Jan Bosschaert

Jan Bosschaert (born 15 December 1957) is a Belgian comics artist, painter and illustrator, best known for the comic series Sam and Jaguar, and his illustrations for the books of Marc De Bel.

Biography

Jan Bosschaert was born in Borgerhout in Flanders in 1957.[1] He was raised in Wijnegem, close to the forest, in a house with a large garden.[2] He spend most of his free time drawing. He made his first comic when he was about 10, and continued in the next years with comics in different genres, ranging from Sherlock Holmes stories to his own version of Lucky Luke. One of his comics, about two senior scouts, he shows to established comics creator Eddy Ryssack, whose main advice is to make sure everything is well documented. He gets to know and love the work of André Franquin as well when he is 14, at a comics fair in Brussels.[2]

His puberty was a rather unhappy period, where Bosschaert withdrew into his own world and into music. He listened to artists like Tom Waits or Jackson Browne, but kept on drawing. When he was 18 years old, he goes on a visit to Pom, a comics author in Gazet Van Antwerpen. Seeing the poverty the author lives in is quite a shock, but it doesn't stop him of becoming an artist himself.[2]

When he studied at the Sint-Lukasinstituut, the Art Academy of Brussels, he learned of the work of illustrator Ever Meulen, a former student of the same school, which greatly influenced him. Another great influence is the discovery of Arzach, the textless comic by Moebius. Influences outside the world of comics come from the dominant styles of his youth, punk and new wave music.[1]

Bosschaert publishes his first work in (À Suivre), and produces his first published comic album in 1982 with Ikarus, but gets his first breakthrough with the satirical Pest in 't Paleis (Pest in the Palace), which appeared in HUMO in 1983. It's a parody of the Belgian royal family and politicians, and becomes a succès de scandale. But Bosschaert quit making comics and worked for the rest of the decade primarily as an illustrator for different magazines, including Playboy, and authors like Hugo Claus. His main illustrative work appeared first in publications of the Flemish television network VRT, and later in publications of publisher Altiora and popular children's book author Marc De Bel, whom he considers as a kindred spirit and an older brother.[2]

He also continued to make paintings, mainly female nudes and erotic works. Bosschaert is a purely figurative painter, who prefers clarity over concepts.[2]

His first longer running comic series started in 1990, with stories by Marc Legendre. Sam tells the adventures of an adolescent girl working in a small garage. The series came to a halt after 8 albums though, and translations are unsuccessful. While Bosschaert tried to limit his purely commercial work to a few jobs a year, he makes an exception for people he feels connected to. He created King Kong Kooks as a catalogue annex comic for fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck.[2]

More international recognition follows from 2001 on, when he collaboratored with comics author Jean Dufaux on Jaguar, a fantasy series published by Casterman and translated in French and Spanish. Local success in Flanders comes when he collaborates with comedian Urbanus on De Geverniste Vernepelingskes, a series which parodies famous Belgians, including the two authors.[1]

Bibliography

This bibliography contains only his comics, a list of his illustrations is not included.

Series Years Volumes Scenarist Editor
Icarus 1982 1 Jan Bosschaert Albino
Pest in't Paleis 1983 1 Guido Van Meir Kritak
Omni 1987 1 Plijnaar and Van Die Oberon
Walter & the King Kong Kooks 1989 1 Marc Legendre Dedalus
Sam 1990- 10 Marc Legendre Standaard Uitgeverij
De rode draad 1996 1 Jan Bosschaert Dedalus
De Geverniste Vernepelingskes 1998- 4 Urbanus Standaard Uitgeverij
Jaguar 2001- 4 Jean Dufaux Casterman
Zapman 2001 1 Jan Bosschaert Arcadia

Awards

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 De Weyer, Geert (2005). "Jan Bosschaert". In België gestript, pp. 93-95. Tielt: Lannoo.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Onraedt, Lieven (1996). "De grote Vlaamse tekenaars 5: Jan Bosschaert". Comic Events.

External links

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