De No-Goods

Type: Graphic novel

Language: Dutch

Dimension: Paperback 15 x 23 cm

De No-Goods is a story that I have been working on for the past seven years. The main reason behind this story is to challenge the lack of diverse racial representation in the public and entertainment landscape of Flanders (and later on also the entire country of Belgium) from a poetic point of view.

The concept of a 'No-Good' started in my college years, I would often use the term to describe situations of injustice/discomfort that I as a man of color would go through while growing up in Belgium. Over time, as my experiences in life grew so would my interpetation of a 'No-Good' until I gave it a final definition:

No-Good: An individual or small group of people that a society or community deems as not: good/ interesting/smart/talented/valuable/relevant or worthy enough to be positively represented in a greater public landscape (media, culture, entertainment, community pillar, etc.).

Example 1: A child of a specific nationality that does their best in school but is constantly put down by stereotypical ideas from their familiy, community & teachers. Which makes them lose the will to achieve.

Example 2: A woman that tries to build a career in a field dominated by men and goes through so much adversity as she is unjustly seen as inferior by her male counterparts.

Example 3: A person of color who was born with a different sexual identity and struggles to find their place in the world as both sides of their spectrum reject them for different reasons. 

There are many more examples of a 'No-Good' which have all been combined in a greater storyline that I have been conceptualising & redefining for quite a while now.

The entire storyline has been mapped out in 5 volumes. Each volume explores a specific theme and consists of 10 books, which makes the storyline consist of a total of 50 books.

One of the main elements that makes this story stand out is the constant references to pop-culture.  Each volume uses these references in a different way.

Hopefully you will enjoy the ride!