'Het Broze Barakske' and 'Frietje and Tuurke'.
Pierre Boschmans is a former French fries salesman from Wilrijk, Flanders, who has also created fries-related comics on the side. Among his titles were 'Het Broze Barakske' ('La Baraque Brinque Balante', 2008) and 'Frietje en Tuurke' (2017), co-written with his wife Marie-Louise van Dorst.
Life and career
For many years, Pierre and his wife Marie-Louise van der Dorst ran the fries stand Bieke in Schelle, where they sold Belgium's most famous export product, fries. On the side, he made the annual New Year's cards for Navefri, the National Union of Fry Fryers in Belgium. The chairman of the union approached him to create a comic homage to the Belgian fries culture and its typical stalls. This resulted in the comic book 'Het Broze Barakske' ('La Baraque Brinque Balante', 2008), distributed in a print run of 10,000 copies to fries stands around the country. The book was an instant hit, and the artist even received compliments from King Albert II, Crown Prince (nowadays King) Philippe/Filip and politician Herman De Croo.
When health reasons forced Boschmans to retire from the fries business, he picked up his drawing pen again for a new comic book, this time made by commission of the Fries Museum in Bruges. Starring the characters Frietje and Tuurke, the album 'De Coloradogeest - Van Patat naar Friet' (2017) chronicles the history of the potato in general and French fries in particular. Both his comic books were made in a steady collaboration with his wife, Marie-Louise van Dorst, who took care of the texts. The artwork shows a strong influence from Willy Vandersteen.