Joop Geesink was a famous Dutch film producer, best known for his puppet films starring 'Loeki de Leeuw'. Born in The Hague, Geesink began his career as a set designer in theatres. He was also an illustrator, contributing to magazine Doe Mee in the 1930s. He made a comic called 'Prik en Prak' for this magazine. He also made 'De Reuzen Belfloor en Bonnevu in het land van Koning Kas Koes Kielewan' with A.D. Hildebrand, that was published in a book format in 1941.
By 1942 he joined forces with Marten Toonder with whom he set up the Toonder-Geesink Studios to produce advertising films. The firm was dissolved only a year later and Geesink set up his own Dollywood Studios, that focused on documentaries, advertising films and instruction films. In addition to commercial assignments, Geesink also produced personal projects, such as the 'Willem Parel' film starring Wim Sonneveld.
The trademark of the Geesink Studio's were puppet films. From 1967 to 1968 the Geesink studios produced 'Rick de Kikker', a TV puppet series for broadcasting company TROS. This character later became the mascot for amusement park Duinrell in Wassenaar. But Geesink is best known for 'Loeki de Leeuw', the lion that starred in short films during commercial breaks on Dutch public television between 1972 and 2004.
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