A little back story: I began studying German several years ago, and in an effort to improve my ear, started cruising the interweb searching for German-language podcasts that might help. The first one I discovered, in fact my first podcast experience of any kind, turned out to be a brand new effort by a young woman in Munich named Annik Rubens: Schlaflos in Muenchen.

She was so charming, funny and (thank goodness) clear-spoken that I sent her a fan letter, she responded, and a long-distance friendship was born. This illustrated graphic was simply a gesture of gratitude for the countless hours of entertainment (and education!) she provided.

In the intervening years the podcast has made Annik famous; she’s one of the best known internet personalities in the German-speaking world. And the graphic I created — featuring her beloved cat Tiger and Munich’s famous Frauenkirche — still sits atop her blog, enjoyed by thousands.