Jean Dulieu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jan van Oort |
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Jean Dulieu (1962)
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| Born | 13 April 1921 Amsterdam |
| Died | 29 November 2006 (aged 85) Arnhem |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Area(s) | Writer, cartoonist |
| Pseudonym(s) | Jean Dulieu |
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Notable works
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Paulus the woodgnome |
| Awards | Best Children's book 1962, Edison, Stripschapsprijs |
| www.paulusarchief.nl | |
Jan van Oort (born April 13, 1921, in Amsterdam; died November 29, 2006, in Arnhem) was a Dutch writer and cartoonist. He wrote books and drew comic strips for children. He was best known by his pen name, Jean Dulieu. His most famous creation was Paulus the woodgnome.
Contents
Who Was Jan van Oort?
Early Life and Talents
Jan van Oort was born in Amsterdam on April 13, 1921. His father, Hendrik C. van Oort, was a concert singer. His grandfather, Johan Braakensiek, was a political cartoonist. Jan loved music and was also very creative. He enjoyed drawing and making puppets.
He studied the violin at a conservatory and finished his studies in 1940. After that, he became a violinist with the famous Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
How Paulus the Woodgnome Began
During the Dutch famine of 1944, the orchestra stopped playing. This gave Jan van Oort more time to draw. He was living in Soest at the time. He drew twelve different gnome designs. He asked his wife, Kitty Sijmons, to pick her favorite.
He then developed that favorite design into a full character for a children's book. He named this new character Paulus.
Becoming a Full-Time Cartoonist
Soon after World War II, Jan van Oort and his family moved to Terschelling. A year later, he left the orchestra. He wanted to work full-time on comic strips, even though he hadn't studied art.
He stopped his career as a cartoonist in 1984 when he was 63 years old. Jan van Oort passed away in 2006 in Arnhem at the age of 85. His daughter, Dorinde van Oort, later wrote a book about her family. In her book, she called her father Lepel Mansborg.
Paulus the Woodgnome: Books and Comics
Paulus in Newspapers
Paulus the woodgnome first appeared in the daily newspaper Het Vrije Volk in 1946. Jan van Oort used the name Jean Dulieu as his pen name. This name was a French translation of his own name. He used it to protect his reputation as a violinist in case his cartooning didn't work out.
Over the years, Jan van Oort created about 3600 comic strips for this newspaper.
Paulus Children's Books
In 1948, the first illustrated Paulus children's books were published. These included Paulus the deputy Sinterklaas and the Paulus winterbook. The winterbook even had colorful pictures.
More books followed over the years, such as Paulus and Eucalypta, Paulus and the dragon, and Paulus and Skipper Mackarel. In 1964, he published his most famous work, Paulus and the acorn men. This book had many color illustrations and explored the theme of death.
Many of Dulieu's books were translated into other languages. These included English, German, South-African, Japanese, and Swedish.
Paulus in Other Media
Radio and Television
From 1955 to 1964, Paulus the woodgnome was a popular radio show. Jan van Oort did all the voices himself! The only exception was Princess Priegeltje, whose voice was done by his daughter, Dorinde van Oort.
Starting in 1967, Jan van Oort made 39 puppet movies for Dutch television. Each movie was 10 minutes long and was part of the Monitor program. He made all the puppets, scenery, and props by himself. These puppet movies were also shown in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia.
Later Comics
In the 1970s, Van Oort began a new series of newspaper comic strips. He created 23 complete stories in this new series. He finished his very last Paulus story in 1984.
Even after his death, new Paulus books are still being published. These books use material that was never published before. De Meulder Publishers continues to release them.
Other Works by Jan van Oort
Besides Paulus, Jan van Oort created other works. For the supermarket chain Albert Heijn, he made a book called Boffie and Buikie in a tie. People could collect 96 paper strips from Albert Heijn purchases to complete an album for this book.
After traveling to Italy, Van Oort published a book in 1953 called Francesco. This book was about Francis of Assisi.
Awards and Recognition
Jan van Oort received several awards for his work. His book Paulus the deputy Sinterklaas was named the Best Children's Book in 1962. He also won an Edison award for a record of one of his Paulus stories.
In 1981, he received the Stripschapsprijs for his entire career as a comic strip cartoonist.
Since 1995, the Paulus Archives have been collecting and sharing the life and works of Jean Dulieu and Paulus the woodgnome. They do this mainly through their magazine, Bouterbode.
