When I was 4, my aunt gifted me a set of Doonesbury comic books for Christmas. While I admit I used a few pages as a coloring book (I was in my orange period), I credit those as a significant inspiration throughout my childhood. I would create little comics for friends in high school and, in 2007, started my first webcomic.
From 2007 to 2012, over two webcomics and an illustrated cookbook I used my comics to experiment with layouts, formats, storytelling, and style. I may not have gained a big following in those years, but the experience was a tremendous period of growth for me.
Here are some of my favorite pages.
![](https://www.jennifervanderbeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2010-03-24.png)
![](https://www.jennifervanderbeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2010-02-03.png)
![](https://www.jennifervanderbeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2010-04-14.jpg)
![](https://www.jennifervanderbeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2009-05-07.png)
![](https://www.jennifervanderbeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2008-08-13.png)
![](https://www.jennifervanderbeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2009-06-09.png)
A couple pages from What to Feed Your Raiding Party, the comic book cookbook for gamers:
![](https://www.jennifervanderbeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/06boilwater-622x1024.jpg)
![](https://www.jennifervanderbeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/09onion-622x1024.jpg)
I was also fortunate to have some comics in editions of Satyr Magazine, by Main Enterprises:
![](https://www.jennifervanderbeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/rac_mixers6-724x1024.jpg)