Kplx

@kplx.art

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Illustrator working old-school with pencil and ink, Space Cop Diary, Inkfriday + Urban Sketches

Headspace Astronaut Cover
An astronaut stands on a ladder, painting a white wall black with a paint roller. The black paint transforms into a star-filled outer space. A tipped-over paint bucket has spilled a large puddle across the floor, and the spill also resembles the universe, filled with stars.
New Kplx Book Headspace, Astronaut Cover
Six-panel comic featuring two flies. One fly asks, “Are you planning to work today?” The fly lying on the ground replies, “I’m letting my Default Mode Network do its thing. Sometimes you have to do nothing to get the best ideas. I’m waiting for a Eureka moment.” In the next three panels, the fly remains lying motionless on the ground. Finally, the other fly returns and asks, “You’re just lazy, right?” The fly on the ground replies, “Eureka.”
Ink and sepia illustration of a seated astronaut performing a facepalm, covering the visor with one gloved hand in apparent frustration. The figure is set against a dark outer space background with faint stars and planetary forms. An ornate plaque in the foreground bears the handwritten caption: “I’VE SEEN ENOUGH FOR TODAY.”
Hand-drawn A4 ink illustration of an astronaut sitting on rocks, looking toward a crashed planet reminiscent of Saturn.
Urban Sketch Aachen Suermondtplatz 9.7.26
Two-panel black-and-white comic featuring two flies. The first panel reads: “Life’s too short to worry about the little stuff.” One fly replies, “Yes, I know.” In the second panel, titled “Later,” the same fly sits alone, thinking: “…Should I wake up at 6:35 or 6:36?”
Comic titled “Reminder: Slow Down.” One fly says to another, “Did you hear that? We should slow down.” It then lists its efforts: “There are podcasts about slowing down,” “I bought books about slowing down,” “I’m following influencers on slowing down,” and “I asked AI about slowing down.” Finally, it asks, “And you?” In the last panel, the other fly is lying calmly on the ground and replies, “I was just lying here.” The first fly responds, “Well, damn.”
Four-panel ink comic featuring flies. One fly sits at a laptop and says, “…Just the background. It needs this exact color!” Another fly replies, “That’s enough.” In the second panel, the first fly says, “No, just this one color here… and this…”, and the other responds, “You need to stop!” In the third panel, the fly shouts, “Nooooooo” while being dragged away from the laptop. In the final panel, it says in a support group, “…and that’s when I realized I had LPPS*.” Footnote: “*Lost in PowerPoint Syndrome”.
A4 ink illustration in black and sepia: An astronaut sits on a small asteroid in space, quietly reading a book. The left side of the composition is dominated by dark, high-contrast ink washes and splatters, while the right side dissolves into abstract grids, lines, and glitch-like structures. Faint celestial bodies and geometric forms appear in the background.
Urban Sketch in Aachen, City, Regenschirmdamen, 2.7.26
DE: Tuschezeichnung auf A4. Ein Astronaut liegt entspannt auf einem Surfbrett und gleitet durch den dunklen Weltraum. Um ihn herum leuchten einzelne Sterne vor tiefschwarzem Hintergrund. Oben links steht handschriftlich der Text: „Sorry I couldn’t take your calls while I was doing this.“ EN: A4 Ink Drawing. An astronaut lounges on a surfboard, drifting peacefully through deep space. Small stars sparkle against a vast black background. In the upper left corner, handwritten text reads: “Sorry I couldn’t take your calls while I was doing this.”
DE: Tuschezeichnung auf A4: Ein Astronaut springt von einem Sprungbrett in ein Schwimmbecken, das mit dem Universum statt mit Wasser gefüllt ist. EN: Ink drawing on A4 paper: An astronaut dives from a springboard into a swimming pool filled with outer space instead of water.
DE (ALT-Text) Eine Tuschezeichnung im Hochformat zeigt einen Astronauten, der aus einem Holzschuppen tritt. Er ist noch von schwarzem Nebel mit Sternen umgeben, als wäre er gerade aus dem Universum gekommen. EN (ALT Text) A4 Ink illustration shows an astronaut stepping out of a wooden shed. They are still surrounded by black, star-filled mist, as if they had just emerged from the universe.
DE: Schwarz-weiße Tuschezeichnung vor einem dunklen Weltraumhintergrund. Links oben steht handgeschriebener Text: „You need this“, „You need that“ und „What I need:“. Rechts schwebt ein Astronaut entspannt in einer Hängematte und liest ein Buch. EN: Black-and-white ink illustration on a dark space background. Handwritten text in the upper left reads: “You need this”, “You need that”, and “What I need:”. On the right, an astronaut relaxes in a hammock while reading a book.
DE: Tuschezeichnung eines Astronauten im Weltraum neben einem riesigen Loch im Universum, dessen Rand wie zerbrochenes Glas wirkt. Der Astronaut funkt: „I broke the universe, send duct tape!“. EN: Ink illustration of an astronaut floating in space beside a giant hole in the universe with edges resembling shattered glass. The astronaut radios: “I broke the universe, send duct tape!”.
DE (ALT-Text): Eine Tuschezeichnung in Schwarz und Sepia zeigt einen Astronauten, der auf einem aufblasbaren Flamingo sitzt und ein Buch liest. Der Flamingo treibt durch den dunklen Weltraum, während helle, wirbelnde Spuren aus Sternenstaub hinter ihm herziehen und an Wellen erinnern. EN (ALT Text): An ink illustration in black and sepia shows an astronaut sitting on an inflatable flamingo while reading a book. The flamingo drifts through deep space, leaving bright swirling trails of stardust behind it that resemble waves.
A black and white multi panel comic shows a lone astronaut floating in the vast emptiness of space while holding up a phone. In the first panel, the astronaut says, “Yes, Mum, I do have friends.” With each following panel, the view zooms farther out until the astronaut becomes a tiny speck surrounded by darkness. In the final panel, a tiny speech bubble adds, “…somewhere?”
ALT-Text (Deutsch) Tuschezeichnung in schwarzer und sepiafarbener Tusche: Ein Astronaut surft auf einem Surfbrett durch den Weltraum und hinterlässt eine Spur aus Sternenstaub. ALT-Text (English) Ink drawing in black and sepia ink depicting an astronaut surfing on a surfboard through outer space, leaving behind a trail of stardust.

An A4 ink illustration depicts an astronaut sitting on a small asteroid while quietly reading a book. The almost black expanse of space is dotted with tiny stars and subtle structures and clouds in black and sepia ink, creating a calm and contemplative mood.
Black and sepia ink drawing on A4 paper of an astronaut seated in a comfortable chair inside a rounded space habitat or observatory. Seen from behind, the astronaut looks through a large circular window into outer space, where stars and a distant planetary horizon are visible. Curved bookshelves filled with books line the walls around the window, creating a quiet, library-like atmosphere. A steaming mug sits on a small side table, and the astronaut’s helmet rests on the floor nearby.
Black and sepia ink comic of a lone astronaut on a rocky world beneath a starry sky. After declaring, “Today, the universe gets all I can give,” the astronaut spends the day reading and resting, ending in a wide, quiet view that highlights the stillness of space.
An A4 pencil drawing depicting a monumental coffee machine as a gigantic temple from a dramatic worm's eye view. Fresh coffee steams into a cup beneath the spouts while countless tiny flies climb the wide staircase, gather on the steps, chat, or sip coffee. Clouds of coffee steam drift through the scene, with mountains and clouds filling the background.
DE:
Schwarz-sepiafarbene Tuschzeichnung im A4-Format: Eine detailreiche Iris mit Sternen und einem kleinen schwebenden Astronauten. EN:
Black and sepia ink drawing on A4 paper featuring a detailed iris with stars and a tiny floating astronaut.
Ink and sepia illustration of a seated astronaut performing a facepalm, covering the visor with one gloved hand in apparent frustration. The figure is set against a dark outer space background with faint stars and planetary forms. An ornate plaque in the foreground bears the handwritten caption: “I’VE SEEN ENOUGH FOR TODAY.”
Close-up of an astronaut in a spacesuit, rendered as a high-contrast ink illustration in black and sepia on a white background. The large visor reflects abstract highlights and dark cosmic textures, while fine ink splatters and expressive linework create a dynamic, sketch-like appearance.
A black and sepia ink comic of an astronaut floating through space. The first panel reads, “Today I will not overthink.” The following panels split the sentence “By drifting in the art of not thinking at all.” across multiple frames. The final panel shows the tiny astronaut silently drifting in the vast universe.
A high contrast A4 ink illustration depicts a lone astronaut standing in a barren, otherworldly landscape before the gigantic skull of an unknown creature. Black and sepia ink, splatters, and loose brushwork create a dark and mysterious atmosphere beneath a star filled sky.
ALT-Text (DE):
Nahaufnahme eines Astronauten in einem Raumanzug, als kontrastreiche Tuschezeichnung in Schwarz und Sepia auf weißem Hintergrund. Das große Visier spiegelt abstrakte Lichtflächen und dunkle kosmische Strukturen wider, während feine Spritzer und lockere Linien dem Bild eine dynamische, skizzenhafte Wirkung verleihen. ALT-Text (EN):
Close-up of an astronaut in a spacesuit, rendered as a high-contrast ink illustration in black and sepia on a white background. The large visor reflects abstract highlights and dark cosmic textures, while fine ink splatters and expressive linework create a dynamic, sketch-like appearance.
A4 ink illustration in black and sepia: An astronaut is skipping rope against a deep black outer space background. A stylized heartbeat line stretches behind the figure, while a large moon or planet appears on the right.
A4 comic page created in black and sepia ink. In the first panel, an astronaut thinks, “I need some space.” In the next panel, he puts on his helmet. He then slowly leans forward and falls. Upon impact, he breaks through the ground, which opens into a dark cosmic void. The large lower panel depicts the astronaut multiple times as he drifts through a star-filled universe surrounded by black and sepia ink washes and nebula-like textures. In the final moment, he sits quietly on a rock at the bottom right, gazing into space.
Ink illustration in black and sepia tones showing an astronaut holding a human brain toward the viewer in space. A banner below reads: "We would be very grateful if you at least tried to use it."
An A4 ink drawing showing an astronaut sitting on a rocky landscape beneath a star-filled sky. The heading reads “ME AFTER SOCIALIZING FOR A DAY” and the astronaut thinks, “THIS IS NICE. I THINK I'LL JUST STAY HERE.”
DE (ALT-Text):
Tuschezeichnung eines Astronauten, der auf einem Planeten vor einem riesigen Fußabdruck steht. EN (ALT Text):
Ink drawing of an astronaut standing on a planet before a giant footprint.
Ink drawing on A4 paper of an astronaut drifting through space toward a gigantic hamburger. The caption reads: “All dreams have meaning. My dreams:”.
DE (Alt-Text):
Schwarz-weiße Tuschezeichnung eines halbierten Smiley-Gesichts. Die linke Hälfte zeigt ein einfaches lächelndes Emoji, während die rechte Hälfte zu einem verwitterten Totenschädel zerfällt. Der Hintergrund ist tiefschwarz mit weißen, gitterartigen Linien. EN (Alt Text):
Black-and-white ink illustration of a split smiley face. The left half shows a simple smiling emoji, while the right half has decayed into a weathered human skull. The background is solid black with white grid-like lines.
Sketchbook drawing of a fly artist surrounded by ink splatters and sketchy lines. Handwritten text above the illustration reads: “The more AI-slop images I see, the more I appreciate ink splatters landing precisely where they shouldn’t.”
Arthur: “Ugh… this planet is so boring.” Pip: “Today’s Earth news.” (Arthur reads.) Arthur: “This planet is so boring… and I love every second of it.” Pip: “Works every time.”
Two flies stand together. The smaller fly asks, “Do things like superpowers exist?” The larger fly replies, “Not being an asshole is a kind of superpower.”
DE Tuschezeichnung auf A4 in Schwarz und Sepia. Eine geheimnisvolle Gestalt in einem dunklen Mantel hält dem Betrachter ein großes Reagenzglas entgegen. Im Glas schweben eine Galaxie, Sterne und ein kleiner Astronaut. In der anderen Hand hält die Figur weitere Ampullen mit Miniatur-Universen. EN A4 ink drawing in black and sepia. A mysterious figure wearing a dark coat holds a large test tube toward the viewer. Inside are a galaxy, stars, and a tiny astronaut floating in space. The figure’s other hand holds additional vials containing miniature universes.
DE Tuschezeichnung auf A4 in Schwarz und Sepia. Eine geheimnisvolle Gestalt in einem dunklen Mantel hält dem Betrachter ein großes Reagenzglas entgegen. Im Glas schweben eine Galaxie, Sterne und ein kleiner Astronaut. In der anderen Hand hält die Figur weitere Ampullen mit Miniatur-Universen. EN A4 ink drawing in black and sepia. A mysterious figure wearing a dark coat holds a large test tube toward the viewer. Inside are a galaxy, stars, and a tiny astronaut floating in space. The figure’s other hand holds additional vials containing miniature universes.
Black-and-white illustration of a classic espresso machine overgrown with plants, leaves, and moss, yet still making coffee. In front of the machine, two small flies stand on a spoon. The left fly explains “A coffee machine, if left uncleaned long enough, first becomes disgusting … and then beautiful.” Minimal background, hand-drawn ink on A4 paper.
Eine Tuschezeichnung zeigt einen Wurm im Raumanzug mit Jetpack. Darunter steht in großen Buchstaben „CIAO KAKAO“.
Aus dem Buch Hoch die Hände Wochenende, drei Würmer mit dem Dialog „Haben wir am Thema vorbeigearbeitet?“ „Haben wir ein Thema?“ „Haben wir gearbeitet?“
DE: Alt-Text: Schwarz-sepiafarbene Tuschezeichnung eines Astronauten, der durch den Weltraum auf eine schwebende Baustellenabsperrung mit der Aufschrift „UNDER CONSTRUCTION“ zutreibt. Hinter der Absperrung sind Leere und verstreute Tuschespritzer zu sehen. EN: Alt text: Black and sepia ink illustration of an astronaut drifting through space toward a floating construction barrier labeled “UNDER CONSTRUCTION.” Beyond the barrier, only empty space and scattered ink splatters can be seen.
Three-panel black-and-white comic. Panel 1: A character holds up a sketchbook and says: “I HAVE THIS NEW SKETCHBOOK, AND I WILL USE IT!” Panel 2: While drawing, they confidently write: “I’M DRAWING THIS COMIC LIKE A TRUE PROFESION” and immediately respond: “DAMN.” Panel 3: The character says: “THAT’S IT. I NEED A NEW SKETCHBOOK.” An off-panel voice asks: “AGAIN, HONEY?”
Sketchbook Comic Person 1: I’m addicted to my phone. Person 2: I’m addicted to my sketchbook. Person 1: And what do you sketch? Person 2: People. Person 1: What do the people say when you’re sketching them? Person 2: I’ll show you the people. -> people, all glued to their phones
ALT-Text (DE): Schwarz-weißer Comic mit dem Titel „Finding Ideas“. Links sitzt eine Fliege entspannt in einem Sessel und sammelt Ideen mit der Überschrift "How it should look". Rechts steht dieselbe Fliege gestresst an einem Schreibtisch, umgeben von kreativem Chaos mit der Überschrift "How it actually looks" ALT-Text (EN): Black-and-white Comic titled “Finding Ideas.” On the left "How it should look", a fly relaxes in an armchair while coming up with ideas. On the right "How it actually looks", the same fly stands at a desk, overwhelmed by creative chaos.
Three-panel black-and-white comic titled “Algorithm.” In the first panel, a fly presents a picture to a robot and says, “Here, I made this and I’m very proud of it.” In the second panel, the robot looks at the picture and replies, “It’s nice, but today I prefer AI sloppy cats.” In the third panel, the picture lies ignored on the floor. The fly stands sadly beside it while the robot looks away indifferently and says “LOL.”
Black-and-white four-panel comic featuring a fly-like artist. In the first panel, the character proudly holds up a drawing and thinks, “This is my greatest masterpiece.” In the second panel, several flies react with indifference, saying “Meh,” “Seen better,” and “Okay.” In the third panel, the artist presents another drawing with lowered confidence, thinking, “Probably not good enough, the next will be better.” In the final panel, a crowd of flies enthusiastically celebrates the artwork. An airplane pulls a banner reading “This is genius!” while other flies shout “Best art in the universe!”, “Awesome!”, and “Made my day!”
DE (Alt-Text) Tuschezeichnung mit schwarzer und Sepia-Tusche. In einem gemütlichen Raum stehen ein Ohrensessel mit übergeworfener Decke sowie ein kleiner Tisch mit mehreren Büchern und einer dampfenden Tasse. Ein Astronaut zieht einen Vorhang zur Seite und eröffnet den Blick auf einen sternenklaren Weltraum. Zwischen den Sternen sind ein Planet und angedeutete geometrische Strukturen zu erkennen. EN (Alt Text) Ink drawing created with black and sepia ink. A cozy room features a wingback chair with a draped blanket and a small table holding a stack of books and a steaming cup. An astronaut pulls aside a curtain, revealing a star-filled outer space beyond. A distant planet and faint geometric structures appear among the stars.
“Two-panel black-and-white comic. In the top panel, two flies drawn as cartoon characters stand next to each other, one explaining: ‘Being productive isn’t hard. You just have to eat the frog. It’s a well-known productivity rule…’ The bottom panel shows a gigantic, monstrous frog towering between destroyed skyscrapers. The frog is as large as the buildings, with the two flies standing tiny in front of it. Above the monster is the title ‘THE FROG’.”
Comic Page of Space Cop Diary Episode 10, Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space here to include the full dialogue. Full ALT-Text on kplx.art.
Space Cop Diary Episode 10, TD-5200-AIR and the thoughts „Breaks don’t solve problems, but they give you energy to ignore them gracefully.“
DE: Schwarzweiße Tuschezeichnung auf A4: Eine geöffnete Streichholzschachtel schwebt vor schwarzem Hintergrund. Im Inneren der Schachtel befindet sich das Universum mit Sternen, Planeten und Galaxien. Auf dem Rand der halb geöffneten Schachtel sitzt ein kleiner Astronaut und blickt in den Weltraum hinein. Auf der Schachtel steht „THE UNIVERSE“. EN: Black-and-white ink drawing on A4 paper: An open matchbox floats against a black background. Inside the box is the universe filled with stars, planets, and galaxies. A small astronaut sits on the edge of the half-opened box, looking into space. The words “THE UNIVERSE” are written on the box.
Urban Sketch, Ink on A4, Rimburg / Landgraaf NL, Cafe D’r Eck
DE: Dreiteiliger Tusche-Comic in einem Sketchbook. Panel 1: Eine kleine Fliege denkt: „I should stay more up to date with what’s happening in the world.“ Panel 2: Die Fliege schaut auf ihr Smartphone. Panel 3: Die Fliege denkt: „I should stay less up to date with what’s happening in the world.“ EN: Three-panel ink comic drawn in a sketchbook. Panel 1: A small fly thinks: “I should stay more up to date with what’s happening in the world.” Panel 2: The fly looks at its smartphone. Panel 3: The fly thinks: “I should stay less up to date with what’s happening in the world.”
A four-panel black-and-white comic, hand-drawn with ink in a sketchbook. Panel 1: A fly enters a store and asks the shopkeeper behind the counter: "Oh, what kind of shop is this?". Panel 2: The shopkeeper replies: "Art supplies. You know, ink, pens…". Panel 3: The shopkeeper continues ("…sketchbooks…"), looking up in awe himself as he adds: "Oh, wow." Panel 4: In front of packed shelves, the customer stands next to a completely overfilled shopping cart and says: "I'm gonna need a bigger cart."
DE: Minimalistische Tuschezeichnung mit dem handschriftlichen Schriftzug „I’m fine“. Darunter sitzt ein kleiner Wurm auf dem letzten dünnen Faden einer fast vollständig gerissenen Kordel. Die Enden der Kordel sind links und rechts ausgefranst. EN: Minimalist ink drawing featuring the handwritten phrase “I’m fine.” Beneath the text sits a small worm on the last thin thread of an almost completely snapped cord. The ends of the cord are frayed on both sides.