name StudioMIK. Moved to Breda and worked as a postman on his illustrative career. There he provided a series of greeting cards for a publisher for several years, until e-cards took over the world. A move to Nijmegen followed and so he ended up in a studio with big names such as Wilfred Ottenheijm, Remco Polman and Mark Retera where, with glowing red ears, he secretly learned a lot about making comics. ​

 

Today, MIK draws in many different places for various clientele. ​And every now and then he grabs a car, plays with the LEGO and imagines himself in a car chase, jumping over ravines and exploding trucks... ​

 

Those interactive comics?

They are here to stay!

 

MIK

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  • ​The first steps to MIKBook would not have been possible without the help of:
     

  • Joep Dooper - HTML advice

  • Mark Stoetzer - Javascript

  • Tim Smit - Storyguide

  • Bart van den Weerd - Sound Recordings
     

  • Patrick Klein - Javascripts

  • Daan van Kaauwen - HTML / WIX guidance

  • Irada Delsink - Voice overs
     

  • Gijs Jacobs

  • Gerard Schoth

  • Yildiz Gies

  • Anne Stalinski

  • Mieke Driessen

  • Daniel Arruda Massa

  • Norbert Vermeer

  • DrawUp.nl

     

  • ...and ofcourse my girl Brechje!

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