Henk Kabos was born in Amsterdam, where he also got his artistic education at the Kunstnijverheidsschool. Kabos was employed by the Joop Geesink Studio in 1941, which became the Toonder-Geesink Studios in the following year. Initially, he specialized in animation and collaborated on the animated film based on the 'Tom Poes' story 'De Laarzenreuzen'. Later, he also drew the daily 'Tom Poes' comic strip for four months for the Marten Toonder Studios.

During the war, both artist Kabos and Toonder became involved with the illegal magazine Metro, for which Kabos used the pseudonym Karel Woud. Around the same time, he illustrated two books, 'Keukenkrabbels' and 'Geef Ons Heden Ons Dagelijks Brood', with texts by Jan Gerhard Toonder.

Reinaard de Vos (Kabouterboekje, 1943)

After the war, Kabos started his famous series 'Tekko Taks' in the newspaper Trouw, together with James Ringrose, who inked and co-wrote the strip. In 1949, Kabos returned back to his former employer Joop Geesink, where he was eventually promoted to art director.

Other well-known comics by Kabos are 'Barendje Big', 'Kapitein Brulboei' and 'Pukkie Planta', the latter being an advertising strip for the margerine factory Planta. Kabos additionally illustrated children's books, as well a couple of booklets in the 'Kabouterboekjes' collection of the Bijenkorf department store in 1943.