Phiny Dick

Afine Kornélie Dik was a writer and illustrator of children's books, and the wife of Marten Toonder. She created her first strip, 'Doris en Daantje', in the weekly Extra Magazine in 1935. Between 1939 and 1949, she created about ten books, of which the trilogy about the cat 'Miezelientje' is the most famous. This character was the prototype of Toonder's 'Tom Poes', and her character 'Wol de Beer' can be considered an early version of 'Ollie B. Bommel'.

Her husband illustrated some of her books, and she wrote the first three stories of his 'Tom Poes'. She became most famous for her comic 'Olle Kapoen', and his friends 'Verk' the piglet and 'Puck Toffel', which appeared from 1945 until 1959. The comic was also published in Germany and Sweden. She created the strip 'Birre Beer', which was taken over by Ton Beek. During the last years of her life, she devoted herself to painting portraits and landscapes.