Ytje Veenstra
LightNews LightNews
banner
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Ytje Veenstra
@ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
170 followers 300 following 83 posts
Bright Light, Desert City: a webcomic about my trip to Tucson AZ in 2022. Pages published intermittently. Currently working on part 3: Life in the Catalina Foothills https://www.ytje.org/
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Ytje Veenstra @ytjeveenstra.bsky.social · Aug 30
Hi I'm Ytje. After a 24 yr career of being a professional illustrator, I'm now focusing on my own art projects exclusively. Currently I'm working on a webcomic called Bright Light, Desert City 🏜, based on a month long stay in Tucson, AZ, in 2022. Read it for free on my website!
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Preview of page 15, I retreat to the back yard to read the paper. You can read the full story I've drawn so far on www.ytje.org.
A comic panel depicting a man with long hair and a beard reading a book in the upper right corner. In the panel below, the same man is seen from a different pov, now with a woman next to him. They're surrounded by a garden of desert plants. Text: " I take a cup of coffee outside to drink while I read the paper. Misha's already there, reading a book."
December 18, 2025 at 7:59 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Het Houtfestival in #haarlem is een toegankelijk, verbindend evenement voor iedereen, jong en oud. Lokaal, met waardevolle samenwerkingen binnen het Haarlemse culturele veld. Zonde als dat na 40 jaar verdwijnt!
www.haarlemsdagblad.nl/regio/haarle...
Einde van Houtfestival lijkt in zicht, gemeente Haarlem trekt subsidie in
Het veertigjarige Houtfestival verliest vanaf komend jaar de subsidie die het evenement al tientallen jaren van de gemeente Haarlem krijgt. Dat is de uitkomst van de verdeling die een nieuwe onafhankelijke evenementencommissie heeft gemaakt. Het Houtfestivalbestuur en diverse politieke partijen zijn in alle staten. „Ik ben verbijsterd”, aldus voorzitter Renske Leijten.
www.haarlemsdagblad.nl
December 11, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Reposted by Ytje Veenstra
moreperfectunion.bsky.social
Tucson residents fought back against Amazon’s secretive plans to build a data center in the desert — and won.

But now, in a blatant attempt to override the City Council and the will of the people, Amazon and the project’s developer is pushing ahead anyway.
December 2, 2025 at 7:45 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
I can't recommend Bandcamp enough! bandcamp.com

www.avclub.com/spotify-stan...
Spotify stands by ICE recruitment ads despite artist backlash
Spotify stands by ICE recruitment ads despite artist backlash
www.avclub.com
December 2, 2025 at 6:29 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Page 14! I'm working dilligently toward more things I encountered in Tucson/ Catalina Foothills.

Contractors delivering papers rely on holiday tipping to supplement their wage. Working a job like this to make ends meet is a reality for a lot of Americans. It's not uncommon to work 2 or 3 jobs.
A comic page with different panels depicting the job of someone delivering papers. Text: This is why contractors rely on holiday tipping. Working a job like this to make ends meet is a reality for a lot of Americans. It's not uncommon to work two or three jobs.
November 23, 2025 at 7:06 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Delivering papers in Tucson includes practically a night shift, seven days a week with almost no time off. You can read the full page on my website, www.ytje.org.
Delivering papers in Tucson includes practically a night shift, seven days a week with almost no time off. Image are 3 comic panels: upper right a screen door though which a car is visible, delivering a paper. The second panel shows a road with cars on it and a gas station. The bottom frame is a woman, putting gas in her car. Text: They work as independent contractors. They drive their own vehicles and pay for gas, maintenance. When you subtract those expenses, you're left with pay below minimum wage.
November 6, 2025 at 9:34 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Page 12 of 'Life in the Catalina Foothills' is the start of some insight about what it entails to deliver papers in Tucson, Arizona. Believe you me, it ain't a cakewalk.
October 17, 2025 at 11:25 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Waking up to good news: a new Pynchon book!
pfbvan.bsky.social Pulpfiction Books @pfbvan.bsky.social · Oct 7
On sale @ both PFBs tomorrow (Tue 7th) at opening. Special orders available for pick-up at the same time.

I live semi-nearish; anyone who wants to pick up from Main Street at 12:01am is welcome to DM ***before 9pm*** & if there is any interest I'll walk over & briefly reopen the shop.
October 7, 2025 at 4:58 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Mornin'. New page of Life in the Catalina Foothills is up on my on my website! The mischievous Chihuahua PETAL is caught, thanks to good ol' Luz. Read it on www.ytje.org 🏜
A man tipping his hat, saying 'Mornin''.
October 3, 2025 at 8:33 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Analogue studio: sketching with pencil, while leafing through books on photography and magazines. Like it's 1995.
October 1, 2025 at 2:53 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
I got back from a trip to #Hamburg and now's the time to start seriously working on a series about subways. Strike the iron while it's hot.
Pencil drawing of an urban area surrounding & beneath Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, Germany.
September 12, 2025 at 1:16 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Hi I'm Ytje. After a 24 yr career of being a professional illustrator, I'm now focusing on my own art projects exclusively. Currently I'm working on a webcomic called Bright Light, Desert City 🏜, based on a month long stay in Tucson, AZ, in 2022. Read it for free on my website!
August 30, 2025 at 9:15 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
PETAL!!!!!!!!!!!!
#chihuahua
August 29, 2025 at 1:25 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Peculiar mailboxes adorn the roadside in the Catalina Foothills. Here's a snippet of page 9 of "Bright Light, Desert City - Life in the Catalina Foothills". Read the full story of a European in the US: www.ytje.org.
#roadside #catalinafoothills #mailbox #soithwestusa #webcomic #drawing #journey
At the top of the frame is a street corner, with houses particular to the Southwest of the USA, they have architecturally Spanish influences. Below, on the left, is a panel with an angularly designed mailboxes. In the middle, bottom, the top of a woman' s head, wearing a visor, is visible. Text: "I keep seeing these brown metal things, are they some kind of mailbox?" " Yes they are. The mailboxes are combined with a light pole".
August 23, 2025 at 9:36 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
People retreat inside, when it grows hotter in the Catalina Foothills. Workers persist through the rising temperatures.

Read the story on my website ytje.org. This is part 3 of my webcomic Bright Light, Desert City 🏜

#Tucson #southwestusa #comic #drawing #gardener #builder #catalinafoothills
Two panels of a comic, detail of a larger page. The top panel shows part of a pickup truck with tools in the back. The lower panel show a man walking out of frame with a wheelbarrow. Overlayed on these two panels is a gardener, holding a shovel, with palm tree leaves in the right top corner.
August 7, 2025 at 5:26 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Here's a preview of page 7 of my comic 'Life in the Catalina Foothills'.
I'm taking more time to work on pages, which pays off, I feel. I'm also working on the cover for part 2 'Hello Tucson'. Read the story on www.ytje.org.

#catalinafoothills #tucson #comic #lineart #drawing #journey
Two images: the top ons shows a dog jumping at a car, being held back by a leash. The bottom one shows a hand that waves at an oncoming car. Text: Luz has a tendency to jump at cars. The custom here is to wave at cars. It signals you're from here, or that you're meant to be here.
July 31, 2025 at 6:13 AM
Reposted by Ytje Veenstra
davidho.bsky.social
The first planned migration of an entire country due to climate change is happening! Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation, is at risk of being submerged under rising sea level, so it has signed an agreement with Australia to allow 280 Tuvaluans to settle in Australia as permanent residents each year.
The First Planned Migration of an Entire Country Is Underway
The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu could be submerged in 25 years due to rising sea levels, so a plan is being implemented to relocate its population to Australia.
www.wired.com
July 26, 2025 at 10:20 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Thank you for your service! Een tijdlijn is nodig om de totale gish gallop te blijven duiden.
locuta.bsky.social Kirsten Verdel @locuta.bsky.social · Jul 16
Als er nog iemand een gesigneerde versie van mijn boek over Trump wil: meld je dan snel anders gaat het lang duren ivm de vakantie. ;) DM voor info!
July 16, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Reposted by Ytje Veenstra
bvdschot.bsky.social
food distribution #gaza #israel @volkskrant.nl
July 1, 2025 at 8:01 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
"We've already established that the neighborhood has no sidewalks. It's entirely car centric."

A preview of 6 of Life in the Catalina Foothills. Read it on my website.

#catalinafoothills #carcentric #dogwalking
#arizona #dividedhighway
A road, divided by plants and trees, with a 'divided highway' sign in front of it. A woman, seen from the back, is walking her dog. In the foreground on the right, a woman in profile, wearing sunglasses and a visor. At the top of the image, there's a car and two houses.
June 27, 2025 at 5:59 AM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Here's a detail of page 5 of my comic Life in the Catalina Foothills, part 3 of Bright Light, Desert City. I'll be posting pages to my website on more of an intermittent basis. I'll be able to give the pages more attention, visually.
#comic #webcomic #arizona #tucson #foothills #walking #dog
A dog on a leash, seen from behind. It looks out on porch stairs and a lawn.
June 18, 2025 at 6:49 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
De enige goeie parade is dat theaterfestival in Amsterdam.
robdewijk.bsky.social Rob de Wijk @robdewijk.bsky.social · Jun 14
Dictators gebruiken parades om hun macht aan de rest van de wereld te tonen. Trump, als president van een afglijdende democratie doet dat nu ook: What to expect from US Army celebrations
Trump military parade: What to expect from US Army celebrations - BBC News
The US military is rolling into Washington DC for a rare public display of strength to celebrate the army’s 250th anniversary. What can we expect to see?
www.bbc.co.uk
June 14, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Reposted by Ytje Veenstra
elianneke.bsky.social
A subtle button. For everybody to wear during this whole sordid election campaign. #shame #politics #scapegoat #elections #racism #xenophobia #ultraright #decency #civilization #whitesupremists #geertwilders #vvd #disgusting
June 10, 2025 at 7:42 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Ik heb deze maar eens uit de kast getrokken. Nu ga ik 'm echt uit lezen.
June 1, 2025 at 1:44 PM
ytjeveenstra.bsky.social
Page 4 of Life in the Catalina Foothills, part 3 of Bright Light, Desert City 🌵 read the ongoing story on my website!

#webcomic #arizona #morning #breakfast #dog
A comics drawing preview with two panels overlapping a background drawing. The background drawing shows a table with an almost eten breakfast on a plate, a steaming cup of tea, a vase with flowers, standing on a thickly woven tablecloth. Chairs surround the table, a cat is sitting on one of them peeking over the table. A garden is visible through the window. The left panel shows a dog being petter. The panel on the richt displays a woman stepping into the room through sliding glass doors. Text:"Hi Luz!", "Good morning!"
May 31, 2025 at 11:34 AM