Years of the Elephant (

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

: ''Jaren van de olifant'') is a Flemish

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

Willy Linthout Willy Linthout (born 1 May 1953) is a Belgian comics author, best known for the ''Urbanus'' comics and his graphic novel '' Years of the Elephant''. Biography Willy Linthout was born in Eksaarde near Lokeren, Belgium in 1953. He was a mechanic ...

. Linthout was awarded the 2009

Bronzen Adhemar The ''Bronzen Adhemar'' (Dutch for "Brass Adhemar") is the official Flemish Community Cultural Prize for Comics, given to a Flemish comics author for his body of work. It is awarded by the Flemish Ministry of Culture during Strip Turnhout, the maj ...

for this work.

Synopsis

Published in 2009, the graphic novel is divided in eight parts, and tells about the death of Linthout's son by suicide. The main character is Karel, Linthout's alter ego, who has lost his son Wannes due to suicide and struggles with the grief. He and his wife go through very different grieving processes. The work has remarkable visual metaphors, conveying the author's distress during his own grieving process. The graphic novel was not colored, and Linthout chose not to ink the sketches. Asked about this in an interview with ''

Het Nieuwsblad ''Het Nieuwsblad'' (; en, The Newspaper) is a Flemish newspaper that mainly focusses on "a broad view" regarding politics, culture, economics, lifestyle, society and sports. History and profile In 1929, ''Het Nieuwsblad'' was published by ...

'', Linthout replied that also his son's life was unfinished. He added that he didn't want someone else to finish this comic.

Awards

The graphic novel series earned Linthout the 2009

. The work was also nominated for the

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

s for Best U.S. Edition of International Material and Best Writer/Artist-Nonfiction, the

Prix Saint-Michel The Prix Saint-Michel is a series of comic awards presented by the city of Brussels, with a focus on Franco-Belgian comics. They were first awarded in 1971, and although often said to be the oldest European comics awards, they are actually the sec ...

for best Dutch language comic, and the

Stripschapprijs The Stripschapprijs is a Dutch prize awarded to comic creators for their entire body of work. It is awarded annually by the ''Stripschap'', the Dutch Society of comics fans, since 1974. The prize is non-pecuniary, but is considered the most import ...

Album of the Year for part 1.

References

{{reflist 2009 graphic novels Belgian graphic novels Novels about suicide Works about suicide Autobiographical graphic novels