Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
) is a Dutch comic strip, created by
Marten Toonder
Marten Toonder (2 May 1912 – 27 July 2005) was a Dutch comic strip creator, born in Rotterdam. He was probably the most successful comic artist in the Netherlands and had a great influence on the Dutch language by introducing new words and expr ...
Kapitein Rob
''Kapitein Rob'' ("Captain Rob") was a Dutch adventure comic strip, created and drawn by Pieter Kuhn and written by journalist Evert Werkman. The series ran from December 11, 1945 until January 21, 1966. Together with Marten Toonder's '' Tom ...
'' it is regarded as the Big Three of
Dutch comics
Dutch comics are comics made in the Netherlands. In Dutch the most common designation for the whole art form is "strip" (short for "stripverhaal" – "strip story" – , though the old-fashioned expression "beeldverhaal" – "picture ...
.
''Tom Poes'' was a
talking animal
A talking animal or speaking animal is any non-human animal that can produce sounds or gestures resembling those of a human language. Several species or groups of animals have developed forms of communication which superficially resemble verbal ...
comic, published in
text comics
Text comics or a text comic is a form of comics where the stories are told in captions below the images and without the use of speech balloons. It is the oldest form of comics and was especially dominant in European comics from the 19th century ...
cat
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
, and his best friend, lord Oliver B. Bumble (''Olivier B. Bommel'' in Dutch). The series is sometimes referred to as the ''Bommelsaga'' as well. Toonder received many awards and honorary distinctions for both his illustrations and literary output. In the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
''Tom Poes'' became regarded as a work of
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
.
Origins
In 1931 Marten Toonder was in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, Argentina, where he met Jim Davis, a former assistant of Pat Sullivan and
Otto Messmer
Otto James Messmer (August 16, 1892 – October 28, 1983) was an American animator known for his work on the Felix the Cat cartoons and comic strip produced by the Pat Sullivan studio.
The extent of Messmer's role in the creation and populari ...
, creators of
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat is a cartoon character created in 1919 by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer during the silent film era. An anthropomorphic black cat with white eyes, a black body, and a giant grin, he was one of the most recognized cartoon characte ...
, who taught him some lessons in drawing comics.
On March 16, 1941, the first ''Tom Poes'' comic, ''Het Geheim der Blauwe Aarde'' ("The Secret of the Blue Earth") was published in the newspaper '' De Telegraaf'', written and drawn by Toonder, replacing the Mickey Mouse comic in 1941. Tom Poes himself was already created in July 1939.
The name of the character is a pun on the Dutch
pastry
Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" sugges ...
"
tompouce
A tompoes or tompouce is a pastry in The Netherlands. It is the local variety of the mille-feuille or Napoleon, introduced by an Amsterdam pastry baker and named after Admiraal Tom Pouce, the stage name of the Frisian dwarf Jan Hannema.
Custom ...
" and was thought up by Toonder's wife,
Phiny Dick
Afine Kornélie Dik, better known as Phiny Dick (14 September 1912 - 7 August 1990) was a Dutch illustrator and writer of children's books and comics. She was the wife of Marten Toonder from 1935 until her death.
Biography
Afine Dik was born in ...
. On December 18 of that same year the series was published in the two-weekly Czech magazine ''Punta''. After the war the stories were published in '' NRC Handelsblad'', '' De Volkskrant'', ''Ons Vrij Nederland'', ''Revue'' and ''Donald Duck''. In daily newspapers ''Tom Poes'' was published as a text comic, like most Dutch comics at the time. In the weekly magazines it was published in balloon format.
''Tom Poes'' features many anthropomorphic characters who are satirical representations of animal stereotypes, though some human characters like gnomes and wizards exist too. The series is set in a
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
world of an undetermined age. Some elements are modern, like cars and television sets, others are more reminiscent of older centuries.
''Tom Poes'' was originally a children's comic, but as the stories progressed they aimed at a more adult audience by introducing satirical elements and eccentric use of language. Several of Toonder's words and expressions became
neologism
A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...
s in the Dutch language. In 1954 Toonder became member of the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde ("Society of Dutch literature") and by the time the story ''De Bovenbazen'' (''The Upper Bosses'') was published he was regarded as a creator of genuine quality
literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
. ''Tom Poes'' is still the only comic strip in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
to have gained such a reputation among the intelligentsia.
The success of the series spread to many merchandising products, including theatrical plays and a comics magazine. Toonder founded his own studio and collected several talented artists to assist him with the drawing of ''Tom Poes'', while he still wrote the stories. Among these were
Lo Hartog van Banda
Lodewijk Hartog van Banda (4 November 1916, in The Hague – 2 February 2006, in The Hague) was a Dutch comics writer.Piet Wijn and
Dick Matena
Dick Matena (born 24 April 1943) is a Dutch comics writer and cartoonist. He has also published under the pseudonyms A. den Dooier, John Kelly and Dick Richards. He has made several kinds of comics, from humor comics to erotic comics, but is bes ...
. From the time Toonder settled down in Ireland in 1965 to the end of ''Tom Poes'' in 1986, Toonder reportedly drew ''Tom Poes'' almost singlehandedly, having grown weary of running a large studio.
The series was also translated and published in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
* Tom Puss: A young white cat. He is clever, brave and remains calm in all circumstances. He frequently throws in a critical "Hm!" during conversations with his noble friend.
* Oliver B. Bumble: A brown bear who is a
lord
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
who lives in a castle. Olivier often brags about himself, but in reality he is not very bright and panics whenever actual work has to be done or danger is about. Several of his
catch phrases
A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
have entered the Dutch language, such as "Als je begrijpt wat ik bedoel" ("If you gather my meaning"), "Een eenvoudige, doch voedzame maaltijd" ("A simple, yet nourishing meal") and "Verzin toch een list!" ("Think up a ploy!")
Supporting characters
Dutch names.
* Joost: A white
Labrador
, nickname = "The Big Land"
, etymology =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Canada
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 ...
who serves as Bommel's loyal butler. His catchphrases are: "Met uw welnemen" ("If you allow me") and: "Het is allemaal zeer betreurenswaardig" ("It's all very regrettable"). In several adventures, he quits, but at the end of every adventure he is back at his post, serving dinner.
* Annemarie Doddeltje: A small cat who is Bommel's girlfriend and in full awe and concern about him. They marry in the final story.
* Querulijn Xaverius Marquis de Canteclaer van Barneveldt: A
rooster
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
who is Bommel's neighbour. He is a marquis who often uses French and Latin expressions and writes poems. De Canteclaer is very vain and looks down on all his fellow men, especially on Bommel whom he regards as below his league, and not belonging to the
nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...
like him. His name is a reference to Chanticleer and to Barneveld, a Dutch town famous for its poultry.
* Wammes Waggel: A naïve
goose
A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and '' Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the ...
who can't take a thing seriously and just enjoys life as he goes along. He never understands what is going on around him, despite how serious the matter often is. His catchphrase is "Hihi, wat enigjes" ("Teehee, how nicely")
* Officer Bulle Bas: A bull dog who is head of the police. He is prone to aggression and very suspicious. Usually he tries to arrest Bommel and others even though he hardly has any evidence. "Altijd dezelfde" ("Always the same person") and "Wat is je naam, Bommel?" ("What is your name, Bommel?") are some of his standard phrases.
* Brigadier Snuf: A dog who is the right hand of Officer Bulle Bas.
* Bul Super and Hiep Hieper: Two dogs who are crooks. Bul is a bull dog who acts as the boss of the duo. Hieper is a smaller white dog who admires his boss, but is often too panicky to actually take initiative himself.
* Mayor Dirk Dickerdack: A
hippopotamus
The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...
who is mayor of Rommeldam, the characters' home town. He is more concerned about his town than individuals and considers himself above the law.
* Dorknoper: A
hamster
Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 19 species classified in seven genera.Fox, Sue. 2006. ''Hamsters''. T.F.H. Publications Inc. They have become established as popular small pets. The ...
who works as a civil servant for Mayor Dickerdack. He is very punctual and always wants to do everything according to local law.
* Professor Zbygniew Prlwytzkofsky: One of the few recurring human characters. He is a professor with a long beard who often mixes Dutch and German words in his speech. "Praw! Der hemeldonderweder!" are words that come from his mouth.
* Doctorandus Alexander Pieps: A mouse who serves as Prlwytzkofsky's assistant. He often sighs that he'd rather have studied for a different job.
* Captain Wal Rus: A
walrus
The walrus (''Odobenus rosmarus'') is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the fami ...
who is a sea captain. He looks down upon everyone who isn't a sailor like him and calls them "overgehaalde landrotten" ("distorted land lubbers"). He always mispronounces Bommel's name.
* Professor Dr. Joachim Sickbock: A
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
who is one of the major antagonists. He is a
mad scientist
The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or " insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly a ...
.
* Terpen Tijn: One of the few recurring human characters. He is an egotistical painter who uses esoteric language to describe the magic of his art as "subtle vibrations" (Dutch: fijne trillingen), criticizing the rude materialist views of mr. Bumble, which does not prevent him from accepting his money and meals.
* Amos W. Steinhacker: A
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...
who is a money obsessed businessman who prefers to be addressed using his initials AWS ("Don’t call me Steinhacker! I’m not a poor schmuck!")
* Steenbreek: A dog who serves as Steinhacker's secretary.
* Garmt Grootgrut: A
sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...
who serves as the local
grocer
A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, a ...
. Whenever something happens to his shop he complains how "hardworking shopkeepers are always the victim." His name became an eponym in the Dutch language: "grootgrutter", used for big store owners.
* Drs. Okke Zielknijper: A
llama
The llama (; ) (''Lama glama'') is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era.
Llamas are social animals and live with others as a herd. Their wool is soft ...
who works as a psychiatrist, patronizing his patients using social worker gibberish ("I often saw this in my practice") or having them locked up in a padded cell by his gorilla assistant.
* O. Fanth Mzn: An
elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...
who serves as publisher and chief editor of the local newspaper.
* Argus: A sensation seeking rat who works as a journalist for O. Fanth Mzn. He is a cousin of Alexander Pieps.
* Kwetal: A gnome. His Dutch name can be read als "'k Weet al" (= "I know everything") - but he is a very modest person. In the adventures, it becomes clear that he really knows a lot, but he uses terms and expressions that are not used in the scientific world, and part of his knowledge is about ancient forces and mysteries. He admires modern inventions, but sometimes does not clearly understand why they are useful.
* Pee Pastinakel: Another gnome. He is the gardener of the woods. He is equipped with some form of synaesthesia, as in observing: "This smells red!" in a dangerous situation.
* Hocus P. Pas: An evil wizard who is one of the few human characters in the series. He is accompanied by (and can transform himself into) a crow-like bird. He curses his opponents using names of ancient demons: "By Zazel and Iod! Serpents on your path!" He is always on the search for extension of his life by extracting life energy from his victims, using black magic.
* Pastuiven Verkwil: A rat who works as a
button
A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole.
In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, o ...
salesman. He often tries to start a fight for matters he presumes to be injustice, including his own small height.
* Joris Goedbloed: A sly fox who is a
con-artist
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers have ...
. He is also a recurring character in Toonder's other series ''
Panda
The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes use ...
''.
* Zedekia Zwederkoorn: A rat who is a lawyer or rather a bibacious pettifogger.
Film adaptation
In 1983 an animated film based on the comics was released: ''
The Dragon That Wasn't (Or Was He?)
'' The Dragon That Wasn't (Or Was He?) '' ( nl, Als je begrijpt wat ik bedoel, literally: ''If you know what I mean'') is a 1983 Dutch film written and directed by Harrie Geelen, Bjørn Frank Jensen and Bert Kroon. Based on the comic strip ...
''.
Radio adaptation
From 2007 to 2010 ''Tom Poes'' was adapted into a series of
audio play
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...
s broadcast on the Dutch radio channels
NPO Radio 6
NPO Radio 2 Soul & Jazz is a digital radio station from Netherlands Public Broadcasting (NPO).
It launched as NPO Radio 6 on 4 September 2006, when it took over from the Concertzender (now operating independently), its musical format is mainl ...
,
NPO Radio 6
NPO Radio 2 Soul & Jazz is a digital radio station from Netherlands Public Broadcasting (NPO).
It launched as NPO Radio 6 on 4 September 2006, when it took over from the Concertzender (now operating independently), its musical format is mainl ...
and
NPO Radio 1
NPO Radio 1 is a public-service radio channel in the Netherlands, broadcasting mainly news and sport. It is part of the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system, NPO.
History
The channel originated in 1947 as "Hilversum 2", and transmitted using ...
.
Monument
On July 12, 2002, a six-meter public monument was built in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...
, honoring several characters from the franchise. It was designed by D.J. Chantelle, Pepijn van den Nieuwendijk, Hans van Bentem and Luuk Bode.
Sources
{{Reflist
External links
Toondertijd Dutch website for collectors of ''Tom Puss'' stories (and others by Marten Toonder)