Jan Bosschaert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Bosschaert
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| Born | 15 December 1957 |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Occupation | comics artist, painter, illustrator |
Jan Bosschaert (born 15 December 1957) is a talented Belgian comics artist, painter, and illustrator. He is well-known for creating the comic series Sam and Jaguar. He also drew many pictures for the popular children's books by Marc De Bel.
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Jan Bosschaert's Early Life and Art Journey
Jan Bosschaert was born in Borgerhout, Flanders, in 1957. He grew up in Wijnegem, near a forest, in a house with a big garden. He spent most of his free time drawing. When he was about 10, he made his first comic. He continued making comics in different styles, from Sherlock Holmes stories to his own version of Lucky Luke.
He once showed a comic about two senior scouts to a famous comic creator, Eddy Ryssack. Ryssack told him to always make sure his work was well-researched. When he was 14, he discovered the work of André Franquin at a comic fair in Brussels, which he loved.
During his teenage years, Bosschaert found comfort in his own world and in music. He listened to artists like Tom Waits and Jackson Browne. But he never stopped drawing. At 18, he visited the comic author Pom. Seeing how Pom lived made a strong impression on him. Still, it did not stop him from wanting to become an artist himself.
Artistic Influences and First Works
While studying at the Sint-Lukasinstituut, an Art Academy in Brussels, Bosschaert found inspiration in the work of Ever Meulen. Meulen was a former student of the same school. Another big influence was Arzach, a comic without words by Moebius. Outside of comics, the music styles of his youth, punk and new wave music, also shaped his art.
Bosschaert's first published work appeared in a magazine called À Suivre. In 1982, he released his first comic album, Ikarus. His big breakthrough came in 1983 with Pest in 't Paleis (Pest in the Palace). This was a comic strip that made fun of politics, published in HUMO magazine.
He also created many illustrations for the Flemish TV network VRT. Later, he worked for the publisher Altiora and with the popular children's book author Marc De Bel. Bosschaert felt a strong connection with Marc De Bel, seeing him like an older brother. Bosschaert is a painter who focuses on clear, realistic pictures rather than abstract ideas.
Developing Comic Series and Collaborations
In 1990, Bosschaert started his first long-running comic series, Sam, with stories by Marc Legendre. Sam is about the adventures of a teenage girl who works in a small garage. The series stopped after 8 albums, and translations into other languages were not very successful.
Even though Bosschaert tried to limit his commercial work, he made exceptions for people he felt close to. For example, he created King Kong Kooks as a comic and catalog for fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck.
From 2001 onwards, he gained more international fame. He worked with comic author Jean Dufaux on Jaguar. This was a fantasy series published by Casterman and translated into French and Spanish. He also became very popular in Flanders by working with comedian Urbanus. They created De Geverniste Vernepelingskes, a series that playfully makes fun of famous Belgians, including themselves!
Bosschaert has also designed album covers for music artists. These include The Paranoiacs, Pitti Polak, Plastic Bertrand, and Jan De Wilde.
Awards and Recognition
Jan Bosschaert has received several important awards for his work:
