With 'The Fantastic Bus', Danish artist and author Jakob Martin Strid has created a work that redefines illustration as an art form. His images are both narratively and technically masterful - a total artwork of drawing, colour, and imagination. A wild, vibrant adventure about friendship, courage, and the power of imagination.
In bright, glowing colours, Strid tells the story of a group of animals who escape from a bleak neighbourhood to build an extraordinary vehicle and embark on a journey in search of the mythical land of Balanka.
His illustrations - a bold mix of watercolour, acrylic markers, pencil, and ink - combine artistic precision with visual power. Rich in detail, humour, and emotion, they draw readers directly into a world where imagination knows no bounds. Every page is filled with playful references, eccentric characters, and subtle observations. In his visual language, Strid connects to masters such as Bill Watterson, Charles Schulz, Astrid Lindgren, Tove Jansson, and Hayao Miyazaki, while continuing the Danish tradition of Storm P., Claus Deleuran, and Rune T. Kidde.
In conversation, Strid describes how the idea for 'The Fantastic Bus' first came to life about fifteen years ago - from a simple drawing of animals building a giant vehicle. “I thought: They’d better have a good reason for all that work. That’s when I came up with the idea of a sick child and a distant, magical place... I make no distinction between art and illustration. For me, both are forms of expression. The best creative solutions often come from limitation - strictness creates freedom.”
Interview with Jakob Martin Strids
When did you first think about The Fantastic Bus – and how long did you work on it? What came first: an image or the idea for the story? Jakob Martin Strid: I started about fifteen years before the publication in 2023 – at a time when I was a bit depressed. Of course, I didn’t work on it continuously for fifteen years; I made other books in between. I probably worked intensively on it for the last eight years or so. It all began with a drawing of animals building a huge bus. Then I thought: “They’d better have a good reason for all that work.” And so came the idea of a sick child and a faraway magical place where flowers have healing powers.
In the book it says: “No AI or digital painting tools were used in the making of this book. Everything by hand. Everything on paper.” Could you tell us more about the materials and tools you used? Jakob Martin Strid: I don’t even remember why I added that note about AI – it just felt good to make it clear. Regarding digital painting, I draw a line between digital painting and digital processing. The latter I do quite a bit of: all the drawings went through Photoshop for colour correction, page layout, and so on – but they were all drawn and painted by me. On all sorts of paper, using paint, pencils, brushes, felt-tip pens… By the way, many of the original drawings are currently on display at the Brandts Art Museum in Odense.
The jury described your tone as anarchic, humanistic, and anti-capitalist. Would you agree? And what would you like readers to take away from The Fantastic Bus? Jakob Martin Strid: Well, I’m not so sure about the “anti-capitalist” part. I think some people project their own opinions into it. Sure, the characters’ houses get demolished – but socialists did that too, didn’t they? I’m quite selfish and want to sell a lot of books and make even more money – which isn’t exactly anti-capitalist, is it? Tell me a country where you’d want to live and raise your children that isn’t capitalist – and be honest! Artists are often hypocrites – they pretend to be these politically correct saints, but in truth, they all want fame and fortune. So do I! Anyway, I can say that I try to do my work as honestly, as well, and with as much love as possible. And I think the book is about the fundamental longing for paradise that lies within all people – not about politics. (Of course, I’m not being entirely honest here either …)
About the Author Born in 1972, Jakob Martin Strid is one of Scandinavia’s most acclaimed children’s book authors. His best-known work, The Incredible Story of the Giant Pear, was even adapted into an animated film in 2017. Strid has received numerous awards for his work, including the Dan Turèll Prize, the Orla Prize, the Ministry of Culture’s Illustrator Award, and the Crown Prince Couple’s Culture Prize. In October 2024, he became the first Dane ever to receive the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize for The Fantastic Bus – a masterpiece that has already achieved cult status. Following its international success, the German edition was recently released by Verlag Antje Kunstmann.
Currently, the Brandts Museum of Art in Odense (Denmark) is showing around 70 original works from the book – on view until 26 April 2026. Some of the drawings span several metres, composed of multiple sheets of paper and entirely hand-made using watercolour, acrylic markers, pencil, and ink, with only minimal digital editing. www.brandts.dk
"The Fantastic Bus" by Jakob Martin Strid
Published by Verlag Antje Kunstmann