Barbara Stok's biggest work to date, a 300 page comic called De Filosoof, de Hond en de Bruiloft (The Philosopher, the Dog, and the Wedding), is a celebration of life's simple values both ancient and modern society seems to have forgotten in part by largely ignoring the practical preaches of a Greek Cynic called Crates alias The Dog and his wife Hipparchia. Instead, we value the capitalism of stuff. That reminds me, I still need to buy a few Game Boy carts off eBay, just a sec...

*Goes off to press BUY NOW in another browser tab*

OK, where was I? Right---no stuff, all fluff, that's why you need to buy Barbara Stok's book, initially published in Dutch but translated into English in 2022. Crates the philosopher gave away his possessions and wealth---and supposedly threw a lot of gold in the sea---to live a much simpler life, truer to genuine human nature. One of his later students, Zeno, eventually founded Stoicism, but Crates himself could be called a Cynic.

Cynics believed that the goal in life was to reach eudaimonia, a clear mental state that is hard to translate and often compared with modern happiness or human flourishing. To do that, one has to unify oneself with nature (Physis). Cynics renounced wealth, fame, and power and openly criticizes society's laws and customs that we too often take for granted. To live in virtue is to agree with nature, which can only be done by leading a simple life and casting off all possessions. Diogenes is probably the most well-known Cynic that took this to the extreme by living in a giant ceramic jar in the streets and chasing away Alexander the Great because he blocked Diogenes' sunlight.

In Crates' era, women were considered inferior to men. They shouldn't and needn't learn let alone philosophize; and instead expect to learn how to weave and cook to be a good wife and be able to take care of the family's chores, while the people that mattered---the men---had time to learn, argue, and drink. But for Hipparchia---who was about to be married off to forge relationships between powerful families without taking any feelings of the bride and groom into account---philosophy and the question of how to live a good live did interest her. In fact, it enamored her, and she eventually found a way to attend Crates' teachings by disguising as a man. Crates openly questioned habits and customs, such as the way women and slaves are treated or why to live a life in luxury if you cannot be truly free.

In Barbara's comic, we follow Hipparchia's brooding interest in philosophy, up to the point that she runs from her family and ends up marrying Crates. What I especially appreciated is the thorough research that was put into the work. In the afterword, Barbara openly writes about her own struggles to find the meaning in life after she found out she couldn't have kids. Through her band's drummer, she got into contact with philosophy, followed a few courses, and eventually discovered Stoicism, which helped her cope with many rough setbacks in life.

Barbara visited Maroneia where Hipparchia was born and retraced her steps. Every line of text coming out of Crates' mouth is based on texts found in ancient philosophical work and carefully chosen based on various translations. And yet, The Philosopher, the Dog, and the Wedding as a comic is super accessible, even for the rebellious whatevah-teenagers or philosophy-averse grownups. Most panels and page spreads contain less text than your average comic and yet still manage to evoke the nagging feeling of doubt: what should I be doing with my life? Shouldn't I question the decisions that are being made for me? How can I reach eudaimonia?

If you like atmospheric comics and don't mind the light philosophical seasoning, please give Barbara's comic a read.