For many couples, getting pregnant is a long and difficult journey. Tel Aviv artist Yehuda Adi Devir decided to chronicle his journey (along with his wife Maya, of course) of conceiving their first child in the way he knows best — by drawing it.
His eight-strip comic series is funny, poignant, and touching, starting from the couple’s desire to have a child all the way to finally getting that positive pregnancy test.
“We had been trying to conceive for about a year,” said Devir. “While doing so, we’ve realized that a family of our own is the biggest creation we can hope for. The hardest part was at the end of each month when Maya used to have her period.
Continuously dealing with a lack of success makes you feel as if you aren’t in control of your life. It’s a terrible feeling. However, we’ve been together for such a long time that our friendship and love seem so strong, it feels like we can achieve everything if we work together. Challenges make us stronger.”
Devir’s series starts out with showing the couple sitting together on a park bench, watching a happy young mother cradling her baby.
Devir himself looks on with a slight smile, seeming a little wistful. His wife’s reaction to the baby, on the other hand, is a little over the top — she’s clutching his arm and mimicking rocking an infant … while drooling with excitement.
The series chronicles all the hoops couples struggling to conceive jump through. The second panel depicts the couple embarking on a military operation entitled “Operation Ovulation”. Their calendar reads “NO SURRENDER!”
The couple’s awkward attempts at seduction, their frustration with their lack of success (Maya Devir’s period is depicted as Nicholson’s “The Shining” character), and their desperate experimentation with nutrition are all depicted in the series.
But it’s the last panel that will get anyone emotional.
It shows Devir and his wife embracing and crying happy tears as Maya Devir clutches a pregnancy test with two red lines — a positive.
Maya Devir posted the final panel on her Instagram account on Dec. 20. Her caption read simply, “We’re pregnant!”
Congratulations immediately flooded in from well-wishers all over social media.
“I’ve never been so happy for 2 wonderful people I’ve never met!” wrote Facebook user Kristin Cantrell. “Wishing you a wonderfully happy and healthy journey!”
Yehuda and Maya Devir are both comic artists.
They have been a couple for more than 10 years. Together they created the web series “One of Those Days”, a depiction of different aspects of married life. The series is popular on Facebook, Instagram, and elsewhere on social media.
“It all started when we moved to Tel Aviv and were looking for an apartment,” said Devir. “Maya suggested that I make a fun illustration asking for our friends’ help to find a nice place (it’s very hard in Tel Aviv).”
The Devirs both studied visual communication at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem.
They now live and work in Tel Aviv.
Devir is a huge fan of the Marvel comics and has long seen himself as a comic artist. Maya, on the other hand, was a realist artist before her husband shared his love of comics. They have now published two comic books together and have garnered 3 million Instagram followers. They regularly travel to Comic-Con conventions around the globe.
The couple’s creative process is complex and requires a lot of collaboration.
“Our first rule is that our illustrations will be based on a true moment that happened to us,” said Devir. “This way the illustration is the most authentic. The working process is me and Maya together. Usually, after something interesting for illustration happens to us, we tighten the concept and do a few composition sketches (by hand or on the computer). After that, I sit down and start working. When I finish, Maya adds her suggestions for improvement (color, typography. and so on).”
Their comics are frequently posted on Facebook and Instagram, depicting funny or meaningful moments in their marriage. Most of the comics are of everyday moments that most married couples will probably recognize. They include navigating household chores together, awkward sleeping arrangements, and trying to diet.
Now, fans of “One of Those Days” are looking forward to seeing new comics come out — this time depicting the Devirs’ journey through pregnancy, delivery, and starting out as new parents. As for the artist couple, they are sure to find amazing ways to chronicle the newest chapter of their lives.
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