George Van Raemdonck
Encyclopedia
George Van Raemdonck was a Belgian comics
artist and painter, and is generally considered to be the first Flemish
comics author. He mainly worked for left-wing, socialist and anti-fascist magazines and newspapers, creating thousands of political cartoons.
, also was a talented draftsman
. His mother, who was French, died when George was still young. Because George van Raemdonck was gifted with some musical talent, he was sent to the conservatory to study the violin. At the same time, he started painting, and in 1903, aged fifteen, he entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where he was taught by Franz Courtens, and where he won the 1913 de Keyer's Prize. During those years, he already made illustrations for a number of novels and for the magazine Lange Wapper.
He left Antwerp to live in Zwijndrecht
on 29 July 1909. On 12 April 1913, he married Adriana Denissen, and their first daughter Pauline is born on 21 February 1914. His second daughter Anna was born on 22 February 1916.
Because of the First World War, he fled on 9 October 1914 with his wife and child to the Netherlands
, where he soon started drawing political cartoons for De Amsterdammer
. In 1920 he left De Amsterdammer to commence work at De Notenkraker, where he contributed until it folded in July 1936.
Dutch writer A. M. De Jong was impressed by his work and asked him at the end of 1917 to illustrate his juvenile novel Vacantiedagen. They soon became friends. In 1922, De Jong asked him to provide the drawings for the comic strip
Bulletje en Boonestaak
, which was published between 2 May 1922 and 17 November 1937 in Het Volk, the daily newspaper of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
, and in Voorwaarts. The comic strip is now considered as a classic, in part because of the daring artwork. The author and artist regularly added references to one another or cameos of each other in the strip. The comic strip was collected in books in Dutch, with at least 66 different editions so far, and has been translated in German in 1924 and in French in 1926.
They also created together the book Vrolike Vertelsels, with 62 drawings by van Raemdonck, written by De Jong with the pen name Frank van Waes. Another comic strip they cocreated was Appelsnoet en Goudbaard, published between 1925 and 1927 in the magazine Blue Band, a purely commercial publication by a butter producer.
On 12 November 1928, van Raemdonck moved back to Belgium and started painting again, but he continued his close collaboration with De Jong until the sudden death of De Jong during the Second World War, when he was assassinated on 18 October 1943 by Dutch SS
members. Apart from the comics, their most successful collaboration was the bookseries Merijntje Gijzen, which started in 1935 and was made into a film in 1936.
After the war, van Raemdonck started a long term collaboration with writer L. Roelandt (pen name of Jef Van Droogenbroeck), creating together the comic strips Tijl Uilenspiegel, appearing from 1964 on in Vooruit
, Smidje Smee and Robinson Crusoë. He lived his last years in Boechout
, where he died in 1966.
In his memory, every three years since 1986 a cartoon contest, the George van Raemdonck Kartoenale, is held in Belgium, with the 11th edition in 2008. A monument representing Bulletje en Boonestaak has been placed in Boechout, and a park in the same town has been named in his honour.
Belgian comics
Belgian comics are a distinct subgroup in the comics history, and played a major role in the development of European comics, alongside France with whom they share a long common history...
artist and painter, and is generally considered to be the first Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
comics author. He mainly worked for left-wing, socialist and anti-fascist magazines and newspapers, creating thousands of political cartoons.
Biography
George van Raemdonck was born in Antwerp in 1888. His father, who worked as a pharmacistPharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
, also was a talented draftsman
Draughtsman
A draughtsman or draftsman , is a person skilled in drawing, either:*drawing for artistic purposes, or*technical drawing for practical purposes such as architecture or engineering...
. His mother, who was French, died when George was still young. Because George van Raemdonck was gifted with some musical talent, he was sent to the conservatory to study the violin. At the same time, he started painting, and in 1903, aged fifteen, he entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where he was taught by Franz Courtens, and where he won the 1913 de Keyer's Prize. During those years, he already made illustrations for a number of novels and for the magazine Lange Wapper.
He left Antwerp to live in Zwijndrecht
Zwijndrecht, Belgium
Zwijndrecht is both a village and a municipality located in the Flemish province of Antwerp, in Belgium. As well as Zwijndrecht proper, the municipality includes the villages of Burcht. As of January 1, 2006, Zwijndrecht had a total population of 18,231....
on 29 July 1909. On 12 April 1913, he married Adriana Denissen, and their first daughter Pauline is born on 21 February 1914. His second daughter Anna was born on 22 February 1916.
Because of the First World War, he fled on 9 October 1914 with his wife and child to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where he soon started drawing political cartoons for De Amsterdammer
De Groene Amsterdammer
De Groene Amsterdammer is an independent Dutch weekly newsmagazine published in Amsterdam and distributed throughout the Netherlands. It is conventionally considered to be one of the four most influential written media in its sector, along with HP/De Tijd, Vrij Nederland and Elsevier.- History and...
. In 1920 he left De Amsterdammer to commence work at De Notenkraker, where he contributed until it folded in July 1936.
Dutch writer A. M. De Jong was impressed by his work and asked him at the end of 1917 to illustrate his juvenile novel Vacantiedagen. They soon became friends. In 1922, De Jong asked him to provide the drawings for the comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Bulletje en Boonestaak
Bulletje en Boonestaak
Bulletje en Boonestaak was one of the first very successful Dutch newspaper comic strips, the first Dutch comic moralists, and the first Dutch comic translated into other languages....
, which was published between 2 May 1922 and 17 November 1937 in Het Volk, the daily newspaper of the Social Democratic Workers' Party
Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands)
The Social Democratic Workers' Party was a Dutch socialist political party and a predecessor of the social-democratic PvdA.-1893-1904:...
, and in Voorwaarts. The comic strip is now considered as a classic, in part because of the daring artwork. The author and artist regularly added references to one another or cameos of each other in the strip. The comic strip was collected in books in Dutch, with at least 66 different editions so far, and has been translated in German in 1924 and in French in 1926.
They also created together the book Vrolike Vertelsels, with 62 drawings by van Raemdonck, written by De Jong with the pen name Frank van Waes. Another comic strip they cocreated was Appelsnoet en Goudbaard, published between 1925 and 1927 in the magazine Blue Band, a purely commercial publication by a butter producer.
On 12 November 1928, van Raemdonck moved back to Belgium and started painting again, but he continued his close collaboration with De Jong until the sudden death of De Jong during the Second World War, when he was assassinated on 18 October 1943 by Dutch SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
members. Apart from the comics, their most successful collaboration was the bookseries Merijntje Gijzen, which started in 1935 and was made into a film in 1936.
After the war, van Raemdonck started a long term collaboration with writer L. Roelandt (pen name of Jef Van Droogenbroeck), creating together the comic strips Tijl Uilenspiegel, appearing from 1964 on in Vooruit
De Morgen
De Morgen is a Flemish newspaper with a circulation of 53,860. It originates from a merger in 1978 of two socialist newspapers Vooruit and Volksgazet ....
, Smidje Smee and Robinson Crusoë. He lived his last years in Boechout
Boechout
Boechout is a municipality of Belgium located in the Flemish province of Antwerp.The municipality comprises the towns of Boechout proper and Vremde. On January 1, 2006 Boechout had a total population of 12,090. The total area is 20.66 km² which gives a population density of 585 inhabitants per...
, where he died in 1966.
In his memory, every three years since 1986 a cartoon contest, the George van Raemdonck Kartoenale, is held in Belgium, with the 11th edition in 2008. A monument representing Bulletje en Boonestaak has been placed in Boechout, and a park in the same town has been named in his honour.