Simon Petersen

Background

About Simon Petersen

The thing that gets me up in the morning is the opportunity to draw, to work with comics. In my childhood home there was a great selection of classics: TinTin, Lucky Luke, Asterix. Browsing at the local library (no, I did not have many friends, how did you guess) I came across the work of Robert Crumb, but also French alternative and 'subversive' comics. This was mind-blowing to me, but also made me more alienated from the small town culture. Later in life, as I moved to Copenhagen, I was able to find like-minded souls and started putting out zines and working together. Fast-forward to now, where I'm published by Eudor and Afart, two Danish publishers. My work was put out in the US for a number of years by the New York based Pronto Comics. My own life is the inspiration for my art, such as being the lead singer in a garage punk band, or working with at-risk-youth at a huge school. I've been working as a teacher since 2003, but I got my certificate in 2009. I've worked at many different schools, but since 2009 I have been teaching Danish and English at KVUC. I currently work at Esbjerg International school, teaching Danish as a second language. As an experienced school teacher, I’ve spent years working with teenagers, understanding their world, understanding their perspectives, and their ever-evolving mindsets. This has allowed me to create relevant learning experiences that resonate with them. My background as an illustrator, author, and creator of graphic novels has been an asset in the classroom. Visual storytelling bridges 'gaps' in understanding and makes abstract concepts more 'real'. By integrating my drawing skills into teaching, I’ve developed dynamic methods to explain complex ideas, encourage self-expression, and build connections. I also do professional illustrations and graphic facilitation for meetings etc.